NASA will not use Russian Progress spacecraft to vault the ISS from orbit - US companies will create a special vehicle

NASA has updated its plan to decommission the International Space Station. The agency has decided not to use Russian Progress spacecraft.

Here's What We Know

The federal agency will create a new spacecraft. Its development will be taken up by American companies. The decision is due to the deterioration of relations between the United States and the Russian Federation.

NASA says that the American ship will provide a more reliable vaulting of the ISS from orbit. It is known as the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) for now. The craft will begin operations once the ISS has descended to the desired orbit on its own.

The space agency will accept bids for the tender until 17 November 2023. The winner will receive a contract that will fund design, development, testing, construction evaluation and deployment.

It is also worth noting that it is still unknown whether the ship will be built from scratch. It is possible that it will be based on an existing spacecraft.

Source: NASA