Backdropped by Earth’s horizon and the blackness of space, the International Space Station is featured in this image.

NASA has tasked SpaceX with a major project, underpinned by an $843 million contract, to develop a spacecraft that will safely bring down the International Space Station (ISS) after its service ends in 2030.

This spacecraft will guide the ISS out of orbit, ensuring it reenters the Earth’s atmosphere where it will disintegrate. The specifics of the spacecraft’s design, whether new or based on existing SpaceX models, remain under wraps.

Following the decommissioning of the ISS, NASA plans to transition to commercially operated space stations.