After learning that the U.S. will extend its International Space Station Commitments until 2030, news has just arrived on what will happen to the ISS after those commitments.
Now leaving space station initiatives to the private sector, NASA plans on decommissioning the ISS by safely crashing the 356-foot-long structure into the Pacific Ocean (Point Nemo) in early 2031. This area is home to a number of other decommissioned space vessels and was given the nickname “Spacecraft Cemetery.”
The ISS was first initiated with the Zarya Control Module in 1998, but it wasn’t until the year 2000 when the ISS’ story officially commenced with Expedition 1 and long-term crew occupancy. This symbol of unity and international collaboration for research was the result of the effort from 15 different countries. With the responsibility of the ISS lifted, NASA expects to save $1.8 billion USD per year.
In other tech news, SpaceX’s Starlink launches a premium internet service tier.
