SpaceX was entrusted with the task of winning an $843 million NASA contract

Finance Associated Press

2024-06-27 16:43The official account of Cailianpress, a subsidiary of Shanghai Poster Group

Finance Associated Press, June 27 (edited by Zhou Ziyi) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Wednesday (June 26) that Elon Musk's SpaceX has been selected to develop the "U.S. derailed vehicle (U.S. SpaceX). Deorbit Vehicle）”。

What is an "American derailed vehicle"? The vehicle, with the ability to provide for the deorbiting of the space station, will have enough power to tow the 24-year-old International Space Station (ISS) off orbit and back to Earth and prevent it from crashing into populated areas.

The vehicle is designed to guide the research laboratory the size of a football field back into Earth's atmosphere after the ISS is decommissioned. Earlier, NASA predicted that the ISS's service life would end in January 2031.

The derailed vehicle is expected to disintegrate devastatingly with the space station and eventually crash into the ocean as it drags the ISS out of orbit and back into the atmosphere.

SpaceX took the big order

At present, the task of building the "American deorbiting vehicle" has been confirmed to be handed over to SpaceX. On Wednesday, NASA announced that it had awarded SpaceX the $843 million contract.

However, NASA did not specify whether SpaceX's design for the U.S. derailed vehicle would be based on one of the company's existing spacecraft, such as its Dragon spacecraft.

In addition, it is understood that SpaceX will be responsible for developing the deorbiting vehicle, after which NASA will take ownership of it and operate it for the entire duration of the mission.

In a press release, NASA stressed that "it is critical to prepare for the safe and responsible derailment of the ISS in a controlled manner." U.S. derailed aircraft need to ensure that they avoid posing risks to populated areas. ”

The aging International Space Station

Currently, the United States and four international cooperation agencies representing Russia, Europe, Canada and Japan have been preparing for the eventual decommissioning of the ISS.

Originally created as a manned research laboratory, the ISS has conducted more than 3,300 experiments in microgravity, including research that would not be possible on Earth, such as demonstrations of medical science and technology. Since 2000, astronauts have been stationed on the International Space Station.

But the International Space Station is aging, and NASA and its main partner, the Russian Federal Space Agency, have found it impossible to solve the growing problem of microscopic cracks on the space station.

In assessing how to deal with the aging International Space Station, NASA said, "The space station is a unique artifact whose historical value cannot be overstated." But in the end, NASA decided to destroy the ISS, because its research pointed out that any attempt to preserve or repurpose the ISS was not technically or economically feasible.

In addition, NASA noted that the service life of the ISS may be extended beyond 2030, but this is yet to be determined and an agreement with international cooperation agencies is required.

As for the follow-up, NASA plans to replace the ISS with a private space station and finance the development of American companies through the "Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Destination (CLD)" program.

(Finance Associated Press Zhou Ziyi)

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