Publication date:
July 17, 2024
SpaceX Developing Enhanced Dragon Spacecraft for ISS Decommissioning
SpaceX is designing a more powerful version of its Dragon spacecraft to assist NASA in the controlled deorbiting of the International Space Station.
Space Technology
SpaceX is undertaking a significant project to develop a enhanced version of its Dragon spacecraft, specifically designed to aid NASA in the controlled deorbiting of the International Space Station (ISS) at the end of its operational life in 2030.
The proposed "deorbit vehicle" will be a substantial upgrade from the current Dragon spacecraft. It will be equipped with 46 Draco engines, which is 30 more than the standard Dragon, and will be approximately twice the length of the regular Dragon ship. This enhanced version will carry six times more propellant and produce four times the power of the current model.
Sarah Walker, SpaceX's director of Dragon mission management, emphasized that the most challenging aspect of the mission will be the final burn that sets the ISS on its course for controlled reentry. This maneuver must generate enough power to guide the entire space station while counteracting the increasing atmospheric drag to ensure it terminates at the intended location.
The ISS, weighing approximately 925,000 pounds, is planned to be safely deorbited into a remote part of the ocean, likely the South Pacific. NASA is yet to determine the precise location but is prioritizing a trajectory that poses no risk to populated areas.
This mission represents a significant milestone in space exploration, marking the end of the ISS era and the transition to new space stations. NASA and Roscosmos intend to continue using the ISS until 2030, after which both agencies plan to move forward with separate projects.
For the energy sector, this development highlights the evolving landscape of space exploration and its potential implications for future energy-related space missions. The advancements in spacecraft technology demonstrated by this project could have far-reaching effects on future space-based energy initiatives, including solar power satellites or lunar resource exploitation. Energy analysts should consider how these technological leaps might influence long-term strategies in space-based energy projects and related investments.
The proposed "deorbit vehicle" will be a substantial upgrade from the current Dragon spacecraft. It will be equipped with 46 Draco engines, which is 30 more than the standard Dragon, and will be approximately twice the length of the regular Dragon ship. This enhanced version will carry six times more propellant and produce four times the power of the current model.
Sarah Walker, SpaceX's director of Dragon mission management, emphasized that the most challenging aspect of the mission will be the final burn that sets the ISS on its course for controlled reentry. This maneuver must generate enough power to guide the entire space station while counteracting the increasing atmospheric drag to ensure it terminates at the intended location.
The ISS, weighing approximately 925,000 pounds, is planned to be safely deorbited into a remote part of the ocean, likely the South Pacific. NASA is yet to determine the precise location but is prioritizing a trajectory that poses no risk to populated areas.
This mission represents a significant milestone in space exploration, marking the end of the ISS era and the transition to new space stations. NASA and Roscosmos intend to continue using the ISS until 2030, after which both agencies plan to move forward with separate projects.
For the energy sector, this development highlights the evolving landscape of space exploration and its potential implications for future energy-related space missions. The advancements in spacecraft technology demonstrated by this project could have far-reaching effects on future space-based energy initiatives, including solar power satellites or lunar resource exploitation. Energy analysts should consider how these technological leaps might influence long-term strategies in space-based energy projects and related investments.
