SpaceX to make vehicle to deorbit International Space Station

SpaceX to make vehicle to deorbit International Space Station (spaceflight.nasa.gov)

Elon Musk's SpaceX company has received a contract from NASA for $843 million to build a ship that will deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) in the future, according to the NASA website.

The destruction of the ISS is scheduled for 2030 after the station's service life expires.

$843 million is not the final cost for the upcoming operation. Before the ISS is removed, all important equipment and crew need to be sent out.

"Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations," said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

International Space Station

The station is located at an altitude of more than 400 kilometers above the Earth. The first ISS module was launched into space back in 1998.

In total, hundreds of astronauts from different countries have stayed at the station, which is used for scientific research. At the end of its service, the ISS is planned to be buried in the Pacific Ocean.

There is an area in the Pacific Ocean closed to shipping. It is called the spacecraft cemetery where the remains of space ships end their life.