NASA has just entrusted SpaceX with the historic mission of putting an end to the saga of the International Space Station (ISS). This contract, of colossal value, marks a turning point in the history of space conquest and propels SpaceX to the rank of key player in this new era.
The ISS c’est Hello
After 26 years of loyal service, the ISS, a true technological feat and symbol of international cooperation, is reaching the end of its life. The five partner space agencies (NASA, ESA, JAXA, CSA and Roscosmos)
have jointly decided to schedule its deorbiting for 2030
paving the way for a new generation of commercial space stations and ensuring responsible management of low Earth orbit.
SpaceX, Elon Musk’s visionary company, already recognized for its resounding successes in the field of space transportation, was selected to design and build the vehicle responsible for this unprecedented mission. The latter will have to propel the ISS towards Earth, where it will largely disintegrate during its atmospheric reentry. The remaining debris will be carefully directed towards “Point Nemo”, an isolated area of the Pacific Ocean, in order to avoid any risk to populations.
It will be a real feat.
Deorbiting the ISS represents a colossal technical challenge. The vehicle will have to maneuver with extreme precision this 420 ton structure, comparable to a football field, and guide it to its final destination. It is also a symbolic moment, marking the end of an era for international cooperation in space and the advent of a new generation of commercial space stations, where the private sector will play a leading role. .
Since its commissioning in 1998, the ISS has been the scene of more than 3,300 scientific experiments in fields as varied as biology, physics, medicine, astronomy and Earth observation. It has made it possible to better understand the effects of microgravity on the human body, to test new space technologies and to make unprecedented observations of our planet. The ISS has also served as a training ground for generations of astronautsthus setting the stage for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
The end of the ISS does not mark the end of human presence in space, quite the contrary. It opens the way to new ambitious projects, such as the construction of a lunar space station, NASA’s Artemis program to send humans back to the Moonand the exploration of Mars. Private companies like SpaceX will play an increasingly central role in this new era of space exploration, bringing their expertise and dynamism.
An astronomical amount
The contract amount awarded to SpaceX, $843 million, reflects the scale and complexity of this mission. It covers the development, construction and delivery of the deorbit vehicle, but not its launch, which will be the subject of a separate call for tenders. This cost, although considerable, must be put into perspective with the scientific, technological and environmental issues of deorbiting the ISS, a true monument of human ingenuity.
The scheduled end of the ISS marks a historic turning point in space exploration. It symbolizes the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.where private companies will play a leading role. SpaceX, by being entrusted with the responsibility of deorbiting the ISS, confirms its status as a major player in this new era. The mission it is about to accomplish is at once a technical challenge, a strong symbol and a key step towards the future of space exploration.
