How NASA plans to crash the International Space Station after 26 years of operation

The International Space Station or ISS, has been operational for quite some time. It became a home for astronauts traveling to space to conduct experiments as it continuously orbited the globe. But like many scientific marvels, ISS is nearing its end as well. The orbiting laboratory will be removed from its orbit soon, as reported by IFL Science. As the ISS reaches the end of its operational life, NASA plans to bring it down safely to Earth. The process will be carried out with the help of a Deorbit Vehicle that Elon Musk's SpaceX has been selected to design.

“Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations. This decision also supports NASA’s plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth,” Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said in a statement. “The orbital laboratory remains a blueprint for science, exploration, and partnerships in space for the benefit of all.”

According to NASA, many parts of the space station can be replaced or repaired while in orbit. Also, they can repair and relaunch other parts after returning them to the ground. Such parts include communications equipment, solar arrays, science hardware and life support equipment. The primary structure of the station, like the crewed modules and the truss structures, can not be replaced or repaired practically. NASA also added that the original lifespan of the ISS was 30 years, according to its structural life estimate. Not only that but also NASA's experience in the field demonstrates the actual forces imparted to the station have been less than what was initially forecasted, as there is still a finite lifetime available in the primary structure.

The ISS was built in orbit while astronauts and robotics contributed to joining the separated modules of the station by spacewalking, according to Space. Throughout multiple space missions, NASA's space shuttles were used to transport the heavier pieces of the space station. They slowly built the living quarters and laboratories for the astronauts and hoisted the solar panels that powered the station. Russia was the first country to launch its ISS module Zarya on November 20, 1998. A couple of weeks later, space shuttle flight STS-88 launched the NASA Unity/Node 1 module. Astronauts performed spacewalks to connect the two parts of the station.

Later, some major modules and components were sent strategically to be joined with ISS till 2021. The last component sent to ISS was the Prichal, a Russian docking module. According to the International Space Station and National Laboratory, on November 2, 2000. NASA's astronaut Bill Shepherd and cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev became the first crew to reside onboard the station. Their expedition lasted for four months. They completed the necessary tasks to bring the ISS "to life" and began what is now more than 20 years of continuous human presence in space.

According to Scientific American, SpaceX will be aiding NASA in bringing down the immense facility around 2031. To accomplish the job, the agency will pay SpaceX up to $843 million. NASA predicts that the ISS will start disintegrating sooner or later and the more debris it sheds, the more likely catastrophic space junk collisions could become. Meanwhile, NASA plans to repurpose the facility in orbit and pass off its operation to some private industry. In the worst-case scenario, they might blow up the ISS in space.