NASA has confirmed plans to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030. The station will be directed into a remote Pacific Ocean region. The U.S. space agency now shifts focus to commercial space stations, aiming for continuous research presence in Low Earth Orbit.
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- ISS active since 1998, modules first launched that year
- Continuously crewed since Nov 2000
- Hosted astronauts from US, Europe, Russia, Japan, Canada
- Over 4,000 experiments, 4,400+ research papers
- Breakthroughs in medicine, materials, genetics, astronomy
- NASA to deorbit ISS in 2030, Pacific Ocean landing zone
- 2021: contracts to private firms for space station projects
- $400M invested in commercial station development
- Sept 2025: draft call for Phase 2 proposals issued
- New stations must host 4 astronauts for 30+ days
- NASA will act as customer, buy services, not own stations
- SpaceX, Boeing already in commercial crew and cargo deals
- China’s Tiangong may soon be longest continuously crewed station
- ISS legacy seen as symbol of international cooperation




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