It’s no secret that the International Space Station has an expiration date.
The only variable is how it’ll be brought down to Earth.
NASA will then tap a contractor to launch that vehicle into space to dock with the ISS.
When is the ISS set to come back to Earth?
Otherwise, the ISS has lived a full life.
The construction missions started in 1998, and the ISS has been continuously manned for the last 22 years.
Why is the ISS being deorbited?
How will the space station be brought down?
From there, the vehicle will use its propulsion system to push the ISS into a lower orbit.
After that, the drag from Earth’s atmosphere will take over and bring the ISS back to Earth.
Why is NASA using a deorbit vehicle?
Other potential methods to get the ISS out of space are either too difficult, too expensive or both.
NASA considered deconstructing the ISS and bringing it back piece by piece.
The third option considered was to let it simply fall out of space on its own.
That means it could land in a populated area and harm people.
