"NASA Pays SpaceX $843M to Deorbit ISS Amid Controversy"

Former leaders of NASA and the European Space Agency are condemning a U.S. plan to decommission and crash the International Space Station (ISS) into the Pacific Ocean by 2030. They propose instead to boost the ISS into a higher orbit, preserving it for future generations. The plan to destroy the ISS involves a $843 million contract with SpaceX to develop a spacecraft for the task, but critics argue that the same technology could be used to save the station. Advocates are rallying support to reconsider the decision, emphasizing the ISS's value as a technological and cultural treasure.