The International Space Station to Plunge into Pacific Ocean in 2031
The Controlled Drop Plan for the Decommissioning of the Space Station
In a few years, a controlled drop plan will be put into action to decommission the International Space Station (ISS). The process is set to begin in 2026, and the station will be left to decay naturally under atmospheric friction.
As part of the controlled drop plan, the station will approach the Earth from an estimated distance of 400 kilometers to approximately 320 kilometers by mid-2030. At this point, a final crew will be sent to the station to likely remove any remaining equipment and items of historical significance that have not yet been removed.
Once the last crew leaves, the station’s altitude will drop to 280 kilometers, which is considered the point of no return. This marks the beginning of a period in which the station will no longer be able to rise again due to the gravity caused by our planet’s thickening atmosphere.
Finally, a Russian spacecraft will push the station into the planet’s atmosphere one last time, completing the decommissioning process. This controlled drop plan ensures a systematic and safe deorbiting of the ISS, minimizing the risk of any potential debris causing harm to people or property on Earth.
