NASA Bares Plans To Retire ISS And Use Commercial Space Platforms

After decades of revolutionary space research, the International Space Station (ISS) will cease operations by 2031. NASA announced its plans to retire the ISS in an official transition plan sent to the U.S. Congress earlier this month.  

The American space agency intends to retire the ISS within eight to nine years. After that, the ISS will be replaced by one or more privately-developed space stations. 

The ISS has been operating for over two decades. NASA launched the pioneering floating space laboratory into space in 1998. Since then, the ISS has been widely praised as a scientific success. But like the rest of us, the International Space Station is aging. NASA and its international partners have realized that it cannot continue to operate forever.

Late last year, U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration announced it was committed to extending ISS operations until 2030. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the proposal would include continued cooperation with international partners from Europe, Russia, Canada, and Japan.

According to the report, NASA will aim to support deep space exploration and return medical and environmental benefits to humanity. The space agency also notes that the ISS is currently the busiest it has ever been. Private space companies are now transporting astronauts and supplies.

NASA says its future goal is to completely move to commercial space laboratories for all its space labs’ needs. With that said, NASA will be paying the space station operators only for the required goods and services.

Who are the private companies to develop future space stations?

NASA has already chosen three private US-based companies to develop future space platforms. 

One of them will be run by Blue Origin. The company disclosed plans last October for its “Orbital Reef” station. The developers say Orbital Reef will carry ten people in an area of about 830 cubic meters -almost the same size as the ISS. The station will assist science researchers, space agencies, technology companies, and countries without space programs.

Another developer will be Nanoracks space services company. The company will be working with Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin to develop “the first-ever free-flying commercial space station.” They aim for the space laboratory “Starlab” to be operational by 2027.

The third company, Northrop Grumman, plans to operate a “free-flying space station.” The defense contractor said the station plans to help science, tourism, and industrial experimentation activities.

How will the ISS retire?

In its report to Congress, NASA also detailed its plans of retiring the ISS. When it is ready to discontinue service, the space agency said it would start lowering the operational altitude of the ISS. Then, it would try to perform a controlled de-orbit of the floating lab with the help of additional space vehicles. 

The plan is to focus the space station toward the South Pacific Ocean at Point Nemo. This is an area of open water between New Zealand and the southernmost part of South America. The U.S. National Ocean Service classifies Point Nemo as the stretch in the ocean farthest from land.

The area has been used several times by space agencies looking to safely de-orbit old spacecraft to avoid disasters in space or on the ground. Most parts of the ISS are likely to burn up as they pass through Earth’s atmosphere. However, some pieces might reach Earth. That’s why NASA says it would send the ISS to Point Nemo on its final resting place.