Historical structures, like Alexander Graham Bell’s residence in Nova Scotia, are often transformed into museums or national historic landmarks to safeguard their legacy for future generations. But how do you protect a building the size of a football field that orbits 400 kilometers above Earth?
NASA’s official strategy is to intentionally deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) at the end of its operational life, propelling it into a controlled descent back into Earth’s atmosphere to crash in a remote ocean location. However, recently, certain U.S. Government members proposed legislation urging NASA to explore the possibility of storing the ISS in low Earth orbit instead of its planned destruction.
Since 2000, the ISS has been continuously inhabited by astronauts from the U.S., Russia, Canada, Europe, and Japan. Assembled incrementally through numerous space shuttle and Russian Proton and Soyuz launches, the ISS, weighing over 400 metric tonnes, is the most extensive scientific laboratory ever launched into space, hosting diverse experiments suited to a microgravity setting.
Scheduled for decommissioning in 2030 and deorbiting in 2031, NASA intends to use a SpaceX rocket to guide the ISS into a reentry path over the Pacific, where it will disintegrate upon reentry, similar to the fate of the Russian Space Station MIR in 2001.
However, amid concerns, U.S. Rep. George Whitesides proposed investigating alternative options before committing to the ISS’s destruction. The proposal, which passed initial stages with bipartisan support, questions whether preserving the ISS in orbit for future utilization is feasible.
Yet, retaining the ISS poses challenges. Maintaining its orbit is crucial, as atmospheric drag continuously decelerates the station, necessitating periodic boosts to prevent an uncontrolled descent. Additionally, boosting the ISS to a higher orbit for prolonged operation faces technical hurdles and increased collision risks with space debris, potentially rendering low Earth orbit inaccessible.
While NASA sought private interest in assuming control of the ISS without success, the costs and complexities of maintaining the aging station may outweigh the benefits, making constructing new space facilities a more viable option. Despite NASA’s focus shifting towards lunar and Martian exploration, the concept of orbiting space stations persists, with China’s Tiangong already operational and private entities planning their space habitats.
As discussions continue on the fate of the ISS, including Rep. Whitesides’ proposal, the likelihood remains that the iconic space laboratory, with a $100 billion price tag, will conclude its three-decade run by disintegrating in Earth’s upper atmosphere, with remnants settling in the Pacific Ocean, unless a more viable solution emerges.