MOSCOW, Russia / Rank Wire / – The international plan for deorbiting the International Space Station (ISS) has received approval from Russia’s state space agency Roscosmos and its partners, who confirmed a joint flight configuration to guide the station through a controlled re-entry. This coordinated effort involves deploying two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft along with the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle manufactured by SpaceX. The agreement establishes a shared propulsion and navigation system between Roscosmos and NASA, ensuring a unified international approach to safely and precisely deorbit the orbiting laboratory.
Roscosmos announced that the station’s descent would commence in 2028, with the entire deorbit process anticipated to last around two years. The plan combines natural atmospheric drag, intentional altitude reductions using existing propulsion, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s published transition plan specifies that the crew will return to Earth prior to the final burn, which is designed to direct remaining debris into an unpopulated ocean area, minimizing risks to people and property, rather than allowing an uncontrolled fall from low Earth orbit at the end of the station’s operational life.
Additionally, Russia and the United States intend to draft a bilateral agreement defining each agency’s responsibilities during the operation. NASA describes safe disposal as a shared duty among the five agencies operating the station: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. While the program determines the vehicle combination, the upcoming bilateral document will specify operational accountability between Roscosmos and NASA throughout the multistage deorbit process. No crew members will remain onboard during the final re-entry burn according to NASA’s published decommissioning sequence.
Russia and US coordinate station retirement
In June 2024, NASA chose SpaceX to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after studies revealed that existing station propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft alone lacked enough margin for a controlled re-entry. An assessment published in July 2026 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office indicated 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 necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The delivery readiness is targeted for October 2028, with launch scheduled for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle combines a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft equipped for docking with an enlarged trunk carrying the propulsion system required for re-entry. Design modifications include changes to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the trunk’s solar-array layout, according to the GAO. It is planned to dock safely with the station approximately 18 months before re-entry and stay attached during the final phase. NASA will own and operate the spacecraft, with its Launch Services Program separately procuring the rocket needed to place it in orbit and reach the station.
Crew departs before re-entry burn
Since its inception in 1998, the International Space Station has maintained a continuous human presence since November 2000. It weighs about 430,000 kilograms, covers roughly the size of a football field, and orbits at approximately 415 kilometers above Earth. Its systems are highly interdependent: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide reboost propulsion, debris-avoidance maneuvers, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes manage routine orientation. These relationships underpin the joint architecture outlined in the ISS deorbit plan, requiring close coordination among participating agencies.
NASA’s current transition schedule emphasizes retiring the station and executing re-entry maneuvers in 2030. A June 2026 GAO report states that the agency plans a 2027 review to decide whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend station operations. Structural analyses support operating through 2028, with further assessments addressing the period beyond that. Under Roscosmos’s disclosed multinational program, orbital lowering will begin in 2028 and last about two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup that places debris in a remote ocean area.