NASA's International Space Station will be intentionally destroyed by SpaceX after retirement.

• In 2030, after its retirement, the International Space Station will be guided to destruction by a spacecraft from SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk.
• SpaceX received an $843 million contract from the agency to construct the "U.S. Deorbit Vehicle."
• The ISS will be destroyed by the SpaceX-built vehicle through pushing it into reentry from orbit.

The International Space Station's destruction will be guided by a spacecraft from Elon Musk's SpaceX, NASA announced on Wednesday.

SpaceX received an $843 million contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to construct the "U.S. Deorbit Vehicle," which will be used to guide a football-field-sized research laboratory back into Earth's atmosphere in 2030.

The ISS will be destroyed by the SpaceX-built vehicle through pushing it into reentry from orbit.

"NASA emphasized the importance of preparing for the controlled deorbit of the International Space Station safely and responsibly, stating in a press release that the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle is necessary to avoid any risks to populated areas."

NASA did not reveal whether SpaceX's U.S. Deorbit Vehicle design will be based on one of the company's existing spacecraft, such as its Dragon capsules. Neither SpaceX nor NASA responded to CNBC's request for comment on the design.

The ISS, a crewed research laboratory primarily created since 2000, has seen more than 3,300 experiments conducted in microgravity, including research not possible on Earth such as medical sciences and technology demonstrations. The U.S. and four international partner agencies representing Russia, Europe, Canada, and Japan have been preparing for the eventual end of the ISS.

Aging ISS

The ISS is deteriorating due to microscopic leaks, which NASA and its partner Roscosmos are unable to resolve.

On Wednesday, NASA released a study analyzing the reasons behind its decision to intentionally destroy the ISS through a controlled reentry. The agency considered several alternatives, including disassembling the station in orbit or utilizing a large spacecraft like SpaceX's Starship to raise the ISS to a higher orbit.

NASA recognized the historical significance of the space station and considered its value when deciding whether any parts could be salvaged for preservation or technical analysis.

The agency study concluded that it was not feasible to preserve or reuse the ISS due to technical or economic limitations. NASA acknowledged the possibility that the ISS' operational lifetime could be extended beyond 2030, but this is yet to be determined and requires agreement with international partner agencies.

NASA is supporting the development of private space stations to replace the ISS through the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program.

NASA views privately constructed space stations as a potential solution to replace the ISS at a significantly lower cost, with an estimated annual operating expense of $4 billion compared to the ISS's development and construction cost of approximately $150 billion.