NASA has given SpaceX a big job. They plan to build a spaceship to destroy the International Space Station (ISS) after it stops operating in 2030.
This was announced on Wednesday.NASA will pay SpaceX $843 million to make this special spaceship. It is called the “U.S. Deorbit Vehicle.” This spaceship will push the ISS back into Earth’s atmosphere.
The International Space Station will burn up and be destroyed when it re-enters the atmosphere. A satellite picture taken on June 7, 2024, shows the International Space Station with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. This picture is from Maxar Technologies and was shared by Reuters.
The ISS is as big as a football field. It has been used for many years for research. After 2030, SpaceX’s new spaceship will safely return the ISS to Earth and destroy it.
This major project for SpaceX highlights the significance of their collaboration with NASA.