August M
For years, the fate of the International Space Station seemed settled.
Now, an unexpected move in Congress has reopened the debate over whether humanity’s most famous orbital outpost should really be sent to a fiery end, reports WP Tech.
Questioning the plan
Members of the US Congress have asked NASA to examine whether the International Space Station could be preserved instead of deliberately deorbited. The request emerged during a recent session of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
Lawmakers approved a bill authorizing NASA’s operations, accompanied by more than 40 amendments. One of them calls on the agency to assess the feasibility of keeping the ISS in orbit for future use.
End already scheduled
NASA’s current plan foresees astronauts leaving the station by 2030, followed by a controlled deorbit in 2031. Under that scenario, remaining fragments of the station would fall into the Pacific Ocean.
The amendment does not alter this official timeline. Instead, it requires a detailed analysis of the costs and risks involved in moving the ISS to a higher and safer orbit, where it could potentially remain for decades.
Costly legacy
Supporters of the proposal argue that the station’s sheer value justifies reconsideration. The ISS is described by WPtech as one of humanity’s greatest engineering achievements, developed over 25 years at an estimated cost of around $100 billion.
From this perspective, lawmakers say, its destruction should not be treated as a routine technical step, but as a decision worthy of deeper scrutiny.
Technical obstacles
A 2024 NASA report cited by WPtech indicates that boosting the ISS into a higher orbit could require more than twice the fuel needed for a controlled deorbit. Such a move would also demand new spacecraft with propulsion systems capable of pushing the massive structure.
Even in a higher orbit, the station would remain vulnerable to collisions with space debris. Scientists would also have to consider the ISS’s age, including existing micro-cracks and air leaks.
Commercial future
Regardless of the outcome, astronauts are not expected to visit the ISS after 2030. NASA is instead backing commercial space stations, planning to lease space rather than operate its own platform.
Companies such as Vast, Axiom Space, Voyager Space and Blue Origin are developing private stations, but it remains unclear whether any will be ready before the ISS reaches the end of its planned life.
An open ending
For now, the future of the International Space Station remains uncertain. Whether it is lifted into a higher orbit or consigned to history, lawmakers have signaled that the final chapter has yet to be written.
Sources: WPtech
