The International Space Station is dying. Once an icon of space exploration, something I would stare up at the sky in hopes of seeing as a kid, the station is now spending its last few years in orbit before being taken down by NASA. Or, more specifically, being crashed into the Pacific Ocean by Elon Musk.
NASA announced its intent to deorbit the ISS back in 2022, but according to the BBC we now know who submitted the winning bid: SpaceX, which will be given $US843 million to complete the job. The company will have to create a new vehicle, which will be used to push the station into the Pacific Ocean from space.
Some of you may be thinking “Hey, I live near the Pacific Coast. What happens if Musk misses, and crashes the ISS into me personally instead of the ocean?” Well, statistically, that’s probably not something you’ll have to worry about. The Pacific is a lot bigger than many people give it credit for, meaning the margins for error are absolutely massive. If the station does hit your house, though, please send pictures to adasilva@jalopnik.com.
When the ISS becomes an artificial reef beneath the Pacific, we’ll be sure to miss it. It’s been in space most of my life, helping humanity to understand just what’s going on up there — and how we’re all affected by it. You had a good run, International Space Station. We’ll pour one out for you.