MOSCOW, Russia / Rank Wire / – According to Russia’s state space agency Roscosmos, a joint initiative has been devised by Russia and the United States to facilitate the deorbiting of the International Space Station, utilizing two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft alongside the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. The plan has garnered approval from all international partners involved with the station, establishing the intended flight configuration and reinforcing a multinational approach to its systematic retirement. The ISS deorbit strategy allocates propulsion and control responsibilities to vehicles operated by the two main partner nations, while broader partner agencies retain oversight for a secure end-of-mission process that spans decades.
Roscosmos indicated that the station’s descent from orbit will commence in 2028, with an expected duration of roughly two years to complete the deorbiting process. This sequence will combine the effects of natural atmospheric drag with intentional altitude reductions via existing propulsion systems, culminating in a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s transition framework specifies that crew members will return to Earth before the final burn is executed by operators. This maneuver aims to direct any remaining debris into an uninhabited ocean area, minimizing risks to people and property, rather than allowing the station to make an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit at the end of its operational life.
Additionally, Russia and the United States are working on drafting a bilateral agreement that will clearly delineate the responsibilities of Roscosmos and NASA during the deorbit operation. NASA emphasizes that safe disposal is a shared duty among the five agencies involved in operating the station: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. While the current program defines the combination of vehicles to be used, the bilateral document will specify operational responsibilities of the Russian and U.S. agencies across the multi-stage deorbit process. Under the published NASA sequence, no crew will be aboard during the final re-entry burn.
Orbital descent scheduled to start in 2028
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after studies concluded that the existing station propulsion and Progress spacecraft alone did not have sufficient margin for a controlled re-entry. A report published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office in July 2026 stated that NASA set the project’s cost baseline at $1.2 billion in February, which includes the reported $843 million SpaceX contract, future launch vehicle procurement, and NASA workforce costs for spacecraft certification for docking and station operations. The vehicle’s delivery readiness is targeted for October 2028, with a launch planned for mid-2029.
The U.S.-built vehicle combines a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, adapted for rendezvous and docking, with an enlarged trunk equipped with the propulsion system needed for descent. Design modifications include enhancements to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the solar-array configuration on the trunk, according to the GAO. It is scheduled to dock with the station approximately 18 months before re-entry and will remain attached during the final phase. NASA will own and operate the vehicle, with its Launch Services Program separately procuring the rocket necessary for launch and station access.
Targeting a remote ocean site for ISS re-entry
The International Space Station has been in continuous human presence since November 2000, with assembly beginning in 1998. Its mass is approximately 430,000 kilograms, covering an area comparable to a football field, and it orbits at roughly 415 kilometers in low Earth orbit. Its systems are closely interconnected: propulsion units on the Russian segment and Progress vehicles handle reboosts, debris-avoidance maneuvers, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes manage routine orientation during normal operations. These interdependencies underpin the joint architecture detailed in the ISS deorbit plan, necessitating precise coordination among the participating agencies.
NASA’s current schedule prioritizes retiring the station and executing re-entry maneuvers by 2030. A report from the GAO in June 2026 indicated that the agency plans to assess in 2027 whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend station operations beyond that point. Structural analyses support operation through 2028, with additional reviews planned to evaluate the future beyond that year. As disclosed in the multinational deorbit plan approved by Roscosmos, the orbital lowering process will commence in 2028 and last for about two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris in a remote oceanic location.