Elon Musk’s SpaceX will build a $843M ‘tug vehicle’ to pull the International Space Station back down to Earth – as part of NASA’s grand plan to decommission the ageing observatory

It has been a home to astronauts for almost 25 years, about 250 miles above the Earth’s surface.

But the International Space Station will be destroyed in 2030, and now NASA has firmed up its plans on how to do that.

The space agency has selected Elon Musk’s SpaceX to build a ‘spaceship’ that will pull it back to Earth.

When the two reach Earth’s atmosphere, they will burn up – but NASA expects the risk of debris raining down on us will be very low.

Whatever SpaceX’s tugger looks like, it will have to be unmanned to prevent Hollywood-style heroic astronauts from sacrificing themselves.

It would be a sad end for the iconic ISS, which has been a laboratory and living space for astronauts from around the world since 2000.

“Selecting a U.S. Deorbit vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition into low Earth orbit at the end of the station’s operations,” NASA said in a statement .

‘While the company will develop the deorbit spacecraft, NASA will take ownership of it after development and operate it during its mission.’

SpaceX has been awarded $843 million (£666 million) to design and build the ‘US Deorbit Vehicle’ vehicle, which could be similar to the Dragon series that carries crew and cargo.

The first step in NASA’s plan is to allow the ISS to “decay” in its orbit – meaning it will naturally come closer to Earth due to our planet’s gravity.

During this time, atmospheric drag will reduce the orbit from about 400 kilometers above the surface to 320 kilometers – although it will take a few years for this to happen.

Bottom view of the International Space Station (ISS) in November 2021, orbiting about 400 kilometers above Earth

In 2030, the ISS crew will make the final descent to Earth, taking with them all crucial equipment.

The ISS will continue to get closer to Earth, reaching the point of no return at 280 kilometers above the surface.

And this is where SpaceX’s tow vehicle will have to somehow attach itself to the ISS and pull it into the planet’s atmosphere.

It is hoped that the vast majority of the two spacecraft will be burned up by the high temperatures in our atmosphere – but some could pass through.

Dr. James Blake, a space debris researcher at the University of Warwick, said the mission should ensure this material hits the ocean rather than lands.

“Although much of the structure is expected to disintegrate and burn upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, some dense or heat-resistant components (such as the truss that forms the station’s backbone) are likely to survive,” says Dr. Blake. told MailOnline.

‘However, NASA and partner organizations have opted for a controlled reentry. This means that the return will be targeted so that any remaining fragments end up in an uninhabited part of the ocean. This minimizes the risk to people and property on the land.”

According to the European Space Agency, the annual risk of even one human being injured by space debris is less than one in 100 billion.

That is about 1.5 million times lower than the risk of dying at home in an accident and 65,000 times lower than the risk of being struck by lightning.

It follows several leaks of gas and coolant from the ISS in recent years, including one from a mysterious hole that was reportedly created deliberately. Pictured, the ISS on June 7, 2024

Pictured: SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon approaching the ISS in 2020. SpaceX has already developed spacecraft that can transport crew and cargo to the space station

NASA is dismantling the ISS early next decade due to stresses on the structure that have built up over time, as well as outdated components.

The agency says: ‘The modules and major components of the International Space Station have specific energy, data and structure architectures that may not be compatible with future platforms.’

It follows several leaks of gas and coolant from the ISS in recent years, including one from a mysterious hole that was reportedly created on purpose.

After calls to return the ISS safely to Earth for public display or to reuse parts, NASA called this “infeasible” and a “very complex and expensive” process.

EXPLAINED: THE $100 BILLION INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IS 400 MILES ABOVE EARTH

The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory located 250 miles above Earth.

Since November 2000, it has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts.

Crews have come mainly from the US and Russia, but the Japanese space agency JAXA and the European Space Agency ESA have also sent astronauts.

The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for more than 20 years and has been expanded with several new modules and system upgrades

Research aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low gravity or oxygen.

ISS studies have explored human exploration, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy, and meteorology.

The US space agency NASA spends about $3 billion a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners including Europe, Russia and Japan.

So far, 244 people from 19 countries have visited the station, including eight private individuals who spent approximately $50 million for their visit.

There is an ongoing debate about the future of the station after 2025, when it is thought that part of the original structure will reach the end of its life.

Russia, a major partner in the station, plans to launch its own orbital platform around that time, while Axiom Space, a private company, plans to simultaneously send its own modules to the station for purely commercial use.

NASA, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are working together to build a space station in orbit around the moon, and Russia and China are working on a similar project, which would also include a base on the surface.