SpaceX Will Deliver the International Space Station’s Deorbiting Death Knell – Popular Mechanics

All good things eventually come to the end, and even the International Space Stationthe 24-year-long orbital experiment supported by space agencies around the world cant escape this inevitable fate. Of course, retiring an aging space station isnt quite as easy as putting in your two weeks and riding off into the sunset.

No, space stations require a bit more preparation.

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With the space station weighing in at around 880,000 pounds, this massive bulk of science will definitely benefit from a guided effort for its disintegration in the Earths atmosphere a process thats far from easy. In March 2021, for example, NASA released a 5,800-pound cargo pallet containing old nickel hydride batteries using the robotic arm aboard the ISS. The idea was for the entire pallet to burn up on reentry three years later. Things did not go according to plan as a small piece survived the fiery descent and impacted a home in Naples, Florida. So, just imagine the damage something 150 times heavier could do.

Selecting a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations. This decision also supports NASAs plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth, Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA, said in a press statement. The orbital laboratory remains a blueprint for science, exploration, and partnerships in space for the benefit of all.

Five space agencies have guided operations of the ISS since 1988, including NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and Russias State Space Corporation Roscosmos. The first four agencies have committed to ISS operations until 2030 while Roscosmos has only committed to 2028, according to NASA.

Although orbiting 254 miles above our heads, the ISS isnt immune from politics on the ground. After Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the subsequent sanctions levied against the belligerent country, the then-head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin threatened to pull out of the ISS project altogether (Rogozin himself being a target of the sanctions). NASA mostly shrugged off those threats and the collaboration since has been described as stable, if tense, continuation of operation.

During its quarter century of operations, the ISS has been the space-based home of some 280 individuals across 23 different countries working on some 3,300 experiments. NASA built the orbital platform during the Space Shuttle era, stood witness to the very last Shuttle flight in 2011, and grew into the go-to destination for the U.S.s burgeoning commercial spaceflight market. The lessons within the walls of its 16 pressurized modules will forever form the DNA of future space missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.

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SpaceX Will Deliver the International Space Station's Deorbiting Death Knell - Popular Mechanics