ISS to fall from the sky in 2031

The International Space Station (ISS) is aging, cracks are appearing in its facade, spaceborne debris is hammering the exterior, and tensions between the US and its primary ISS partner, Russia, are at all time highs. All of that makes mapping out the future of low-Earth orbit in a post-ISS world more pressing than ever. The most recent roadmap for decommissioning the ISS was published this week, and it lays out a plan to bring the space station out of orbit in January 2031, plunging it into a watery grave in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean. It will mark the end of an era for a hallmark programme that put scientific research and international collaboration at its center.