Stated by Ken Bowersox, the Acting Associate Administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Russian Corporation Roskosmos are currently developing a detailed plan for the retirement of the International Space Station (ISS) from orbit. According to Bowersox, the US plans to invest in the project until 2030, while Russia plans to do so until 2028. In a conversation with the TASS news agency, Bowersox said: “We are working together on a detailed plan to end the operation of the station. It is possible that this may happen later, but it is also possible that it may happen sooner if something unfortunate happens to the facility.” Earlier, Roskosmos head Dmitry Balandin told the TASS news agency that they are currently discussing the prospects for the development of the orbital space after the completion of the International Space Station project and plans for a joint lunar program. He said: “Bowersox is now with us at a press conference. Yesterday, we had a fairly open discussion, for about an hour and a half, we discussed Roskosmos and NASA plans, plans for the development of orbital space after the ISS, plans for the development of the lunar program.” The ISS has been in orbit since November 1998 when the first Zarya module was launched. The construction of the station was completed in 2011. The station completes approximately 16 orbits around the Earth per day, with the orbit correction carried out by the thrusters of the Progress spacecraft docked to it. The station has a mass of about 435 tons and a habitable volume of about 935 cubic meters.
NASA & Roskosmos Plan ISS Retirement, Moon Program Partnership
