Episode summary
NASA is Paying SpaceX to Destroy the International Space Station
Summary
The host frames the episode around two themes: a 25-year remembrance of 9/11 and a bullish-looking investment angle hidden inside NASA’s plan to retire the International Space Station. He says NASA is paying SpaceX to deorbit the ISS, a 430 metric ton structure, using a modified Dragon spacecraft to gradually lower the station and then send it through the atmosphere for burn-up and disposal in the South Pacific.
He argues the mission highlights SpaceX’s technical edge, especially its autonomous flight and rendezvous capability, and uses that to underscore Elon Musk’s broader lead in self-driving systems. The host says the process shows how advanced SpaceX has become because it can conduct a year-and-a-half of orbital adjustments and then execute a precisely timed reentry.
He also treats the ISS retirement as an investment setup. The host says there are six companies competing to rebuild the next station, and that the team has narrowed the field to one favored candidate while hedging with others. He says a webinar on Tuesday at 1:00 will explain the contenders and how they plan to play the contract opportunity.
Key takeaways
- The host says NASA is paying SpaceX to deorbit the International Space Station, using a modified Dragon spacecraft and a carefully controlled reentry plan.
- He says the ISS is 430 metric tons and will be lowered over about 1 and 1/2 years before being driven into the atmosphere at roughly 3,000° F.
- The host argues the mission proves how far SpaceX’s autonomous systems have come, calling it a sign of Elon Musk’s broader edge in self-driving technology.
- He says six companies are competing to rebuild the next ISS and that the team has already narrowed the opportunity to one favorite.
- The host says a Tuesday at 1:00 webinar will explain which companies are best positioned for the replacement contract.
Notable quotes
“They are being paid by NASA to destroy the International Space Station”
“SpaceX is going to send a modified Dragon rocket up to connect, as it does already, autonomously, right with the ISS”
“And once the station is low enough, the Dragon will fire up its 46 engines for up to an hour”
“There are six companies that are competing to rebuild the new ISS”
How the episode opens
Morning. This is Dylan Germanotta behind the markets. Happy Friday.
Today is Friday, September 11th, 9/11, 25 years after that fateful day. I found myself running down the street in New York City on Wall Street as the Twin Towers came down. We remember those people.
We remember the lost. And we certainly remember the lessons from that day. Anyway, today I'd like to talk about something else.
I'd like to talk about SpaceX. SpaceX is on a suicide mission. Okay, it's kind of wild.
They are being paid by NASA to destroy the International Space Station. You know the International Space Station, that 430 metric ton monstrosity that is out in orbit, that has been the savior of so many of our movies. Every movie that I watched growing up, when the world was coming to an end, it was the International Space Station.
Americans working with Russians in the ISS to actually save the world. Well, anyway, this Space Station, which is very, very important actually for us, hype aside and kidding aside, very, very important, is being destroyed. NASA is paying SpaceX to destroy the Space Station.
And it's really, really interesting. SpaceX is using a modified Dragon rocket. And you know, there are three steps to this process.
And it really tells you a lot about where NASA is, and where SpaceX is, and a lot of opportunities that come from it. So, first of all, just how it's happening. SpaceX is going to send a modified Dragon rocket up to connect, as it does already, autonomously, right with the ISS.
And it's going to, over a 1 and 1/2 year period of time, with very gradual maneuvers, kind of a slow dance, it's going to lower the orbit of the ISS. Bring it down to a lower earth orbit.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- space economy
- spacex contract
- international space station deorbit
- autonomous space systems
- space station competition
Companies and tickers mentioned
- SpaceX
- NASA
Watch the episode
Watch “NASA is Paying SpaceX to Destroy the International Space Station” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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