MOSCOW, Russia / Rank Wire / – According to Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos, a coordinated effort involving Russia and the United States has been established to deorbit the International Space Station using two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft along with the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. This plan has received approval from all international partners involved with the station, confirming the flight configuration and demonstrating a multinational approach to its controlled decommissioning. The deorbit plan assigns propulsion and control responsibilities to the vehicles operated by the two primary partners of the station, while the broader international partnership retains oversight for the safe conclusion of the station’s decades-long operation.
Roscosmos announced that the planned lowering of the station’s orbit will commence in 2028, with the entire deorbit process expected to span approximately two years. The approach will involve a combination of natural atmospheric drag, deliberate altitude reduction using existing propulsion systems, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s official transition plan specifies that the crew will return to Earth before the final burn is initiated. This maneuver aims to direct any remaining debris into an unpopulated ocean region, minimizing risks to people and property, rather than permitting the station to descend uncontrollably from low Earth orbit at the end of its operational life.
In addition, Russia and the U.S. intend to develop a bilateral agreement that will clarify how Roscosmos and NASA will share responsibility during the deorbit operation. NASA describes the safe disposal of the station as a collective responsibility among the five agencies operating it: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. While the program determines the combination of vehicles to be used, the forthcoming bilateral document will delineate operational accountability between the Russian and American agencies throughout the multi-stage deorbit process. Under NASA’s published decommissioning sequence, no crew will remain aboard for the final re-entry burn.
Orbital lowering scheduled to begin in 2028
Following assessments indicating that the station’s existing propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft alone lacked sufficient margin for the planned controlled re-entry, NASA selected SpaceX in June 2024 to develop and supply the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. An evaluation by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, published in July 2026, noted that NASA established a cost baseline of $1.2 billion for the project in February. This amount encompasses the reported $843 million SpaceX contract, future procurement of launch vehicles, and NASA workforce costs necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The vehicle’s readiness for delivery is set for October 2028, with a launch targeted for mid-2029.
The U.S. deorbit vehicle combines a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, equipped for rendezvous and docking with an expanded trunk that provides the propulsion capability required for descent. Design modifications have included adjustments to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and updates to the solar-array configuration on the trunk, according to the GAO. The plan is for the vehicle to dock safely with the station roughly 18 months before re-entry and remain attached during the final phase. NASA will own and operate the spacecraft, while the agency’s Launch Services Program will separately procure the rocket needed for deployment into orbit and transfer to the station complex.
The ISS deorbit plan targets a remote oceanic site
Initiated in 1998, the International Space Station has maintained continuous human presence since November 2000. Its total mass is approximately 430,000 kilograms, with an area comparable to a football field, orbiting in low Earth orbit at about 415 kilometers altitude. The station’s systems are interdependent: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide propulsion for reboosts, debris avoidance, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes manage routine orientation during normal operations. These interconnected systems form the basis of the joint architecture outlined in the ISS deorbit plan, which requires precise coordination among all participating agencies.
NASA’s current transition plan emphasizes retiring the station and executing re-entry maneuvers in 2030. A June 2026 GAO report indicates that NASA is considering a 2027 evaluation on whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or extend station operations. The agency’s analyses support operational continuation through 2028, with additional reviews underway to assess the period beyond that date. Under the multinational program disclosed by Roscosmos, the orbital lowering process will commence in 2028 and last approximately two years, culminating in a controlled breakup in the atmosphere designed to deposit debris into a remote oceanic area.