SpaceX plans to crash ISS with supercharged Dragon spacecraft

SpaceX and NASA have announced plans to de-orbit the International Space Station (ISS) using a specially modified Dragon spacecraft. Awarded a contract worth $843 million, SpaceX will design a spacecraft with enough power to shift the 400-ton ISS into a controlled re-entry over an unpopulated ocean area. The new Dragon variant will feature six times more propellant and four times the power of previous models. NASA aims to perform the de-orbit maneuver after 2030 when the ISS reaches the end of its operational life. The mission ensures minimal debris impact on Earth by steering the ISS to burn up in the atmosphere, potentially leaving only minor remnants to fall in a designated ocean strip.

NASA and SpaceX will use a highly powerful Dragon spacecraft to perform a series of controlled burns. This will gradually reduce the ISS's orbit, eventually pushing it into a re-entry trajectory over an unpopulated ocean area, minimizing the risk from debris.

The International Space Station (ISS) has been a cornerstone of space research and international collaboration since its first module was launched in 1988. Over 270 astronauts have visited the ISS, conducting numerous research projects that have substantially advanced scientific knowledge. As the ISS nears the end of its operational life, NASA hopes to transition to new commercial space stations while also focusing on further-reaching missions under the Artemis program, targeting the Moon and Mars.