Why Elon Musk's SpaceX plans to destroy International Space Station for $843,000,000 after NASA astronauts get stranded

Elon Musk's plans for the human race to become an interplanetary species has long been known, but his latest intentions around destroying the International Space Station are just now becoming apparent.

In June 2024, SpaceX was awarded a contract by NASA worth a staggering $843,000,000 to 'de-orbit' the International Space Station (ISS) by building a spacecraft large enough to bring it down to Earth.

The news came as NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams headed out to space and found themselves 'stranded' due to problems that arose while docking at the satellite, though the incidents are unrelated.

The ISS wasn't built to last forever, and NASA revealed its operational life is set to end in 2030.

But it looks like Musk could have his eyes on the task much sooner than expected.

Taking to his social media platform Twitter, the billionaire claimed the ISS had run out of use for the human race now, and suggested becoming an interplanetary species.

"It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the @Space_Station. It has served its purpose. There is very little incremental utility. Let’s go to Mars," he wrote.

One user asked: "Are you suggesting that the ISS be deorbited prior to 2030? As you know, SpaceX currently as a contract to build the US Deorbit Vehicle to safely bring the station down in 2030."

Elon Musk has long dreamt of life on Mars (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

To which the tech-mogul replied: "The decision is up to the President, but my recommendation is as soon as possible. I recommend 2 years from now."

While another reacted to his original post, typing: "Time to build a base on Mars."

"Yes," he replied.

Initial plans to de-orbit the NASA will let the ISS slowly get closer to Earth 18 months after operations end on board.

Then, a modified version of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft - which will have six times the propellant and four times the thruster power of a standard version - will latch on to the ISS and use its thrusters to propel the space station towards Earth.

The International Space Station is seen from the Space Shuttle Discovery after undocking from the station back in 2006 (NASA via Getty Images)

As the ISS moves through the Earth's atmosphere, the station will largely break in to pieces and burn up - with plans to do so over a remote part of the South Pacific Ocean.

It will be an end of an era for the ISS, which was built in 1998 following collaboration with NASA, Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada).

It cost an eye-watering $150 billion, which in line with inflation would cost around $292 billion in today's money, according to a CPI inflation calculator.

The ISS has allowed scientists to conduct experiments that can't be done anywhere else, orbiting about 250 miles above the Earth.