NASA's ISS Deorbit Plan and Partnerships

NASA's International Space Station Deorbit Plan

• NASA selected SpaceX to develop and deliver the US Deorbit Vehicle for the ISS.
• The vehicle will safely deorbit the ISS after its 2030 operational end.
• This ensures responsible transition and avoids risk to populated areas.
• The contract has a potential value of $843 million.
• The launch service for the US Deorbit Vehicle is a future procurement.
• SpaceX will develop the spacecraft, and NASA will own and operate it.
• The ISS is expected to destructively break up during re-entry.

ISS Operations and Partnerships

• The ISS has been operated by five space agencies since 1998: NASA, CSA, ESA, JAXA, and Roscosmos.
• Each agency manages its own provided hardware.
• The station is designed for interdependence, requiring contributions from all partners.
• The US, Japan, Canada, and ESA partners are committed to operating the station through 2030.
• Russia is committed through at least 2028.
• Safe deorbit is a shared responsibility among all five agencies.

ISS Scientific and Commercial Significance

• The ISS is a scientific platform for diverse research, including Earth and space science, biology, human physiology, physical sciences, and technology demonstrations.
• More than 3,300 experiments in microgravity have been conducted.
• The ISS is crucial for fostering space commerce in areas such as commercial crew and cargo partnerships, commercial research, and national lab research.
• Lessons learned from ISS operations will benefit future commercial stations.