NASA recently granted SpaceX an $843 million contract to develop a specialized vehicle that safely brings down the International Space Station (ISS). This ambitious project aims to retire the ISS, which has been orbiting Earth since its launch in 1998, by the end of this decade.
The ISS, a collaborative effort involving space agencies from the U.S., Europe, Japan, Canada, and Russia, has served as a vital platform for scientific research, exploration, and international cooperation. However, as its operating lifespan approaches its limit, plans are underway to carefully deorbit the station.
SpaceX, led by technology mogul Elon Musk, will take charge of constructing the deorbit vehicle. This private company, headquartered in Hawthorne, California, has already made significant strides in space technology, including its successful ventures with the Crew Dragon spacecraft and reusable Falcon rockets.
The contract signifies NASA’s confidence in SpaceX’s capabilities. The company’s track record in pushing the boundaries of space exploration has positioned it as a key player in the industry. Musk, who also founded Tesla, the electric car manufacturer, has become a driving force behind cutting-edge innovations.
The ISS remains a testament to human ingenuity and international collaboration. As we approach the end of its operational life, the deorbit vehicle will play a crucial role in ensuring a controlled descent, allowing the ISS to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere safely.
While the exact date of the ISS’s retirement remains fluid, the mission to bring it back to Earth is a significant step toward the next chapter in space exploration. As the countdown begins, SpaceX’s expertise will be instrumental in safely “junking” this iconic orbiting laboratory.
Facts of International Space Station
- Continuous Occupancy:
- The ISS has been continuously inhabited since November 2000.
- An international crew of seven people lives and works aboard the station, traveling at a speed of five miles per second.
- They orbit Earth approximately every 90 minutes, witnessing 16 sunrises and sunsets in a 24-hour period.
- Impressive Size and Features:
- The living and working space inside the International Space Station is larger than a six-bedroom house.
- It includes six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym, and a 360-degree view bay window.
- Astronauts work out for at least two hours a day to mitigate muscle and bone loss in microgravity.
- Global Collaboration:
- The ISS is a joint effort involving five space agencies from 15 countries.
- These space agencies include NASA, Roscosmos, ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
- Commercial modules, such as BEAM (Bigelow Expandable Activity Module), have also been installed on the station.
- Orbiting Science Lab:
- The ISS serves as both a home for astronauts and a cutting-edge science laboratory.
- It hosts experiments in various fields, including biology, physics, and materials science.
- The solar array wingspan (356 feet or 109 meters) is longer than the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380.
- Visible from Earth:
- The ISS orbits Earth at an average speed of 27,700 km/h (17,200 mph).
- It completes 16 orbits per day, flying 320 kilometers (199 miles) above us.
- You can spot it in the night sky as a bright moving object.
