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WG3K > ANS 17.11.24 01:22l 19 Lines 4243 Bytes #56 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS322.3
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Subj: SpaceX Dragon Fires Thrusters to Boost ISS Orbit for the Fir
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For the first time, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft successfully raised the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) by firing its thrusters. The orbital boost marks a significant milestone in Dragons capabilities and comes as part of SpaceX's 31st commercial resupply mission to the ISS. The mission, which launched on November 4, delivered a Dragon cargo vehicle which docked with the station the following day. On November 8, the vehicle conducted an orbit-raising maneuver, stabilizing the ISSs position in low-Earth orbit.
Orbit-raising maneuvers are routine for the ISS, which requires regular boosts to counteract orbital decay caused by Earths gravity. Until now, this task has been handled mainly by Russia's Soyuz and Progress vehicles, alongside occasional boosts from other spacecraft. With Dragon now performing such maneuvers, the U.S. spacecraft has added a critical capability, especially significant as NASA prepares for the eventual decommissioning of the ISS. The data gathered from todays maneuver will aid in the development of SpaceXs future ISS deorbit vehicle, known as the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, which NASA has contracted to guide the station into the Pacific Ocean upon its retirement.
[https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Crew-9-Dragon-Spa...]https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Crew-9-Dragon-Spaceship-Freedom-ISS-Docking.jpg
Crew-9 Dragon "Freedom" firing its thrusters as it arrived at the ISS on September 29, 2024 [Credit: NASA / Don Pettithttps://x.com/astro_Pettit]
The reboost began at approximately 12:50 p.m. ET (1750 UTC) and lasted around 12.5 minutes, elevating the stations orbit slightly. NASA monitored the reboost closely and shared updates on social media platform X, noting that Dragons performance in its first orbit-raising task was “a good demonstration” of its growing capabilities. SpaceX intends to apply the maneuvers data toward the design of the planned U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, scheduled to be used once the ISS reaches the end of its operational lifespan.
This recent success by Dragon is not the first instance of a U.S.-made spacecraft boosting the ISS. In 2022, NASA tested a similar maneuver using a Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo vehicle. However, the data collected from Dragons maneuver holds unique importance, as it directly informs the planning of the ISSs controlled deorbit mission. The spacecraft, which has been continuously occupied for nearly 25 years, is expected to remain operational until around 2030, when the costs and maintenance demands of the aging structure will likely lead to its retirement.
[https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SpaceX-U.S.-Deorb...]https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SpaceX-U.S.-Deorbit-Vehicle-Concept-Drawing.jpg
SpaceX's design of the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle is based on its Dragon spacecraft with an enhanced trunk section. [Credit: SpaceXhttps://x.com/SpaceX]
The ISSs eventual decommissioning aligns with NASAs shift towards commercial partnerships in low-Earth orbit. The agency envisions that new, privately operated space stations will replace the ISS as research outposts, enabling NASA to focus its budget on deeper space exploration, including the Artemis Programs return to the Moon. With the ISS contract awarded to SpaceX, the agency has placed its trust in the private sector to develop the technology needed to safely conclude the stations mission in a controlled manner.
The success of Dragons reboost maneuver also underscores the U.S.'s reduced reliance on Russian spacecraft to maintain ISS operations. Despite global political tensions, notably since Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S.-Russian partnership on the ISS has persisted. However, Dragons demonstrated ability to perform reboosts offers NASA an alternative if needed. Since Dragon began launching U.S. astronauts in 2020, SpaceX has provided NASA with a reliable launch option from American soil, and now it has proven capable of supporting the stations orbit, a role essential to the ISSs long-term stability.
[ANS thanks Josh Dinner, Space.comhttps://www.space.com/ for the above information]
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