SpaceX is working on developing a super-powered version of its Dragon capsule, which will be used to bring down the International Space Station at the end of the decade. The U.S. Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) contract was awarded to SpaceX by NASA last month, beating out Northrop Grumman.
The USDV will play a crucial role in executing a series of critical burns over the last week of the space station’s life. NASA plans to launch the spacecraft around 18 months before these burns are set to take place. It will dock to the forward port of the ISS and remain there as the station slowly descends towards Earth. Crew members will stay onboard as long as possible to maintain the station’s trajectory.
When the station reaches an altitude of around 220 kilometers above Earth, the USDV will come into action. It will perform a series of burns to set the station on a precise deorbit trajectory over a period of four days before conducting the final reentry burn. The remaining parts of the station will land in an uninhabited ocean.
SpaceX faces the challenge of developing a powerful enough vehicle to guide the station through increasing atmospheric drag. The final burn must be powerful enough to fly the entire space station while resisting the forces caused by atmospheric drag. SpaceX’s design includes six times more usable propellant and three to four times more power generation and storage than the standard Dragon capsules.
NASA, along with other station partners, decided to solicit a deorbit vehicle from private industry after realizing that the existing capabilities were insufficient. SpaceX will design and deliver the vehicle to NASA, but it will be NASA’s responsibility to procure the launch, operate the spacecraft, and bring the ISS back to Earth.
The agency is preparing for the rocket procurement process around three years prior to launch, with the expectation that the space station will splash down the following year after operations cease in 2030. NASA is also looking to ensure an overlap with commercial space station providers in low Earth orbit.
As SpaceX works on developing this complex mission, the challenges and intricacies of bringing down the International Space Station will require precision and innovative solutions. Overall, the USDV project marks an important step towards safely deorbiting the ISS and transitioning towards future space exploration endeavors.
