NASA's $180 million plan to destroy International Space Station

As the International Space Station (ISS) moves towards end of life, NASA began research on how to return the station to Earth. The station, which will expire in 2030, is planned to be reduced to a point in the Pacific Ocean far from human access. According to NASA's plan, a new de-orbiting spacecraft will be developed to return the ISS to Earth, and this vehicle will act as a tractor and carry the station to the earth's atmosphere. Plans to destroy the station, which will officially expire in 2030, are also included in the White House's annual budget. It was envisaged that 180 million dollars of the total 27.2 billion dollars given to NASA in the budget will be spent for the new spacecraft to be developed. Kathy Lueders, NASA's chief of manned spaceflight, said at a press conference that they expect the cost of the entire operation to reach $1 billion. According to NASA's plan, the International Space Station will be lowered into the so-called 'Point Nemo' in the Pacific Ocean after being returned to the atmosphere. This region is shown as the last region in the world where human access is difficult. Because of this feature, the region is also used as a kind of 'spacecraft cemetery'.