Partners in the international space community have officially approved a coordinated plan to deorbit the International Space Station. This plan involves using two Russian Progress cargo ships along with a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. When announcing this multilateral agreement, the space agency Roscosmos confirmed that the main guidance and propulsion duties will be divided between U.S. and Russian spacecraft. This division aims to guarantee a controlled and secure conclusion to the station’s orbital operations.
The planned descent of the station will start in 2028. Roscosmos indicated that the entire deorbiting process will take approximately two years. The process will involve a combination of natural atmospheric drag, intentional altitude decreases using existing propulsion systems, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s publicly available transition plan specifies that the crew will return to Earth before the final large burn is initiated. This maneuver is designed to direct any remaining debris into an uninhabited ocean area and minimize risks to people and property. The goal is to avoid an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit after operations cease.
Russia and the United States are also working on a bilateral agreement. This agreement will outline how Roscosmos and NASA will share responsibilities during the deorbit process. NASA describes safe disposal as a joint responsibility among the five agencies managing the station: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. The agreement will specify the vehicle configuration, while the bilateral document will clarify operational accountability for the entire multi-stage deorbiting process. Under NASA’s published decommissioning plan, no crew members will be onboard during the final re-entry burn.
Five Agencies Responsible for Ensuring Safe End-of-Life Disposal
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deliver an uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. This decision followed studies showing that existing station propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft did not have enough margin for a controlled re-entry. According to a July 2026 assessment by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, NASA set the project’s cost baseline at $1.2 billion in February. This total includes the $843 million contract with SpaceX, future launch vehicle procurement, and NASA’s workforce costs needed to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The target date for vehicle readiness is October 2028, with a launch planned for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle combines a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, equipped for rendezvous and docking, with an enlarged trunk carrying the necessary propulsion system for re-entry. Design modifications have included updates to the Dragon’s power system, added shielding, and adjustments to the solar-array configuration on the trunk, according to the GAO. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the station approximately 18 months before re-entry and will remain attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate the vehicle, while its Launch Services Program will procure the rocket needed for launch and reaching the station.
The Final Re-entry Will Span About Two Years
The International Space Station has been operational since its assembly began in 1998 and has hosted a continuous human presence since November 2000. The station’s mass is around 430,000 kilograms, and it covers an area roughly equivalent to a football field. It orbits in low Earth at approximately 415 kilometers altitude. The station’s systems are interdependent: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide propulsion for reboosts, debris-avoidance maneuvers, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes handle routine orientation. These relationships form the basis of the joint architecture detailed in the ISS deorbit plan and require careful coordination among all participating agencies.
NASA’s current schedule prioritizes retiring the station and executing re-entry maneuvers in 2030. A June 2026 GAO report indicated that NASA is considering whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or extend station operations into the following years. The agency’s analyses support operating the station through 2028, with further reviews planned for the period beyond that. As part of the multinational program revealed by Roscosmos, orbital lowering is set to begin in 2028 and last approximately two years. The process will culminate with a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris in a remote ocean area, marking the end of the station’s operational lifespan.