WASHINGTON—SpaceX has been awarded an $843 million contract by NASA to develop the vehicle that will safely bring the International Space Station back to Earth once it reaches the end of its operational life in the coming years.
Under the contract, SpaceX, led by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, will construct the vehicle for the mission, while NASA will oversee the overall operation.
The International Space Station, which was launched in 1998, is expected to need to be deorbited by 2030. The station is a collaborative effort involving space agencies from the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, and Russia. While all participating countries have committed to operating the station until 2030, Russia has only committed until 2028.
Astronaut crews have been conducting research and experiments on the space station since 2000.
Ken Bowersox, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations mission directorate, emphasized the importance of the station as a hub for scientific research and international cooperation in space.
This contract further highlights SpaceX’s technological expertise in the space industry. Founded by Musk in 2002, SpaceX has been at the forefront of space exploration, alongside Musk’s other ventures such as Tesla, the electric car company that has contributed significantly to his substantial wealth estimated at $220 billion.
