The International Space Station It is close to reaching the end of its useful life and NASA presented its plan to destroy it. It will cost a billion dollars in total, and the fall is expected to occur by 2030 or 2031.
The budget awaits the approval of the United States Congress: for the moment, Only the approximate price for the exorbitant tugboat is seen, which is 180 million dollars.
Kathy Lueders, head of manned spaceflight for NASA, explained that the agency had “a cost estimate of just under a billion dollars.”
“Our goal is to come out with an RFP (request for proposals) and then obviously when we get the proposals then we hope to get a better price than that,” added Lueders, quoted by Space. “But this gives us a healthy start in 2024 to get that critical capability on board.”
Come on with five highlights about NASA’s plan to destroy the International Space Station.
How long has the International Space Station been in orbit?
Released on November 20, 1998, the International Space Station has spent 24 years in orbit and 22 years occupied. It has a mass of 419.7 tons and a length of 73 square meters by a width of 109 square meters. In addition, it maintains an orbit with an average altitude of 400 kilometers.
What are the functions of the ISS?
Its tasks include scientific research, both space and terrestrial exploration, and education and outreach. Initially it had space for three astronauts, and currently, with the sum of docked ships, it can be six. More than 250 astronauts and cosmonauts have passed since it was put into orbit.
What role does Russia play in the collapse programmed by NASA?
The current plan to bring down the ISS safely relies on burning the engines of the Russian-built Progress robotic cargo vehicles. But due to the constant problems of that country’s apparatus, in addition to the differences over the War in Ukraine, The United States is thinking of developing its own orbiting rover.
Where will the space laboratory fall?
The so-called Point Nemo, the oceanic area farthest from the mainland, is the place where the International Space Station will fall. It covers a radius of 2,688 kilometers, with a depth greater than three thousand meters and without maritime traffic.
What will be the future of orbital research?
After saying goodbye to the International Space Station, NASA bets on the Gateway station on the Moon, as part of the Artemis Program. It will also boost any private type project for a space laboratory.