NASA says the ISS will plummet down to earth in January 2031. (Image Credit: NASA)
It's strange, the ISS is about to host a whole movie studio in space, but now they say this?
NASA recently announced plans to keep the International Space Station operational until the end of 2030. After that, the space agency says the ISS is expected to plummet into Point Nemo, a remote region located in the Pacific Ocean. NASA also says that the ISS will be replaced by commercially operated space platforms, where collaboration and scientific research occurs.
"The private sector is technically and financially capable of developing and operating commercial low-Earth orbit destinations, with NASA's assistance. We look forward to sharing our lessons learned and operations experience with the private sector to help them develop safe, reliable, and cost-effective destinations in space," said Phil McAlister, director of commercial space at NASA Headquarters. "The report we have delivered to Congress describes, in detail, our comprehensive plan for ensuring a smooth transition to commercial destinations after [the] retirement of the International Space Station in 2030."
In its report, NASA said that the ISS expects to deorbit in January 2031, crashing into the South Pacific Oceanic Uninhabited Area, also called Point Nemo. This area, known for a spacecraft's final destination when it no longer operates, is approximately 3,000 miles off New Zealand's eastern coast and 2,000 miles north of Antarctica. Since 1971, nations such as the US, Japan, Russia, and European countries, plunged over 263 pieces of space junk into that region. According to the report, the ISS is expected to perform thrusting maneuvers, making it safe for atmospheric reentry.
The space agency said it plans to use the space station as an "analog for a Mars transit mission."
"The International Space Station is entering its third and most productive decade as a groundbreaking scientific platform in microgravity," said Robyn Gatens, director of the International Space Station at NASA Headquarters, said in the statement. "This third decade is one of results, building on our successful global partnership to verify exploration and human research technologies to support deep space exploration, continue to return medical and environmental benefits to humanity, and lay the groundwork for a commercial future in low-Earth orbit."
Various achievements occurred on the ISS for the first time in space, including a 3D-printed object, DNA sequencing, and creating the Bose-Einstein condensate by NASA's Cold Atom Lab. Additionally, astronauts learned how to grow lettuce and leafy greens. They're also growing chiles and radishes in space.
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