SpaceX is currently developing an $843 million spacecraft project intended to safely deorbit the International Space Station at the decade’s end. This next-generation vehicle will essentially be an enhanced variant of the current Dragon capsule, which is already in use for both astronaut and cargo missions to orbit, as disclosed by the company on Wednesday.
Last month, SpaceX was chosen by NASA to create the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), winning a substantial contract against its competitor, Northrop Grumman. This decision, based on NASA’s source selection statement from Tuesday, favored SpaceX due to the considerable use of already proven hardware in their design proposal.
According to Dana Weigel, NASA’s ISS program manager, during a press briefing on Wednesday, the agency prioritized designs with a strong legacy of flight to ensure reliability. Although SpaceX’s plan incorporates much of the Dragon’s design, about 50% of the USD511 will be brand new, with the entirety of its deorbiting capabilities novel to this craft, Weigel stated.
Designed for a critical role, the USDV will execute key maneuvers during the International Space Station’s final week, although it will be launched approximately 18 months prior to these events. It will attach to the ISS’s forward port, staying docked as the station gradually descends towards Earth. Station crews will be kept onboard to manage its path as long as feasible before departing around six months before the station reenters the Earth’s atmosphere.
When the station is about 220 kilometers above Earth, the USDV will perform several burns to fine-tune the station’s descent over four days, culminating in the final deorbit burn. Any remaining debris will target a specific, uninhabited area of the ocean, following the same disposal protocol used for other large space objects, like the Cygnus capsule from Northrop Grumman or Japan’s HTV cargo module.
Spokespersons from SpaceX highlight the engineering feats required to ensure the USDV can manage the rigorous task of navigating the station through increasing atmospheric resistance. According to Sarah Walker, SpaceX’s director of Dragon mission management, the challenge lies in executing a burn that is not only powerful enough to propel the whole space station but also to overcome the atmospheric drag and ensure a precision landing in the designated area.
The ambitious spacecraft will boast six times the usable fuel and three to four times the power generation and storage capacity compared to the current Dragon capsules. Preliminary designs suggest a robust Dragon variant equipped with a substantial cargo bay for extra fuel, power, and avionics systems, including 30 additional Draco thrusters to the original 16.
Walker detailed that this augmented trunk would accommodate the necessary components for the mission, ensuring a minimal debris footprint upon reentry—anticipated debris may range in size from household microwaves to small cars.
NASA, in cooperation with international partners like Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, decided to open the USDV project to the private sector after concluding that the capabilities provided by Roscosmos were insufficient for the station’s needs. The request for proposal was issued last autumn.
This contract marks a departure from SpaceX’s previous collaborations with NASA, focusing not on service provision but on crafting and delivering a vehicle that NASA will then manage and operate to facilitate the ISS’s return journey to Earth. NASA plans to begin the process for launching procurement about three years before the expected launch date, aiming for a splashdown after the cessation of ISS operations scheduled for 2030.
Key officials are optimistic about aligning this transition with the development timelines of upcoming commercial space stations, despite potential obstacles. They plan to maintain operations through 2030, with subsequent actions dependent on approval from governmental and international space partners, remarked NASA associate administrator Ken Bowersox.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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