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WG3K > ANS 28.07.24 18:59l 19 Lines 3326 Bytes #127 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS210.3
Read: GUEST
Subj: SpaceX to Develop Enhanced Dragon Spacecraft for ISS Deorbit
Path: IZ3LSV<DB0ERF<DK0WUE<DK0WUE<VK5RSV<VK2RZ<LU9DCE<W0ARP<K7EK<KA1VSC<
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SpaceX will develop an enhanced version of its Dragon spacecraft for NASA to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) at the end of its operational life. This development comes as part of a contract awarded to SpaceX on June 26, valued at up to $843 million. The new spacecraft, known as the United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), was detailed by NASA and SpaceX officials at a briefing on July 17th.
The USDV will be based on SpaceX's existing Dragon spacecraft but will feature a redesigned and larger trunk section with additional thrusters. Specifically, the USDV will have 46 Draco thrusters, including 16 for attitude control and 30 for the maneuvers required to lower the ISS's orbit. Sarah Walker, SpaceX's director of Dragon mission management, explained that the enhanced trunk section is twice as long as the regular one.
[https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SpaceX-United-Sta...]https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SpaceX-United-States-Deorbit-Vehicle.jpg
NASA presented the concept of the US Deorbiting Vehicle designed by SpaceX on July 17th. [Credit: SpaceX]
The new trunk will house engines, propellant tanks, power generation, and other systems, storing six times the propellant of the current Dragon spacecraft and generating three to four times the power. "It's almost a spacecraft in and of itself," Walker noted. Once completed, NASA will own and operate the USDV, which will be launched to the ISS shortly after the station's final crew arrives.
After its arrival and successful checkout, ISS controllers will allow the station's orbit to naturally decay. The final crew will depart when the station's altitude decreases from its current 400 kilometers to 330 kilometers. The ISS's orbit will continue to decay over approximately six months before NASA uses the USDV for a final controlled deorbit, targeting a remote ocean corridor about 2,000 kilometers long.
[https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crew-6-Dragon-Cap...]https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crew-6-Dragon-Capsule-scaled.jpg
The SpaceX Dragon capsule Endeavour which flew the Crew-6 mission on March 2nd, 2023. [Credit: SpaceX]
Dana Weigel, NASA ISS program manager, mentioned that debris from the station, ranging in size from a microwave oven to a sedan, is expected to survive reentry and splash down in this corridor. The USDV will have an estimated mass of over 30,000 kilograms, including 16,000 kilograms of propellant. Due to its size, it will require a heavier class of rocket than the Falcon 9 currently used for Dragon missions. NASA plans to procure the launch vehicle separately at least three years before the launch.
SpaceX expressed readiness to support the launch if given the opportunity. Northrop Grumman was the only other company to bid on the USDV. NASA's source selection statement indicated that Northrop's bid was significantly higher in price and rated lower in both mission suitability and past performance compared to SpaceX. Ken Bowersox, NASA associate administrator for space operations, expressed satisfaction with the proposals received, noting he was pleased with the submissions from SpaceX and Northrop Grumman.
[ANS thanks Jeff Foust, Spacenews.comhttps://spacenews.com/, for the above information]
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