NASA Picks SpaceX to Deorbit the ISS

The space agency is enlisting the private firm to build an International Space Station vehicle that will ‘destructively break up’ along with the station when it is retired in 2030.

Thursday, June 27, 2024 at 04:35 PM ET

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After 2030, the International Space Station will be replaced by a collection of commercial space stations built by private companies. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

NASA has awarded SpaceX a contract worth up to $843 million to build a vehicle for the controlled deorbit of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030.
The SpaceX vehicle will guide the ISS to a controlled reentry, breaking up and falling into a remote section of the Pacific Ocean at the end of its operational lifespan.
This move signifies NASA's transition from operating the ISS to becoming a customer of commercial low-Earth orbit (LEO) destinations, allowing the agency to focus on deep-space missions like Artemis.
Several other private companies, including Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, Starlab Space, and Axiom Space, are also developing commercial space stations to succeed the ISS in LEO.

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In its latest collaboration with private industry, NASA has selected the company that will bring the International Space Station (ISS) back to Earth in pieces.

The space agency on Thursday announced it awarded SpaceX a contract, worth up to $843 million, to build a vehicle that will deorbit the space station when it is retired in 2030. At the end of the laboratory’s lifespan, NASA will use the SpaceX-built vehicle to bring it crashing down into a remote section of the Pacific Ocean.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.