The upcoming spacecraft will feature six times more fuel and four times more power compared to the current SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
The announcement was made on July 17 that the International Space Station (ISS) will be retired in a safe manner while ensuring a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit.
SpaceX, with the $843 million contract it secured in June, will develop a special version of the Dragon Cargo spacecraft to guide the ISS into a controlled reentry over an undisclosed ocean location by 2030.
Sarah Walker, SpaceX’s director of Dragon mission management, revealed that the new vehicle will have an enlarged service module or “trunk” capable of holding over 35,000 pounds of propellant—six times more than the current Dragon spacecraft—as well as four times more power.
Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program, explained that the deorbit vehicle will be launched approximately one to one-and-a-half years before the final reentry.
Once attached, the ISS will gradually descend to 220 kilometers (136 miles) above the Earth’s surface over the next year.
Upon reaching this position, the vehicle will utilize its 30 Draco engines to perform a series of burns in preparation for a final reentry burn four days later.
The deorbit vehicle’s primary objective is to maneuver the station and provide power during its descent through the Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA aims to maximize the use of the ISS with a human crew for up to six months before the reentry process begins.
Additionally, three private companies are in the process of developing their own free-flying space stations, with Axiom planning to connect modules to the ISS in its initial stages.
Collaboration between NASA and private space stations is planned to ensure a seamless transition before the ISS is retired.
The ambitious project requires over $1 billion in funding, with contributions expected from all ISS partner agencies based on the station’s mass distribution.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX will focus on designing the orbit-bound vehicle, while NASA will handle the launch vehicle.
NASA has included a “dwell in storage” clause in the contract to ensure timely delivery of the spacecraft by SpaceX, even in the event of launch delays.
By modifying existing spacecraft, SpaceX is incorporating NASA-certified and flight-proven hardware into the new vehicle.
Despite the familiarity with the components, the development timeline for a new spacecraft typically ranges from five to eight years, prompting the initiation of this project.
It usually takes three years to secure a rocket capable of launching the deorbit vehicle into orbit.
The ISS, nearly 30 years old and continuously inhabited since November 2000, has hosted visitors from over 20 countries, including more than 160 from the United States.
Former astronaut and NASA associate administrator Ken Bowersox expressed excitement about the future plans, emphasizing the importance of maximizing the ISS’s potential before its retirement.
While some items on the ISS may be salvaged before the final reentry, dedicated missions are not currently planned.
Mr. Bowersox mentioned the possibility of salvage missions or requests from partner nations and museums for artifacts from the ISS era, but no concrete plans have been made.
