Over the past decade, SpaceX has emerged as a leading force in launching rockets into space. Now, the aerospace giant is set to spend $680 million to facilitate the deorbiting of the International Space Station (ISS), as revealed by NASA documents published Tuesday.
NASA had announced its plans to deorbit the ISS in 2022, but it was only last month that Elon Musk’s company was officially selected as the contractor. SpaceX will develop a new vehicle, described as a “tug boat,” designed to push the ISS into the Pacific Ocean from space. Musk’s company has secured an $843 million contract for this mission.
Based in Hawthorne, California, SpaceX outperformed two other competitors, Northrop Grumman Systems and AlphaSpaces, for the contract. According to a source selection statement released Tuesday, AlphaSpaces’s proposal was deemed “unacceptable” and disqualified from consideration.
In assessing “mission suitability,” which factors in small business utilization, management, and technical approaches, SpaceX scored 822 out of 1,000. Their proposal boasted five strengths, three significant strengths, and one weakness.
Northrop’s proposal scored 589 out of 1,000 and was noted for having three strengths but seven weaknesses, including an incomplete approach to procuring hardware. Additionally, Northrop’s projected costs were significantly higher than SpaceX’s, although NASA only stated it would cost “higher than” $680 million. Evaluations of past performances also favored SpaceX, rated “very high,” compared to Northrop’s “moderate” rating.
The ISS, which has been orbiting Earth since construction began in 1998, has hosted over 250 visitors from 20 countries since its first crew arrived in November 2000. Currently, it houses crews from SpaceX, Soyuz, and Boeing.
The ISS’s operational lifetime has been extended multiple times, but allowing it to remain in space beyond 2030 poses risks, according to the BBC. The orbit of the ISS will naturally decay in 2026, making it ready for deorbiting by mid-2030.
“Selecting a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations,” Ken Bowersox, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, stated last month. “This decision also supports NASA’s plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth.”