I guess NASA is too busy spending its tax money on Pride events these days to manage its own space equipment!
The International Space Station (ISS), the crown jewel of our collective space endeavors, which has been orbiting Earth since 1998 and hosting astronauts since 2000, is nearing its curtain call. Who better to handle those final moments than the man who brought us flamethrowers, electric cars, and the rebirth of Twitter?
Elon Musk's SpaceX is now in charge of guiding this 450-ton behemoth of science to a fiery, watery grave in a deal worth a cool $843 million.
The ISS, which orbits Earth every 90 minutes at a cozy altitude of 250 miles, is much more than the most expensive Airbnb in our Solar System. It's been a hub for thousands of scientific experiments, ranging from how humans age in space (spoiler: not well) to creating new materials that you'll probably never see in your local Home Depot.
Despite its advanced age, engineers assure us the ISS is still in good shape: it's the Joe Biden of space, if you will. But, like Joe Biden, the time has come for its creators to plan its eventual demise.
Without a little help, this space grandpa would come hurtling back to Earth on its own, and that's a scenario that NASA would prefer to avoid — mainly because no one wants a 450-ton piece of space junk landing on their head.
Ken Bowersox, NASA's Director of Space Operations, put it diplomatically: 'Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station (ISS) will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations.'
Translation: "We don't want this thing to crash into Kansas."
The ISS has been a joint venture led by the US and Russia, with Europe, Canada, and Japan tagging along. Everyone except Russia has agreed to keep funding the station until 2030, while Russia, being Russia, has promised to stick around until at least 2028.
NASA has flirted with a few ideas for how to handle the ISS when it's time to say goodbye. They thought about breaking it up and reusing the younger parts in a new station, or maybe passing it off to some private company, like handing down a well-loved family heirloom that also happens to be a giant floating laboratory. But, surprise surprise, these ideas turned out to be as complicated as assembling an IKEA wardrobe without instructions … while blindfolded ... in space.
And way more expensive.
Neither NASA nor SpaceX have spilled the beans on what this de-orbiting "tugboat" will look like, but it's safe to say it will need some serious muscle and brainpower to steer the ISS into the right part of the atmosphere at the right time. Remember, this isn't some dinky little spacecraft we're talking about. The ISS is the size of a football field and about as aerodynamic as a brick. Some parts of it are bound to survive re-entry and make it all the way to the surface, which is why they've got to be careful about where it lands.
The ISS will gradually lower its orbit, and after bidding farewell to the last crew, this trusty space tug will nudge it into the atmosphere for its final plunge.
NASA is betting that by the time the ISS is under the sea, a bunch of private companies will be launching their own commercial space station, leaving NASA to shift their focus to a shiny new platform called Gateway, which will orbit the Moon.
Maybe Elon Musk can do us a favor and make sure the ISS takes out a Chinese spy balloon on the way down?
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