[RahulNagaraj]

NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) is planning to retire the International Space Station by the next decade. However, reports suggest it could cost nearly $1 billion for them to do so.

As per the latest reports, the destruction of the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to be completed by 2031. However, all the options point towards bringing the ISS back to Earth via what NASA calls a "deliberate, destructive descent". The ISS though, is bigger than an American football field and is said to weigh 450 tonnes. The massive spacecraft initially had a targetted lifespan of 15 years but has now been in service for 25 years.



As per reports, ideally, NASA would wait for the ISS to lower itself via natural orbital decay and hover 250 miles above Earth. Once this occurs, a custom-built vehicle would attach to the ISS to begin a deorbit burn to the point that the space station reduces its distance from Earth to just 125 miles. The mission controllers would then tweak the ISS's circular orbit to an ellipse such that the shortest earthward point for the station would be just 90 miles. At this point, the mission controller would fire the station's rocket one final time, pushing the station further down and making it fall over the South Pacific Ocean.

Another option would be to bring down the ISS via "uncontrolled deorbit". However, considering its size, and the fact that its orbit's trajectory passes over 90% of the world's population - an uncontrolled plummet to Earth becomes an extremely risky proposition. The third is to push the ISS to a higher orbit, called "graveyard orbit", where it wouldn't pose a risk, but eventually upon natural decay will leave a huge amount of debris in its wake.

NASA, therefore, will have to get the ISS to crash and burn back to Earth and is planning to go ahead with or without Russia's help.

Source: Scientific American

Link to Team-BHP news

[am1m]

One of man's greatest achievements IMHO. I will miss seeing the station fly past from some deserted beach or hilltop, on a clear night without ambient light (https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/).

Should try and maximize sightings before the end. Unlikely that we'll send anything this large into space again in my lifetime. Future stations (assuming any government is inclined to spend on them, what with the lack of interest in space these days), will probably be unmanned, so likely to be much smaller.

[ValarMorghulis]

It would be a sad day when the ISS is destroyed. ISS was the zenith of America's prosperity and dominance in science and tech, and the ultimate symbol of collaboration between various nations (esp. Russia and USA).
That it took more than $150 billion to build is a testament what US endeavored to achieve in its pursuit of science and technology. While other nations contributed to the construction and maintenance of ISS, the US provided the largest chunk of money.

Plus there were always few humans beyond the earth on ISS, just in case

Hope Musk+Bezos+Few other billionaires combine to make another one; even if for tourism, so be it.

[PreludeSH]

For $1 Billion, wouldn't it be easier to send it out of Earth's pull ? I know we dont want debris elsewhere but there are already a lot.

Maybe smaller stations that can be sent and retrieved back will be in vogue going forward if the launch systems are good.

[alpha1]

Oh noes, now how will we fight against the flat earthers?

All things apart, I have always liked seeing the ISS in the wee hours or evenings, bright like Venus, inching across the sky, unknown to most - but when you tell common folks they also view it with an awe. That is till the fortune brought me to the polluted city on the west coast.

I also found the live earth view from ISS fascinating.


(By the way nothing beats the old Iridium satellite flares!)

[mac187]

Noob question,

Why don't we push it towards Sun or Venus? After decades in space, doesn't it carry a risk if brought down into the Ocean?

[PratikPatel]

Takes me back to the time of the hype & hysteria that was created when the Skylab disintegrated in 1979. The uncontrolled decent was portrayed as if it was an epic disaster. The US president went on tv to apologise for the debris hiting Western Australia.

[RobotMan]

Originally Posted by mac187

Noob question,

Why don't we push it towards Sun or Venus? After decades in space, doesn't it carry a risk if brought down into the Ocean?

The ISS actually sits at a modest altitude of ~290miles above the Earth's surface. This might appear as a huge distance, but its actually far more expensive to push it outside of Earth's orbit.

To do that, NASA would have to perform multiple expensive orbit raising burns (using an external vehicle, not its own thrusters).
The risk of hitting other satellites is also huge as the Starlink constellation sits at about ~350 miles above the Earth's surface.

On the other hand, NASA has huge amounts of data regarding the Earth's atmosphere and their simulations regarding de-orbiting of satellites are quite mature. It also helps that 70% of the planets surface is covered by the oceans.

So, from a decommissioning perspective, de-orbiting the lab seems like the most economical option.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by mac187

Noob question,

Why don't we push it towards Sun or Venus? After decades in space, doesn't it carry a risk if brought down into the Ocean?

That will require tremendous amount of fuel.

[srini1785]

What goes up should come back. Even if it's out of gravity field of the earth. I hope that in the 25 years it was in orbit, it gleamed enough info that its now worth $1B to bring it down.

PS: The science fiction writer in me is hoping that a space junk merchant would buy it up for parts and some one from distant lands would then restore it and wait..

[svsantosh]

ISRO can do it on 95,000 US$ + 18% GST.

[adiiityaaa]

ISS is the greatest invention in mankind, and now that it will be no longer in service, it makes an occasional space enthusiast like me sad. With Robotification taking place, there are less chances a new ISS will be launched

Originally Posted by svsantosh

ISRO can do it on 95,000 US$ + 18% GST.

Lol, couldn't stop myself laughing on this

[aashishnb]

They should just sell it the Musk/Bezos/etc. in an 'As Is Where Is' condition :LOL