SpaceX Dragon gives International Space Station a kick up the orbit
- Reference: 1757003592
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/09/04/spacex_dragon_iss_reboost/
- Source link:
The reboost kit, located in the trunk of the SpaceX CRS-33 Dragon cargo spacecraft, consists of two Draco engines. The system is isolated from the rest of the spacecraft, and the [1]demonstration was intended to show how the vehicle can maintain the ISS's altitude.
The maneuver lasted five minutes, three seconds, and the initial test burn left the outpost in an orbit of 260.9 x 256.3 miles. Managers plan to use the reboost kit again throughout fall and perform a series of longer burns.
[2]
The Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft can also perform limited reboosts, and SpaceX [3]demonstrated in 2024 that the Dragon itself is capable of using its engines to nudge the ISS.
[4]
With the retirement of the Space Shuttle and the end of [5]the European Space Agency's (ESA) ATV program, Roscosmos Progress vehicles have been regularly used to reboost the ISS.
[6]NASA changes the rules of the game for commercial space stations
[7]ISS is still leaking air after latest repair efforts fail
[8]SpaceX Crew Dragon lofting next batch of 'nauts to ISS today
[9]ISS leaks push Axiom Mission 4 launch to no earlier than June 19
The extra capability could be timely. Rocket and Space Corporation Energia produces the Progress spacecraft. Last week, CEO Igor Maltev [10]reportedly told employees that they needed to stop "lying to themselves and others about the state of affairs, convincing themselves and others that everything is fine with us."
The decrepit state of the Russian space program isn't a secret. One paying passenger on the country's Soyuz spacecraft told The Register that having to dodge puddles on the floor from a leaking roof while on his way to inspect his vehicle was eye-opening.
SpaceX's demonstration also shows that [11]when the time comes , the company should be capable of producing the opposite of a reboost capability and send the ISS into the atmosphere for controlled disposal. ®
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[1] https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/09/03/nasa-spacex-complete-dragon-space-station-reboost/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aLoL-fwH-q8PioM_fZ2AfgAAAQw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/11/spacex_dragon_iss_boost/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aLoL-fwH-q8PioM_fZ2AfgAAAQw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/ATV/Record_boost_for_ATV_to_raise_ISS_orbit
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/07/nasa_changes_the_rules_of/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/01/iss_is_still_leaking/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/31/crew_11_iss/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/16/axiom_delay_iss_leak/
[10] https://www.gazeta.ru/tech/news/2025/08/26/26582744.shtml?updated
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/27/spacex_wins_iss_deorbit_contract/
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
This is good news given Russia - to put it mildly - being a bit on the weird side when it comes to their space shenanigans of late. Although amazingly successful and reliable, the SpaceX almost monopoly on such things is mildly concerning. Their owner is a little unhinged. The engineers are top notch and I applaud every milestone they achieve. The rotting carcass of the ISS needs to be decommissioned, but without a real replacement that should overlap the death spiral of the ISS - I feel uncomfortable about all of this.
Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly.
> SpaceX almost monopoly
I'm sure they're very concerned about the progress that Boeing is making with Starliner. Considering that appears the be the best anybody else in the US can do...
Watch for it
When the time comes for the ISS to meet is makers, you should be watching. There is a bit of a competition among various alien races as to which of them can nab it to use it as spare parts. Or a museum piece...
Re: Watch for it
My money is on the Norks...
having to dodge puddles on the floor from a leaking roof
In space, no-one can hear you rain?
On a line printer, someone can read your scream
As a newbie programmer in the era of the original Alien movie, I found myself coding in IBM Series/1 assembler for a local firm (Acing my Uni asm course (Univac 1100) helped me get the job).
The assembler had a banner feature (print a static line at the top of each page)...After seeing said movie I decided that "In space no one can hear your scream" was an appropriate banner.
...A couple days later my manager comes into my little closet office squeezed in among a soda machine and some domestic supplies (well it was private), a print out of mine in hand and asks if I was OK.
(I did change the banner to something more upbeat, I had just thought said movie tag line was explaining some useful physics lesson).
((and yes, at some point I did have to learn Lisp))
Dad's Army....
As Corporal Jones would say - They don't like it up 'em!
throughout fall
But the boost stops it falling, right? Is this a prolonged "negative fall" or something?
I mean, a Vulture would never stoop so low as to get suckered by an Americanism, Shirley.