NASA has chosen Elon Musk’s SpaceX to decommission the International Space Station (ISS) at the end of its operational life.

The California-based company will develop a vehicle capable of guiding the 430-ton orbiting platform into the Pacific Ocean in the early part of the next decade.

The contract for this task, valued at up to $843 million (£668 million), was announced on Wednesday.

The first components of the ISS were launched in 1998, with continuous crewed missions starting in 2000.

The station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude slightly above 400 kilometers (250 miles) and has hosted thousands of scientific experiments, exploring various phenomena from human aging to the development of new materials.

Engineers confirm that the laboratory remains structurally sound, but emphasize the need for immediate planning for its eventual disposal. Without intervention, it would naturally descend back to Earth, posing significant risks to ground populations.

Ken Bowersox, the director of space operations at NASA, underscored the importance of selecting a US De-orbit Vehicle for the International Space Station (ISS) to facilitate a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit upon completion of station operations. He stated, “This decision also aligns with NASA’s plans for future commercial ventures and ensures continued utilization of space near Earth.”

The ISS project is jointly led by the US and Russia, with Europe, Canada, and Japan contributing in supporting roles. All western partners have committed to funding the station through 2030, while Russia has committed to its involvement until at least 2028.

NASA has explored various options for disposing of the International Space Station (ISS) at the end of its operational life.

These options include dismantling the station and repurposing its younger elements for a next-generation platform.

Another consideration has been transferring operational responsibilities to a commercial entity, though these solutions present complexities in terms of cost and legal ownership issues.

Neither NASA nor SpaceX has disclosed specifics about the design of the de-orbiting “tug boat,” but it will necessitate significant thrust to safely guide the station into the Earth’s atmosphere at the appropriate location and time. Due to its substantial mass and size—roughly equivalent to a football pitch—some components are expected to survive re-entry and reach the Earth’s surface.

Mission controllers will gradually lower the ISS’s orbit over time, concluding with the final crew departure and the subsequent execution of the de-orbit maneuver by the tugboat.

Decommissioned spacecraft are targeted for a remote location in the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo, named after Jules Verne’s famous submariner. This location is more than 2,500 kilometers from the nearest landmass.

NASA anticipates that several private consortia will have initiated launches of commercial space stations by the time the ISS is decommissioned.

The focus of space agencies will then shift to constructing the Gateway, a lunar orbit platform project.