SpaceX Will Make a Giant Version of Dragon to De-Orbit the Space Station

By Brian Wang

SpaceX will make a giant version of the Dragon spacecraft with 6 times the propellant and four times the power for a precise and controlled deorbit of the space station.

There will be 46 Draco engines on the upgraded vehicle. It will be almost two vehicles in one and will be ready in 2028.

It will deliver 10,000 newtons of thrust.

The de-orbit breakup will have three events.

1. The solar arrays and radiation will have separation.

2. Intact modules and truss segment will go next

3. Individual modules will fragment and loss of structural integrity. The external skin will then melt and the internal hardware will rapidly heat and melt. There will be some parts that survive re-entry and crash into the ocean.