End of International Space Station coming close: why and how NASA is going to destroy it
The International Space Station (ISS) is very close to the end of its useful life, so NASA already has a plan prepared to take it out of space.
- Technology
- Published Date: 12:43 | 09 May 2023
- Modified Date: 12:45 | 09 May 2023
Since 1998 the great construction began to orbit and has served for a large number of space missions, but its work is about to end and in 2031 work will begin to destroy it.
And although it sounds very dramatic to say that the ISS will be destroyed, it is the safest way to get it out of space to be able to launch the new station that will be its replacement.
About to expire
This project is not unique to NASA, as it was created with five space agencies deciding whether the time the building will be in orbit should be extended. The end of the station was expected in 2024, but it was postponed to 2030.
The reasons are simple, the ISS parts are already old and could stop working properly in a short time.
Russia, for example, has already extended its concern about the damage that a possible failure could cause and warned that obsolete equipment would cause something irreparable. So, it is inevitable that the time of this machine has come to an end.
On the other hand, giving way to private companies to help finance a new station would give the space agency the opportunity to save and use that money for more research.
How is it going to be destroyed?
As it is done with cars, the station will be towed towards us. By removing electrical power, the base will change orbit to be caught by Earth's gravity and subsequently fall.
At this point, the station will already be secured by a tugboat so that it can be directed to Point Nemo, an area considered the furthest from the town so that it does not represent any danger.
So the ocean will be the resting place of this great space base that has helped in thousands of investigations to understand the Universe.