NASA picks SpaceX to carry ISS to oceanic resting place after 2030

NEWS WIRES

26 June 2024 at 9:41 pm·2-min read

NASA awarded on Tuesday SpaceX an $843 million contract to build the vessel that will bring the International Space Station out of its longtime orbit of Earth when its operating lifespan ends in 2030.

NASA on Tuesday said it had picked SpaceX to build a vessel to carry the International Space Station back through Earth's atmosphere and on to a final resting place in the Pacific Ocean after it is retired in 2030.

Elon Musk's company has been awarded a contract with a potential value of $843 million to develop and deliver the spaceship, dubbed the US Deorbit Vehicle.

"Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations," said NASA's Ken Bowersox in a statement.

NASA plans to take ownership of the spacecraft after SpaceX builds it, and control operations throughout the mission.

Weighing 430,000 kilograms (950,000) pounds, the ISS is by far the largest single structure ever built in space.

Based on past observations of how other stations such as Mir and Skylab disintegrated on atmospheric re-entry, NASA engineers expect the orbital outpost to break up in three stages.

First, the massive solar arrays and the radiators that keep the orbital lab cool will come off, then individual modules will break off from the truss, or the station's backbone structure. Finally, the truss and the modules themselves will tear apart.

The first segment of the ISS was launched in 1998, and it has been continuously inhabited by an international crew since 2001.

