According to The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the International Space Station (ISS), launched in 1998 will deorbit in January 2031 that drops into the most remotest point in the Pacific Ocean in 2031. ISS will continue its operations till 2030.
- NASA has also signed agreements with 3 private companies to launch commercial space stations for use by both private companies and government astronauts.
About ISS deorbiting:
i.Once out of orbit, the ISS would descend in Point Nemo before splash-landing, which is about 2,700 km from any land and has become known as the space cemetery, a final resting place for decommissioned space stations, old satellites and other human space debris.
- This is also known as the ‘Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility’ or ‘the South Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area(SPOUA)’.
The plan for New Space station:
i.The NASA has announced a new transition plan for low-Earth orbit science which will be launched by Blue Origin, Nanoracks LLC and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
- They are expected to be operational by the late 2020s, before the ISS falls into the sea.
About International Space Station (ISS):
Director – Robyn Gatens
i.The ISS program is a joint project between five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).
ii.The ISS, about the size of an American football field, orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, and has been continuously occupied by astronauts since November 2000.
iii.The space station was originally intended to operate for just 15 years, but NASA extended its operation further till through 2030.
Recent related news:
In December 2021, NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an infrared telescope was launched through the Arianespace’s heavy-lift Ariane 5 rocket from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on South America’s northeast coast.
About National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
NASA is a United States independent agency that is responsible for science and technology related to air and space.
Establishment – 1957 (started business on 1st October 1958)
Headquarters – Washington, D.C., United States
Administrator – Bill Nelson
