NASA To Allocate $843 Million To SpaceX To Develop A Device For The Controlled Deorbit Of The ISS

The US authorities will allocate $843 million to SpaceX to create a device designed to ensure a controlled deorbit of the International Space Station (ISS) after its service life has expired. This is stated in a statement by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), issued on June 26.

NASA first publicly created a request for a space tug project in March 2023, inviting all interested parties to dialogue. The choice was SpaceX, as we now know. And this choice is quite logical, although competitors may declare a monopoly emerging in the space market.

The ISS is tentatively expected to be removed from orbit in 2030, but “nothing magical will happen,” as the agency explained, if the station continues to operate after 2030. In fact, the ISS will be delayed until commercial orbital stations are ready, and this matter may drag on. “We want [commercial stations] to provide support, and then when they are ready to launch, that’s when the ISS will step aside,” the agency explained.

The US space agency noted that SpaceX “will develop this spacecraft,” and NASA “will take ownership of it after its creation and will manage it during the mission.”