SpaceX Is Activating A System To Practice For Destroying The International Space Station

SpaceX is in the process of testing vital new operations related to the management of the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) with a view to safely decommissioning this aging laboratory. To this end, SpaceX will fire Dragon’s cargo spacecraft engines docked to the ISS in a maneuver it is calling reboost demonstration to show the vehicle’s ability to perform reboost—a function previously executed by Russia’s Soyuz. Keeping the space station in orbit also involves clearing an important milestone on behalf of NASA and SpaceX as they plan for the deorbiting of the ISS in 2030.

NASA also awarded a contract to SpaceX in June for the development of a “U.S. Deorbit Vehicle” to be used in the future retirement of the ISS. The process will include a gradual decay of the station’s orbit to then re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, where it will burn up safely over the ocean. Specifically, somewhere in a remote oceanic area. That’s quite a challenging maneuver for this 900,000-pound, 358-foot structure. The de-orbiting operations will need some pretty powerful engines and very precise orbital control.

SpaceX’s current Dragon cargo capsule, responsible for delivering supplies to the ISS since 2012, will be used for this initial reboost test. Future versions of Dragon will include enhancements tailored for deorbiting, such as 46 Drago thrusters—compared to the current model’s 18—and an expanded trunk section equipped with additional propellant tanks, avionics, and thermal controls. These modifications aim to enable SpaceX to safely deorbit the ISS without relying on Russian technology.

This reboost test builds on earlier efforts by Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, which reboosted the ISS in 2022, proving that U.S. spacecraft could fill this role. With strained U.S.-Russia relations following the invasion of Ukraine, NASA is prioritizing independent methods to maintain the ISS’s orbit and eventual retirement plans. Russia has pledged to support the ISS only until 2028, making SpaceX’s efforts essential to ensure a reliable end-of-life strategy for the ISS by 2030.