The International Space Station Retires Soon

NASA plans to retire the International Space Station (ISS) by crashing it into the ocean at the end of 2030, marking the end of its over three-decade tenure orbiting Earth. The agency is collaborating with private companies—Axiom Space, Voyager Space, and Blue Origin—to develop a new space station that will be privately owned, built, and operated. These companies are receiving significant funding and expertise from NASA to potentially replace the ISS, allowing NASA to shift its focus toward more ambitious deep space exploration missions. The initiative to privatize low-Earth orbit operations aligns with NASA’s strategy to foster cost-effective commercial space activities and concentrate on pioneering ventures beyond near-Earth confines. The transition also reflects technological advancements since the ISS’s inception in the late ’90s, with modern updates anticipated in the new stations to facilitate advanced research and potentially include features like artificial gravity to address long-duration spaceflight challenges.

Source: NPR