NASA Selects International Space Station US Deorbit Vehicle
NASA Selects International Space Station US Deorbit Vehicle
PR Newswire
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2024
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA is fostering continued scientific, educational, and technological developments in low Earth orbit to benefit humanity, while also supporting deep space exploration at the Moon and Mars. As the agency transitions to commercially owned space destinations closer to home, it is crucial to prepare for the safe and responsible deorbit of the International Space Station in a controlled manner after the end of its operational life in 2030.
NASA announced SpaceX has been selected to develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle that will provide the capability to deorbit the space station and ensure avoidance of risk to populated areas.
"Selecting a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations. This decision also supports NASA's plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth," said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The orbital laboratory remains a blueprint for science, exploration, and partnerships in space for the benefit of all."
While the company will develop the deorbit spacecraft, NASA will take ownership after development and operate it throughout its mission. Along with the space station, it is expected to destructively breakup as part of the re-entry process.
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 managing and controlling the hardware it provides. The station was designed to be interdependent and relies on contributions from across the partnership to function. The United States, Japan, Canada, and the participating countries of ESA have committed to operating the station through 2030. Russia has committed to continued station operations through at least 2028. The safe deorbit of the International Space Station is the responsibility of all five space agencies.
The single-award contract has a total potential value of $843 million. The launch service for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle will be a future procurement.
In its 24th year of continuously crewed operations, the space station is a unique scientific platform where crew members conduct experiments across multiple disciplines of research, including Earth and space science, biology, human physiology, physical sciences, and technology demonstrations not possible on Earth. Crews living aboard station are the hands of thousands of researchers on the ground having conducted more than 3,300 experiments in microgravity. Station is the cornerstone of space commerce, from commercial crew and cargo partnerships to commercial research and national lab research, and lessons learned aboard International Space Station are helping to pass the torch to future commercial stations.
Learn more about space station operations at:
SOURCE NASA
-
Q3 2024 Stock Market Outlook: Is the AI Stock Trade Over?
-
Ian Bremmer: 4 Big Geopolitical Risks to Watch
-
What’s Happening In the Markets This Week
-
Obesity Drug Stocks: Why It Will Be ‘Exceptionally Difficult’ to Dethrone Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk
-
What Does Chipotle’s Stock Split Mean for Investors?
-
5 Stocks to Buy Before the Fed Cuts Interest Rates in 2024
-
Markets Brief: Inflation Is Back In the Spotlight
-
What a Strong Economy Now Means for the Rest of 2024
-
10 Top Dividend Stocks for 2024
-
Finding Small-Cap Stock Opportunities In a Big-Cap World
-
The 10 Best Companies to Invest in Now
-
Nike Earnings: Dim Sales Outlook Slams Shares, but Patient Investors Could Be Rewarded
-
2 Top E-Commerce Stock Picks
-
Our Top Pick for Investing in US Renewable Energy
-
Micron Earnings: We Raise Our DRAM Forecast and Valuation Behind Stronger Pricing Assumptions
-
10 Undervalued Wide-Moat Stocks