The International Space Station is Being Retired– Into the Pacific Ocean
The International Space Station is reaching retirement age and will be plunged into the spacecraft cemetery, all 460-tons of it.
The construction of the International Space Station began in 1998. It took ten years, the cooperation of fifteen countries, and more than 30 missions to assemble. It is currently the size of a football field– a 460-ton, crewed platform orbiting 250 miles above Earth.
It’s been home to groundbreaking research and a vital part of space exploration; as well as some really pretty photos and a sweet David Bowie cover.
via NASA
It’s been an amazing ride, but the station will cease operations in 2030. In statement NASA mentioned the importance of the ISS.
“The International Space Station is entering its third and most productive decade as a groundbreaking scientific platform in microgravity. This third decade is one of results, building on our successful global partnership to verify exploration and human research technologies to support deep space exploration, continue to return medical and environmental benefits to humanity.
We look forward to maximizing these returns from the space station through 2030 while planning for transition to commercial space destinations that will follow.”
The plan is to crash it in the South Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area (SPOUA) in 2031. It will join Russia’s Mir space station and more than 150 others in the spacecraft cemetery, which is thousands of miles off the coast of New Zealand.
The precision required to do this is immense. The ISS doesn’t have a large engine to guide it, so it’s going to take a controlled lowering through orbit that will require the help of other craft. NASA details the plan here, if you are so inclined.
