MOSCOW, Russia / Rank Wire / – The Russian space agency Roscosmos has announced that a coordinated effort between Russia and the United States is underway to deorbit the International Space Station. This plan involves using two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft along with the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. All international partners involved with the station have given their approval, establishing the planned flight configuration and reaffirming a collaborative approach for its controlled retirement. The deorbit plan distributes propulsion and control duties among vehicles operated by the station’s two main partners, while the broader international partnership retains overall responsibility for safely concluding the station’s decades-long operation.
According to Roscosmos, the station’s descent will commence in 2028, with the entire process expected to span around two years. The strategy involves a combination of natural atmospheric drag, deliberate altitude adjustments with existing propulsion systems, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s publicly available transition plan states that the crew will return to Earth prior to the execution of the final burn. This maneuver aims to guide any remaining debris into an uninhabited ocean region, minimizing risks to individuals and property, rather than allowing the station to descend uncontrollably from low Earth orbit at the conclusion of its mission.
A bilateral agreement is also in the works between Russia and the United States to clarify responsibilities during the deorbit operation. NASA emphasizes that safe disposal is 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 defines the combination of vehicles to be used, the forthcoming bilateral document will specify operational responsibilities for Roscosmos and NASA throughout the multiple stages of deorbiting. Under NASA’s established decommissioning sequence, no crew will remain aboard during the final re-entry burn.
Orbital Descent Expected to Commence in 2028
In June 2024, NASA chose SpaceX to develop and supply the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after studies revealed that the station’s existing propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft alone could not provide sufficient margin for a controlled re-entry. A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, published in July 2026, noted that NASA had set a project cost baseline of $1.2 billion in February, which includes the $843 million contract with SpaceX, future procurement of the launch vehicle, and NASA workforce expenses necessary for spacecraft certification for docking and station operations. The vehicle’s readiness for delivery is targeted for October 2028, with a launch planned for mid-2029.
This U.S. vehicle will integrate a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft equipped for rendezvous and docking, with an enlarged trunk carrying the propulsion system required for descent. Design modifications have included upgrades to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the trunk’s solar-array layout, according to the GAO. The plan is for the spacecraft to dock with the station roughly 18 months prior to re-entry and remain attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate the vehicle, while the agency’s Launch Services Program will separately handle procurement of the rocket needed for launch and station access.
Targeted Oceanic Debris Area for Final Re-entry
Since its beginning in 1998, the International Space Station has been continuously inhabited since November 2000. The station’s total mass is approximately 430,000 kilograms, spanning an area roughly the size of a football field, and it orbits at approximately 415 kilometers in low Earth orbit. Its systems are highly interconnected: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide propulsion for reboosts, debris avoidance, and attitude adjustments, while U.S. gyroscopes manage routine orientation tasks during normal operations. These interdependent systems form the basis of the joint architecture outlined in the ISS deorbit plan and require meticulous coordination among the involved agencies.
NASA’s current schedule aims for the station’s retirement and re-entry maneuvers to occur in 2030. A June 2026 GAO report indicated that NASA is evaluating whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend the station’s operational period. The agency’s analyses support continuing operations through 2028, with further assessments planned for the period afterward. As part of the approved multinational plan revealed by Roscosmos, the orbital lowering process will start in 2028, lasting about two years and culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris in a remote ocean area.