NASA has chosen Elon Musk's SpaceX to safely deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) at the end of its life.
As per BBC, the contract, valued at up to $843 million (£668 million), was announced on Wednesday.
SpaceX will build a vehicle to push the 430-tonne ISS into the Pacific Ocean in the early 2030s.
The ISS, launched in 1998 with continuous crewed operations since 2000, orbits Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of about 400km (250 miles).
Meanwhile, it has hosted numerous scientific experiments over the years.
Although the ISS remains structurally sound, plans are needed for its eventual disposal.
Without intervention, it would fall back to Earth on its own, posing risks to populations on the ground.
NASA's director of space operations, Ken Bowersox, said in a statement, noting, "Selecting a US De-orbit Vehicle for the ISS will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations."
The ISS project is led by the US and Russia, with Europe, Canada, and Japan playing supporting roles.
The western partners have agreed to fund the station through 2030, while Russia will stay involved until at least 2028.
NASA has considered various disposal options, including disassembling the station or handing it off to a commercial entity.
However, these solutions are complicated and costly.
Details of SpaceX's de-orbiting "tug boat" design have not been released, but it will need significant thrust to guide the ISS into the atmosphere safely.
Moreover, NASA hopes that private companies will have launched commercial space stations by the time the ISS is deorbited.
