NASA is planning a controlled crash of the ISS in 2031 — marking a shift from government space labs to private orbital outposts
After nearly three decades of circling the Earth and hosting astronauts from around the world, the International Space Station (ISS) is set to retire in 2031 — with NASA planning to crash it (a controlled deorbit) into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo.
The decision marks the end of a historic era in space collaboration and signals a shift in strategy for the new space station: from government-run infrastructure to privately operated. But why retire something that still works? And what exactly happens when you deorbit a 430-tonne lab flying at 28,000 kmph?
