Elon Musk eyes early deorbiting of ISS for Mars mission
Elon Musk has long dreamed of making humanity an interplanetary species. "His latest intentions around destroying the International Space Station are just now becoming apparent" observes unilad.com.
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX a contract worth approximately CAD 1.2 billion to conduct the "deorbiting" operation of the ISS. As part of this endeavour, SpaceX is to build a spacecraft capable of safely bringing the station down to Earth, notes unilad.com.
The International Space Station was not designed to last forever. NASA has already announced that its mission will end in 2030. However, Musk suggests that the station may be decommissioned much earlier.
"It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the @Space_Station. It has served its purpose. There is very little incremental utility. Let’s go to Mars," he wrote on X.
One of the users asked him: "Are you suggesting that the ISS be deorbited prior to 2030? As you know, SpaceX currently as a contract to build the US Deorbit Vehicle to safely bring the station down in 2030."
Musk replied: "The decision is up to the President, but my recommendation is as soon as possible. I recommend 2 years from now."
At the same time, he confirmed that he now has plans to build a base on Mars.
After the activities on the ISS conclude, the station will gradually lower its orbit for about 18 months. Then, a modified version of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft—equipped with six times more fuel and four times more powerful engines—will attach to the ISS and steer it towards Earth.
Upon entering the atmosphere, the station will break into pieces and burn up, with its remnants falling into the Pacific Ocean.
The end of ISS's mission will open a new path
The International Space Station (ISS) was created in 1998 through collaboration between NASA, Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada). Over the years, the ISS has enabled scientific experiments in microgravity conditions, contributing to advancements in medicine, physics, and space technologies.
The end of the ISS mission opens the way to a new stage of space exploration, emphasizes unilad.com. Elon Musk has repeatedly stated that his overriding goal is the colonization of Mars and the construction of permanent bases on the Moon. SpaceX is already working on the Starship, which aims to enable long-range manned flights.
