NASA has chosen Elon Musk’s SpaceX to build a “space tow truck”, that is, a spacecraft that will pull the International Space Station out of orbit. SpaceX will receive $843 million to build the vehicle before the ISS reaches the end of its operational life in 2030, according to to the announcement of NASA.
The vehicle will attach to the ISS and pull it from its orbit, which is about 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. This is important in order to safely bring down the huge space station in the Pacific Ocean, at the exact desired location, and avoid any populated areas.
Last year in September, NASA started asking for offers from aviation companies for the construction of this spacecraft, asking for a price offer.
As the ISS is decommissioned, NASA intends to transition to smaller, privately owned space stations in low Earth orbit.
– American industry is developing these commercial destinations to begin operations in the late 2020s for public and private sector users – it says on NASA’s website.
The ISS, which was launched in 1998, is a 109-meter-long station weighing about 420 tons. It has been operated by five space agencies since launch: NASA, CSA (Canadian Space Agency), ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos.
The press release states that the USA, Canada, Japan and ESA participating countries remain committed to managing the ISS until its retirement in 2030, and Russia has committed to maintaining operations at least until 2028.