 Mark Mayfield has more. NASA announced on Wednesday that it has awarded an $843 million contract to SpaceX to build the so-called U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, which would guide the ISS back into the Earth's atmosphere in the year 2030. Re-entering the atmosphere would effectively destroy the ISS. In a press release, NASA said it was crucial to prepare for the safe and responsible deorbit of the space station, which is the size of a football field, to ensure avoidance of risk to populated areas.