NASA is trying to develop a space tug that will safely deorbit the International Space Station in the 2030s.
In the White House’s 2024 federal budget request, the administration requested $27.2 billion in discretionary budget authority for the fiscal year.
This amount includes $180 million; It’s the initial funding for a space tug that the administration says will “reduce dependence on Russia and help prepare for a new era of US-built commercial space stations.”
“The International Space Station will need to be safely deorbited at the end of its operational life as the United States transitions to low-cost commercial space stations,” it said. “Instead of relying on Russian systems that may not be able to accomplish this task, the budget provides $180 million to begin development of a new space tug that could also be useful for other space transportation missions. “
The International Space Station’s effort to avoid collision with the satellite
The International Space Station is photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from the Soyuz spacecraft on October 4, 2018. (NASA)
At a press conference Monday, NASA’s human spaceflight chief Kathy Lueders said the agency is “expecting to get a better price than that” after the request for proposals, adding that they estimate “around $1 was slightly less than a billion.”
The current plan to bring down the orbital laboratory relies on engine burn by robotic progress cargo vehicles, which are provided by RussiaAccording to Space.com.
Commercial Crew Program Manager Kathy Lueders speaks during a NASA press conference at the Kennedy Space Center on September 16, 2014 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA has announced the return of human spaceflight to the United States. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)
NASA’s Artemis I lunar mission rocket was damaged more than expected in the launch
This long-term photo shows Earth 259 miles below an elevated International Space Station. In the foreground, the Soyuz MS-21 crew spacecraft is docked in the Prakal Docking Module which itself is attached to the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module, September 19, 2022. (NASA Johnson)
NASA said the budget will support the future in low-Earth orbit, including with commercial partners. It noted that the budget invests $39 million to better understand the environment of orbital debris and explore approaches to ensure safe access to space.
“President Biden’s budget allows us to continue to make progress in exploring new cosmic frontiers, travel and operate in space and on the moon, increase the speed and safety of air travel with cutting-edge technologies, and protect our planet and will help improve life here on Earth,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
