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NASA Plans to Drop ISS into the Ocean When it Retires in 2030
NASA has just released plans to send the ISS into a deorbit after it retires, crashing it into a “spacecraft graveyard” in the ocean.
NASA recently announced the Biden Administration’s commitment to extending ISS operations into 2030, but what happens after that? While it is possible that this mission could be extended again, as this isn’t the first time it has been extended, there is also the possibility that the ISS will be retired as early as January 2031. This is especially true with the planned increased use of private space stations over the next decade.
As of now, plans for the ISS include continuing current operations until 2030, after which it will be crashed into an uninhabited area in the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo, NASA announced at the end of last month. This news comes several months after NASA signed agreements with 3 US-based private space companies to develop space stations and other commercial destinations in space.
The ISS has been fully operational and occupied since November 2000, giving it a lifespan of around 30 years by the time of its planned retirement. The original lifespan of each ISS module was planned for 10 years, meaning the entirety of the space station would have been replaced by 2020 if not for constant updates and repairs.
