SpaceX's Powerful Dragon Spaceship: The Chosen One to Deorbit the International Space Station

Cape Canaveral, Florida, Florida United States of America
Dragon spaceship will be outfitted with new high-powered trunk and supercharged with 46 Draco engines
Final burn must be powerful enough to fly entire space station while resisting torques and forces caused by atmospheric drag
International Space Station (ISS) operational life ending around 2030
ISS final destination is a remote part of the ocean, expected to come down around 2031
ISS weighs about 925,000 pounds and will be challenging deorbit task for Dragon spaceship
NASA and SpaceX plan to bring down ISS using a powerful Dragon spaceship
NASA considered other options for deorbiting ISS but deemed less feasible due to size
SpaceX won contract for 'space tug' or 'USDV' in July 2024
SpaceX's Powerful Dragon Spaceship: The Chosen One to Deorbit the International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS), a collaborative project between NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA among others, has been in operation since 1998. With its operational life coming to an end around 2030, plans for its deorbiting have begun. NASA and SpaceX have outlined their plan to bring down the ISS using a powerful Dragon spaceship.

According to reports, SpaceX will outfit an existing Cargo Dragon with a new high-powered trunk and supercharge it with 46 Draco engines, making it capable of pushing the ISS out of orbit. The upgraded Dragon spaceship will have four times the power and six times the propellant of a regular ship.

NASA had asked for proposals for a 'space tug' or 'U.S. deorbit vehicle (USDV)' concept in March and September 2023, with SpaceX winning the contract in July 2024.

The ISS, which weighs about 925,000 pounds, will be a challenging task for the Dragon spaceship. The most complex part of the mission will be the final burn that pushes the ISS on course toward its final descent. This burn must be powerful enough to fly the entire space station while resisting torques and forces caused by increasing atmospheric drag on the space station.

The ISS's final destination will be in a remote part of the ocean, such as the South Pacific, with NASA yet to choose a precise location. The football field-sized spacecraft is expected to come screaming down around 2031.

NASA and SpaceX have considered other options for deorbiting the ISS, including taking it apart and bringing everything home or handing the keys to someone else. However, these options were deemed less feasible due to the size of the space station.

The opportunity to help end this significant chapter in space exploration is an honor for SpaceX. The Dragon cargo ship became the first commercial vehicle to dock with the ISS in 2012, and it may be the last vehicle to ever dock with it.

NASA plans to continue using the ISS until 2030, when both agencies intend to go their separate ways and transition to new space stations. NASA hopes to be one of many customers on private space stations in the future.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Exact weight of Dragon spaceship with upgraded trunk and 46 Draco engines
  • Precise location for ISS final descent chosen by NASA

Sources

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

How NASA and SpaceX will bring down the space station when it's retired

The Associated Press News Wednesday, 17 July 2024 21:37
  • Unique Points
    • NASA and SpaceX have outlined a plan to deorbit the International Space Station in 2031.
    • ,
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains some instances of appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric, but no formal or dichotomous fallacies are present. The author reports on NASA's plans to retire the International Space Station and bring it down using a SpaceX capsule. The article explains why NASA chose this option over others, such as dismantling the station in orbit or leaving it in space, and provides details about the process of bringing down the station and disposing of its remains. The author also includes quotes from NASA officials discussing their plans and reasoning behind them.
    • ] SpaceX plans to use an ordinary Dragon capsule – the kind that carries supplies and astronauts to the space station – but with a much bigger trunk housing a record 46 engines and more than 35,000 pounds (16,000 kilograms) of fuel. [
    • NASA expects some denser pieces to survive, ranging in size from a microwave oven to a sedan, in a narrow debris field 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) long.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

96%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

NASA to Provide Background on Space Station Deorbit Planning

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Thursday, 18 July 2024 04:13
  • Unique Points
    • Ken Bowersox is associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate
    • Dana Weigel is manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program
    • Sarah Walker is director of Dragon mission management at SpaceX
  • Accuracy
    • NASA is planning for the future in low Earth orbit for science, research, and commercial opportunities
    • NASA and its international partners are maximizing the use of the International Space Station
    • NASA and SpaceX will discuss the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle selection on July 17, 2024 at 2 p.m. EDT
    • The U.S. Deorbit Vehicle will safely move the International Space Station out of orbit and into a remote area of an ocean at the end of its operations
    • NASA transitions to commercially owned space destinations and it is crucial to prepare for the safe and responsible deorbit of the space station in a controlled manner after its operational life ends in 2030
    • SpaceX won the contract for a deorbit vehicle using an ordinary Dragon capsule, equipped with a larger trunk housing 46 engines and over 35,000 pounds of fuel
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

ISS could 'drift down' for a year before SpaceX vehicle destroys it in Earth's atmosphere

Space.com Elizabeth Howell Wednesday, 17 July 2024 20:21
  • Unique Points
    • SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft has been sending cargo to the ISS since 2012 and launched crew to the lab since 2020.
    • NASA had asked for proposals for a ‘space tug’ or ‘U.S. deorbit vehicle (USDV)’ concept in March and September 2023.
  • Accuracy
    • The International Space Station (ISS) will take a long time to reach the end of its life and is expected to 'drift down' from its normal orbit within 12 to 18 months after NASA leaves the crew on board.
    • SpaceX is the dominant player in ISS operations, launching both crew and cargo to the ISS.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

SpaceX to build superpowered Dragon ship to scrap the space station

Business Insider Morgan McFall-Johnsen, Thursday, 18 July 2024 04:16
  • Unique Points
    • The upgraded Dragon spaceship will have four times the power and six times the propellant of a regular ship, making it capable of pushing the ISS out of orbit.
    • ,
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it states 'NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos, plan to continue using the ISS until 2030.' This statement is not a logical conclusion drawn by the authors but rather a statement made by NASA and Roscosmos. The authors are simply reporting this information without questioning its validity or providing any evidence to support it.
    • NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos, plan to continue using the ISS until 2030.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

96%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Elon Musk's SpaceX will spend $680 million to crash the International Space Station into the sea

Quartz News Site William Gavin Tuesday, 16 July 2024 18:49
  • Unique Points
    • SpaceX will spend $680 million to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS)
    • SpaceX won the contract for a deorbit vehicle using an ordinary Dragon capsule
    • NASA and SpaceX will discuss the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle selection on July 17, 2024 at 2 p.m. EDT
  • Accuracy
    • NASA announced its intent to deorbit the ISS in 2022 and selected SpaceX as its contractor in March 2024
    • SpaceX will create a new vehicle, described as a ‘tug boat’, to push the station into the Pacific Ocean from space
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it states 'NASA announced its intent to deorbit the ISS back in 2022, but only selected Elon Musk’s company as its contractor last month.' This statement implies that because NASA made the decision, it is automatically valid and correct. However, this does not necessarily mean that SpaceX is the best or most qualified company for the job. Additionally, there are instances of inflammatory rhetoric used to describe Northrop Grumman's proposal being 'incomplete' and 'higher than $680 million', but no specific details are provided as to why this is a problem. This language is intended to sway the reader's opinion against Northrop Grumman without providing any evidence.
    • ]NASA announced its intent to deorbit the ISS back in 2022, but only selected Elon Musk’s company as its contractor last month.[
    • SpaceX’s proposal yielded five strengths, three significant strengths, and one weakness, according to the report. Northrop’s proposal was determined to be ‘unacceptable’ and was removed from consideration.
    • NASA simply states that it would cost ‘higher than $680 million’. The report later noted that Northrop’s total evaluated cost was ‘significantly higher than SpaceX’s.’
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication