Officially, international space agency partners have approved a collaborative plan to deorbit the International Space Station. This plan involves using two Russian Progress cargo ships alongside a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. In announcing the agreement, the state space agency Roscosmos confirmed that the primary guidance and propulsion tasks will be divided between U.S. and Russian spacecraft, guaranteeing a controlled and safe conclusion to the station’s orbital operations.
The process to lower the station’s orbit is scheduled to begin in 2028. Roscosmos stated that the entire deorbit operation will take approximately two years. The approach will involve a combination of natural atmospheric drag, deliberate altitude reductions using existing propulsion systems, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s published transition plan specifies that the crew will return to Earth before mission operators execute the final large burn. This maneuver aims to direct any remaining debris into an unpopulated ocean area, minimizing risks to people and property, instead of letting the station make an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit at the end of its operational life.
Russia and the United States are also working on drafting a bilateral agreement. This document will define how Roscosmos and NASA will allocate responsibilities during the deorbit process. NASA describes the safe disposal as 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 establishes the configuration of the spacecraft involved, the bilateral agreement will specify operational responsibilities between the Russian and U.S. agencies throughout the multi-phase disposal process. No crew members will stay onboard during the final re-entry burn, according to NASA’s published decommissioning sequence.
Responsibility for Safe Disposal Shared Among Five Space Agencies
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and supply the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. This decision came after studies revealed that the station’s existing propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft alone lacked enough margin for a controlled re-entry. A report from 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 budget includes the reported $843 million contract with SpaceX, future launch vehicle procurement, and NASA workforce costs necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The targeted date for vehicle readiness is October 2028, with a launch planned for mid-2029 to support the mission.
The U.S. vehicle features a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft designed for rendezvous and docking. It includes an enlarged trunk equipped with the propulsion system needed for re-entry. Design modifications have been made to the Dragon’s power system, with added shielding and adjustments to the solar-array configuration, as noted by the GAO. The vehicle will dock with the station approximately 18 months before re-entry and remain attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate this spacecraft, while its Launch Services Program will procure the rocket required to launch it into orbit and reach the station complex.
Deorbiting Process Expected to Span About Two Years
The International Space Station has been in operation since its assembly began in 1998, maintaining a continuous human presence since November 2000. It weighs about 430,000 kilograms, spans roughly the size of a football field, and orbits at approximately 415 kilometers altitude. The station’s systems are highly interdependent: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide propulsion for reboosts, debris-avoidance maneuvers, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes handle routine orientation tasks. These systems support the joint architecture outlined in the ISS deorbit plan, requiring detailed coordination among the participating agencies.
NASA’s current transition plan emphasizes retiring the station and executing re-entry maneuvers by 2030. A June 2026 GAO report states that NASA is considering a 2027 assessment on whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend the station’s operational life. The agency’s analyses suggest that the station can operate through 2028, with further reviews planned to address the period after that. Under the multinational program announced by Roscosmos, the orbital lowering will begin in 2028 and last roughly two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris into a remote ocean area.