Deorbiting the ISS

[brian livesey]

NASA plans to deorbit the International Space Station by 2031. After that the space agency expects to be buying space for its astronauts on commercial space stations. NASA administrator Bill Nelson said that the ISS had been “a beacon of peaceful international scientific collaboration”.
The ISS weighs in at 444,615kg and will deorbit to plunge into a “spacecraft cemetery” in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean known a Point Nemo, a position most remote from any land.
Considering all of the rocketry that’s been dispensed of in the sea since the start of the Space Age, we can only wonder if there are salvagers that fish out some of the boosters for their scrap metal value.

[jeff.stevens]

Good grief, tempus fugit. It only seems two minutes since Mir was deorbited (2001?), and here we are talking about ISS reaching the end of its lifespan. 2031 doesn't seem that long away, especially in terms of there being a viable commercial alternative being ready.

Best wishes, Jeff.

[brian livesey]

As you might know Jeff the ISS is showing signs of ageing, with equipment failures and metal fatigue in modules.

[jeff.stevens]

I must confess I don't keep as up to date with the situation on the ISS as I used to, but I can imagine it must be under enormous strains and stresses, with a limited lifespan. I guess observation notes of ISS passes will be a nice piece of personal history to look back on when it is no longer here. I think I have similar notes of Mir passes somewhere in my diaries.

Best wishes, Jeff.

[stella]

Russia intends to build its own space station, so there will be 3 stations to observe in a few years time.
All going around the round-about in the same direction.

[brian livesey]

The Russians haven’t indicated how they intend to finance the construction and manning of a new, independent, space station.
How long before there are Bezos, Musk and Branson (?) space stations up there, chasing the other three and with flashing billboards?