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NASA has granted Elon Musk’s SpaceX another contract. The US agency has chosen SpaceX to develop and produce the spacecraft that will take the aging International Space Station (ISS) out of its position in Earth’s orbit and bring it back down to Earth.SpaceX’s deorbit vehicle contract is worth an estimated $843 million, NASA notes in its announcement Wednesday. This doesn’t include the cost to launch the deorbit vehicle into space, however, which is expected to be a separate contract (that may also be eventually awarded to SpaceX). NASA says it will operate the mission to deorbit the ISS using the SpaceX tech. “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. This decision also supports NASA’s plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA. The ISS is about the size of an American football field. NASA wants to make sure that the ISS’s retirement plan won’t involve leaving tons of dangerous space debris in Earth’s lower orbit. And when its components fall to Earth, NASA wants SpaceX’s vehicle to “ensure avoidance of risk to populated areas.” NASA is planning to let ISS debris fall to “a remote part of the ocean,” according to a report detailing its options and ultimate decision to bring the ISS back to Earth. Space debris is a big concern both for those going to space and living on Earth, however. Earlier this week, a Florida man took legal action against NASA because a piece of the ISS hit his home. The ISS’s oldest parts were first launched into Earth’s orbit back in 1998. NASA explains that some of the space station’s core parts were only designed to last about 30 years, meaning it only has a few years left due its aging infrastructure in critical areas such as crew cabins and core power structures.
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The agencies operating the ISS plan to begin its decommission process in 2030, though Russia’s space agency has said it will only maintain its presence there until 2028. NASA is investigating whether its US Orbital Segment (USOS) could continue to operate after 2030, however, and has “high confidence” that it could be possibly if deemed necessary. Beyond 2030, NASA expects to see a transition toward even more commercial space operations, including missions and stations, from companies like SpaceX.
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