NASA released a request for information (International Space Station Deorbit Capability) from U.S. industry for capabilities to contribute to safely deorbiting the International Space Station as part of its planned retirement after 2030.
Since 1998, five space agencies (the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the State Space Corporation “Roscosmos”) have operated the International Space Station, with each responsible for managing and controlling the hardware it provides. The station was designed to be interdependent and relies on contributions from across the partnership to function. The United States has committed to operating the station through 2030 and other partner space agencies continue to work through respective government processes on extension and utilization beyond 2024.
At the conclusion of the International Space Station program, the station will be deorbited in a controlled manner to ensure avoidance of populated areas. The safe deorbit of the International Space Station is the responsibility of all five space agencies. In the future, the United States plans to transition its operations in low-Earth orbit to commercially owned and operated platforms to ensure continued access to essential training, research, and technology development.
In a years-long effort, NASA and its partners have studied deorbit requirements and developed a strategy and action plan that evaluated the use of multiple Roscosmos Progress spacecraft to support deorbit operations. These studies indicated additional spacecraft may provide more robust capabilities for deorbit, and NASA has decided to assess U.S. industry’s ability to aid with safe deorbit of the complex. As part of this assessment, the agency will release a request for information to American industry to provide controlled deorbit capabilities for the space station for its planned retirement after the end of the decade.
“NASA and our international partners are taking the prudent approach to the space station’s end of life planning to safely execute deorbit,” said Kathy Lueders, associate administrator for the Space Operation Mission Directorate. “Our technical assessments show we can safely operate the orbital complex for years to come. As part of our 2030 transition planning, we are pursuing sufficient redundancy for the safety of the crew and people and structures on Earth. This also could be an important U.S. capability for future commercial destinations.”
A U.S.-developed deorbit spacecraft would be focused on the final aspect of deorbit activity (after existing spacecraft have gradually lowered the altitude) and provide enhanced propulsive capability. A new U.S. capability would require a new spacecraft design or modification to an existing vehicle. The deorbit spacecraft must function on its first flight and must have sufficient redundancy and anomaly recovery capability to continue the critical deorbit burn. As such, it will likely take years to develop, test, and certify.
