MOSCOW, Russia / Rank Wire / – Russia’s state space organization Roscosmos has announced that international partners have given their approval for a joint mission to guide the International Space Station (ISS) through a controlled re-entry. This plan involves utilizing two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft along with the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle developed by SpaceX. The agreement establishes a shared system for propulsion and navigation between Roscosmos and NASA, ensuring a unified international effort to safely and precisely deorbit the orbital laboratory.
The process of lowering the station’s orbit is scheduled to begin in 2028, with an estimated duration of about two years for the entire deorbit. Roscosmos explained that this will involve natural atmospheric drag, intentional altitude reduction using existing propulsion systems, and a final re-entry maneuver. NASA’s published transition plan states that the crew will return to Earth prior to the execution of the final burn. This maneuver is designed to direct any remaining debris into an uninhabited ocean area and minimize risks to people and property, rather than allowing the station to make an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit at the end of its operational life.
Additionally, Russia and the United States are preparing to draft a bilateral agreement outlining responsibility sharing between Roscosmos and NASA during the deorbit operation. NASA highlights that safe disposal is a shared 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 vehicle configuration, the upcoming bilateral document will clarify operational accountability for both Russian and U.S. agencies throughout the multi-stage 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 selected SpaceX to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after analyses revealed that the existing station propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft alone did not provide enough margin for a controlled re-entry. An assessment by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, published in July 2026, indicated that NASA set the project’s cost baseline at $1.2 billion in February. This amount includes the reported $843 million SpaceX contract, future launch vehicle procurement, and NASA workforce expenses necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The delivery readiness is targeted for October 2028, with launch planned for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle combines a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, equipped for rendezvous and docking, with an enlarged trunk carrying the propulsion system needed for descent. According to the GAO, design modifications have included upgrades to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the solar-array configuration on the trunk. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the station about 18 months before re-entry and will remain attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate the vehicle, while its Launch Services Program will separately acquire the rocket needed for launch and reach the station.
Crew will depart before the final re-entry burn
The International Space Station, which began assembly in 1998, has maintained a continuous human presence since November 2000. The station’s mass is approximately 430,000 kilograms, covering an area roughly equivalent to a football field, orbiting at about 415 kilometers above Earth. Its systems are highly interconnected: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide propulsion for reboosts, debris avoidance, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes handle routine orientation. These interdependent systems form the foundation of the joint deorbit plan, requiring precise coordination among all participating agencies.
NASA’s current transition schedule emphasizes retiring the station and executing re-entry maneuvers by 2030. A June 2026 GAO report states that NASA intends to assess in 2027 whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend station operations. The agency has indicated that structural analyses support continued operation through 2028, with further reviews planned for the period beyond that. Under the multinational program revealed by Roscosmos, orbital lowering will commence in 2028 and last approximately two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris into a remote ocean area.