Retirement in 2030
Indeed, the ISS will not remain in orbit around the Earth forever. Its retirement is scheduled for 2030, which will imply its necessary destruction. As a reminder, the United States, Japan, Canada and the Europeans have committed to continuing ISS operations until 2030, Russia until 2028. Given the current context, NASA has remained rather sober…
Since 1998, five space agencies, CSA (Canadian Space Agency), ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and State Space Corporation Roscosmos , have operated the International Space Station with each agency responsible for the management and control of the hardware it provides. The station was designed to be interdependent and depends on contributions from the entire partnership to function. The United States, Japan, Canada and ESA participating countries have committed to operating the station until 2030. Russia has committed to continuing station operations until at least 2028. Safe deorbiting of the International Space Station is the responsibility of all five space agencies.
One last trip!
The American space agency has already announced its decision to plunge the ISS into the ocean for its final voyage. During this operation, certain pieces will be disintegrated during re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere, only the most resistant will end up at the bottom of the water.
But for this, it is necessary to have a sufficiently powerful vehicle, capable of maneuvering a space station weighing some 430,000 kg. Thus, the SpaceX vehicle must allow to deorbit the Space Station and avoid any risk to inhabited areas
. Just like the ISS, it will also have to disintegrate upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
According to the official NASA press release, this contract won by Elon Musk’s firm represents an envelope of up to $843 million. Once developed, the vehicle will belong to NASA, which will be responsible for the practical arrangements of the mission.
