The International Space Station has kept on ticking for over two decades, outlasting its expected operational lifespan of 15 years. But even humanity’s steadiest crewed foothold in space must eventually meet its end.
—
As such, NASA wants to research a new plan to retire the ISS by 2030: using a “space tug” to deorbit it, and then letting the ISS burn up in a safe area in the Earth’s atmosphere known as Point Nemo.
According to Lueders, the current plan is to use an already existing spacecraft: Russia’s Progress, an expendable cargo ship that resupplies the ISS.
“We’re continuing to work with our Russian counterparts on how to deorbit safely with the Progress vehicles,” NASA said
NASA added that although other ISS partners already have deorbit capabilities, the US wants to develop its own plan “to have redundancy.” That would seem prudent, as diplomatic relations between US and Russia have deteriorated ever since the latter’s invasion of Ukraine, placing a major strain on efforts to keep the two nations cooperating in space.
Last summer, Russia’s Roscosmos announced that it will withdraw from the ISS after 2024, with plans to build its own space station in the wings.
—
As such, NASA wants to research a new plan to retire the ISS by 2030: using a “space tug” to deorbit it, and then letting the ISS burn up in a safe area in the Earth’s atmosphere known as Point Nemo.
According to Lueders, the current plan is to use an already existing spacecraft: Russia’s Progress, an expendable cargo ship that resupplies the ISS.
“We’re continuing to work with our Russian counterparts on how to deorbit safely with the Progress vehicles,” NASA said
NASA added that although other ISS partners already have deorbit capabilities, the US wants to develop its own plan “to have redundancy.” That would seem prudent, as diplomatic relations between US and Russia have deteriorated ever since the latter’s invasion of Ukraine, placing a major strain on efforts to keep the two nations cooperating in space.
Last summer, Russia’s Roscosmos announced that it will withdraw from the ISS after 2024, with plans to build its own space station in the wings.
