New Delhi

NASA has signed a deal with SpaceX at $843 million for the vehicle that will deorbit the International Space Station as its service life comes to an end. Even better is the fact that this is just as important a milestone as in space exploration, giving a whole lot more credence to SpaceX's increasing role in the aerospace sector. 

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The deorbit vehicle will be developed by the private company SpaceX-headed by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk-while the mission will be overseen by NASA. This will demonstrate how much faith NASA has in SpaceX technology. SpaceX is a 2002-born company that aggressively pursued progress in new frontiers regarding space exploration, which fattened its reputation within the aerospace community. 

The International Space Station was launched in 1998, and has remained one of the prime symbolic projects in space. Inherited by the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, and Russia, it has had a continuous occupation of astronauts since the year 2000. The station has so far been a model for conducting scientific research, exploring space, and showcasing global partnership-thereby pitting it as a treasury of valuable data and building collaboration among nations. 

The orbital laboratory remains a blueprint for science, exploration, and partnerships in space for the benefit of all," according to NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate Ken Bowersox. 

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The International Space Station is expected to be deorbited by the year 2030. The United States, Europe, Japan, and Canada have pledged to operate the ISS until 2030; however, Russia has committed to its participation only until 2028. Therefore, this deorbiting mission is going to involve various international partners in such a coordinated effort. 

The contract with SpaceX speaks volumes regarding the achievements made so far by the company, which is considered to be one of the pinnacles of the future of space exploration. Based in Hawthorne, California, SpaceX has made giant steps in rocket technology and space travel. Musk, who is also behind the success of Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, has big ambitions for SpaceX. His vision has not only advanced the cause of space travel by leaps and bounds, but it has also accrued an estimated fortune of $220 billion. 

Thus, as such, the ISS is reaching the fag end of its operational life, and the mission for taking it safely out of orbit becomes critical. This mission marks another milestone in SpaceX's journey and forms a significant chapter in the annals of human space odyssey.