International space agency collaborators have officially approved a joint strategy to deorbit the International Space Station with the aid of two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft and a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. Roscosmos confirmed that, with the announcement of this multilateral arrangement, key control and propulsion tasks will be divided between U.S. and Russian modules, ensuring a managed and secure conclusion to the station’s orbital activities.
The planned descent of the station will initiate in 2028, with Roscosmos indicating that the entire deorbit operation will span approximately two years. The process will incorporate natural atmospheric drag, intentional altitude reductions utilizing existing propulsion systems, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. According to NASA’s published transition plan, the crew will return to Earth prior to the execution of the major final burn. This maneuver is designed to steer any remaining debris into an uninhabited ocean zone, minimizing risks to people and property, instead of allowing the station to descend uncontrollably from low Earth orbit once operations conclude.
Russia and the United States are also working on a bilateral agreement to clarify how Roscosmos and NASA will share responsibilities during this process. NASA emphasizes that safe disposal is a joint obligation 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 specifies the combination of vehicles involved, the upcoming bilateral document will define operational accountability for both agencies throughout each stage of disposal. Under NASA’s published decommissioning sequence, no crew will remain onboard during the final re-entry burn.
Five international agencies accountable for ensuring safe deorbit
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, after analyses revealed that existing station propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft alone lacked sufficient margin for a controlled re-entry. A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office published in July 2026 stated NASA set the project’s cost baseline at $1.2 billion in February. This figure includes the reported $843 million contract with SpaceX, future launches of the vehicle, and NASA workforce expenses necessary for certifying the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The target for vehicle readiness is October 2028, with a launch planned for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle is a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft adapted for docking and rendezvous, equipped with an enlarged trunk housing the propulsion system needed for descent. Design modifications, including updates to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the trunk’s solar-array layout, have been part of the development, according to the GAO. The vehicle is expected to dock with the station roughly 18 months before re-entry and stay attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate the spacecraft, while its Launch Services Program will separately procure the rocket required to place it in orbit and reach the station.
Deorbit will span approximately two years
Since beginning assembly in 1998, the International Space Station has maintained an uninterrupted human presence since November 2000. It has a mass of around 430,000 kilograms, covers an area comparable to a football field, and operates in low Earth orbit at approximately 415 kilometers altitude. Its systems are highly interdependent: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide propulsion for reboosts, debris avoidance, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes handle routine orientation tasks. These relationships form the core of the joint architecture outlined in the ISS deorbit plan and demand detailed coordination among all participating agencies.
NASA’s current schedule aims to retire the station and execute re-entry maneuvers by 2030. A GAO report from June 2026 noted that NASA is planning an assessment in 2027 to determine whether to proceed with launching the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend station operations. The agency’s analyses support operating until 2028, with additional reviews to explore options beyond that. As per the multinational program disclosed by Roscosmos, the orbital lowering will commence in 2028 and extend over roughly two years, concluding with a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris within a remote oceanic area.
}#}#}