The Guardian
Afternoon Update: Democrats worried after poor Biden performance; Nine to cut 200 jobs; and sharp increase in Victorian motorcyclist fatalities
Donald Trump and Joe Biden sparred over abortion and tax policy in the first presidential debate
Cover Media
NASA Uses Hubble And Webb Telescopes To Create 3D Visualisation Of Pillars Of Creation
The Pillars of Creation are one of the most iconic and beautiful sights in deep space - now NASA has released a 3D visualisation allowing us to see inside this stunning part of the Eagle Nebula. Made famous in 1995 by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the Pillars of Creation are giant clouds where stars are born. Using data from NASA's Hubble and James Webb space telescopes, astronomers have created a comprehensive and detailed multiwavelength look at these towering celestial structures. The four Pillars of Creation, made primarily of cool molecular hydrogen and dust, are being eroded by the fierce winds and punishing ultraviolet light of nearby hot, young stars. The finger-like structures protruding from the top of the pillars are so big they are larger than our solar system! Within these fingers are embryonic stars. The tallest pillar stretches across three light-years, three-quarters of the distance between our Sun and the next nearest star. This is not an artistic interpretation but rather is based on observational data from a science paper led by Anna McLeod, an associate professor at the University of Durham in the U.K. The new visualisation also shows how two of the world's most powerful space telescopes can work together to provide a more complex and holistic portrait of the pillars. Hubble sees objects that glow in visible light, at thousands of degrees. Webb's infrared vision, which is sensitive to cooler objects with temperatures of just hundreds of degrees pierces through obscuring dust to see stars embedded in the pillars.
Yahoo News UK
What we know about summer COVID as UK case numbers rise
It comes as a new group of variants, known as FLiRT, have emerged in recent weeks.
CNN
Surprising asteroid sample reveals Bennu may have originated from an ocean world
A sample from asteroid Bennu contains organic compounds usually found at midocean ridges on Earth, suggesting Bennu may have been part of an ancient ocean world.
CNN
Scientists identify main source that could be fueling Iceland’s hotbed of volcanic activity
Bringing together branches of science that usually don’t talk in a new study, researchers predict for how long volcanoes in Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula will erupt.
CNN
Bronze Age workshop reveals precious pigment made from a recipe lost to time
This week, uncover a lost recipe for history’s most valuable pigment, explore an asteroid with a watery past, go inside Iceland’s volcanic eruptions, and more.
The Independent
A water bottle. Pizza crust. Chewing gum. How discarded DNA is bringing serial killers to justice
It’s an increasingly important tool in solving cold cases and catching serial killers: DNA. But not just any DNA – DNA off discarded food, soda cans, water bottles, or even chewing gum. Andrea Cavallier reports
Business Insider
A frozen wolf discovered in Siberia turned out to be 44,000 years old. It's so well-preserved that scientists are checking its gut for ancient viruses.
Locals found this first-of-a-kind Pleistocene wolf in Siberia. It's so mummified that scientists hope to find remnants of its last meal in its belly.
Reuters Videos
The battle against Guatemala's 'garbage island'
STORY: This island in Guatemala is made of garbage.There are plastic bottles, tires, sofas — even human remains have been found here.Local residents are worried about it.They fish in Lake Amatitlan, and making a living from it.Tourism boat driver Celestino de la Cruz says he remembers when the lake was crystal clear.Now it's more of a greenish hue.“I don’t know why the lake has deteriorated, it’s a shame to see it,” he says.:: FilePart of the problem, experts say, is industrialization in Guatemala City’s metropolitan area.Rivers carry contaminated water to the lake, which leads to excess nitrogen and propels the growth of a toxic blue-green algae.There have been laws since 2006 seeking to control nitrogen levels in the lake.And surrounding municipalities got funding for water treatment plants - but those resources were re-allocated.The agency for sustainable management of the lake says it’s removing about 100 trucks of trash a day - even during the heavy rains of the winter season.They placed a retention barrier on the lake’s surface that's more than a mile long."We all have the intention to save the lake. It is our hope that one day we will be able to save it,” says trash extraction manager Yuri Geovani.He says without those efforts, the lake would probably be a swamp by now.The agency says over 190,000 cubic feet of trash has been scooped up this year alone.That’s more than two Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Business Insider
US astronauts had to take shelter after a Russian satellite broke into over 100 pieces near the ISS
Authorities say the Russian RESURS-P1 broke into over 100 trackable pieces, with US firm LeoLabs saying it was tracking nearly 200 debris fragments.
Futurism
Startups Working on Using the Ocean as Huge Waste Dump for CO2 to Save Earth From Climate Change
Flow State Our fight against climate change is getting desperate. We may be on our way to a renewables-powered future, but until then, immediate solutions are needed to contend with soaring temperatures and rising sea levels. That has scientists considering ambitious large-scale projects to engineer the climate in our favor, such as reducing the sunlight […]
Manchester Evening News
Footage shows out-of-control XL Bully being chased by armed cops before being shot dead following horror attack on woman
GMP said the dog had to be destroyed 'as the last possible option'
The Independent
How David Beckham got ‘revenge’ on Prince Harry for Meghan Markle snub
The prince allegedly ignored the footballer after agreeing to meet him
Manchester Evening News
'I plan to ruin my neighbour's business as he keeps blocking my driveway'
A woman has been left furious after her neighbour's customers kept blocking her driveway - so she's come up with a plan to ruin his business. She shared her tale over on Reddit
HuffPost
I Prayed For Years That No One Would Discover The Issue With My Private Parts. Now I'm Done Hiding.
"After Dr. R terrified and humiliated me, he kept me on the examination table. Every part of me pushed to get up, but he held me down."
The Telegraph
‘This wasn’t a debate, it was a medical emergency’: Our writers give their verdicts
Follow the latest reaction in our live blog
OK! Magazine
Prince William slaps Harry with 'absolute ban' and is 'calling the shots when it comes to family discipline'
It has been reported that Prince William does not want his brother Harry to return to the inner circle of the royal family 'in any way, shape or form' and is taking lessons from his grandfather
OK! Magazine
BBC Breakfast's Charlie Stayt forced to apologise live on air after broadcast blunder
BBC Breakfast face a huge broadcast blunder on Saturday morning's show and long-standing host Charlie Stayt was forced to apologise to viewers for the sound mishap
OK! Magazine
Katie Price reveals the results of her 17th boob job
Katie Price has proudly shown off her new body online after underoing the knife for a whopping 17th time, but this time to make her boobs smaller for the first time
News Shopper
Busy London station CLOSED with major police presence and cordons in place
A busy central London train station has been closed, with a major police presence at the scene.

Latest stories