After 22 years of operation, the International Space Station (ISS), a joint project involving NASA and various global space agencies, is projected to retire in about 8 years. Eventually, the ISS will reach a point where it becomes unsafe and impractical to sustain astronauts on board. As part of its decommissioning plan, NASA intends to give the ISS a spectacular send-off rather than leaving it adrift in space.
By the year 2030, the ISS will be meticulously directed to plunge into the Earth, specifically into an area of the Pacific Ocean known as the “space graveyard” due to the presence of inactive satellites and spacecraft. Prior to this grand finale, all personnel, experiments, and critical equipment will have been evacuated from the ISS.
Besides offering vital insights into long-term human habitation in microgravity, the ISS has inspired advancements in spacecraft design and the establishment of future space colonies. Collaborating agencies overseeing the ISS project are already planning to launch new space stations once the ISS is retired.
NASA plans to retire the International Space Station in 2031 by crashing it into the Pacific Ocean.https://t.co/mgKIhGVrDG
— Metro (@MetroUK) February 4, 2022
“The private sector is well-equipped both technically and financially to develop and manage commercial low-Earth orbit destinations with the support of NASA,” stated Phil McAlister, commercial space director at NASA Headquarters.
“We are eager to share our operational knowledge and lessons learned with private enterprises to facilitate the creation of safe, reliable, and cost-effective space destinations.”
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