How can a space station be scrapped when it becomes too old? NASA has awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract for the deorbiting and destruction of the International Space Station (ISS). Deorbiting means moving a space object, whether artificial or natural, such as a small asteroid, from an orbit around the Earth to place it somewhere else. The ISS, which has been in orbit since 1998, has played a key role in promoting scientific research and developing space technologies, but it is now ageing and maintenance costs are rising. NASA has therefore decided to retire the ISS by 2030 and replace it with new commercial space platforms. The ISS is the largest structure ever built in space. With a weight of 455 tonnes, a length of about 100 metres and a width of about 80 metres, the station covers an area the size of a football pitch. But where do you dispose of a massive object like the ISS, which orbits 400 km above the Earth's surface? SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, was chosen for this delicate mission because of its experience in designing and launching spacecraft. The company will use its new Starship spacecraft to dock with the ISS and lower its orbit until it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, safely disintegrating over the Pacific Ocean. Deorbiting the ISS is a complex and dangerous operation that requires meticulous planning and execution. SpaceX will have to ensure that the space station descends into an uninhabited area and that no hazardous fragments reach the earth's surface in inhabited areas.
Read more...
