For the first time, international space agency partners have officially agreed upon a comprehensive plan to deorbit the International Space Station utilizing two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft along with a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. The announcement of this multilateral arrangement confirmed that primary guidance and propulsion duties will be allocated between U.S. and Russian spacecraft, guaranteeing a controlled and secure conclusion to the station’s orbital operations.
Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, stated that the station’s descent from orbit is scheduled to begin in 2028, with the entire deorbit process projected to span approximately two years. The plan involves a combination of natural atmospheric drag, deliberate altitude reductions using existing propulsion systems, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s published transition outline specifies that the crew will evacuate and return to Earth before the major burn is executed. This final maneuver aims to direct any remaining debris into a remote ocean area, minimizing risks to humans and property, rather than allowing an uncontrolled fall from low Earth orbit at the end of the station’s operational life.
Furthermore, Russia and the United States are set to draft a bilateral treaty that will outline the responsibilities of Roscosmos and NASA during the deorbit process. NASA emphasizes that ensuring the safe disposal of the station is a shared obligation among the five agencies involved: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. The agreement will specify operational responsibilities, while the bilateral document will detail accountability throughout the multi-phase disposal sequence. Under NASA’s publicly available decommissioning plan, no crew members will remain onboard during the final re-entry burn.
Five agencies collaborate on ensuring safe end-of-life procedures
In June 2024, NASA chose SpaceX to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after analyses revealed that existing station propulsion and Progress spacecraft alone lacked sufficient margin for a controlled re-entry. An assessment published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office in July 2026 indicated NASA’s cost estimate for the project is set at $1.2 billion as of February. This figure includes the reported $843 million contract with SpaceX, future procurement of the launch vehicle, and NASA’s staffing costs to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The planned operational readiness date for delivery is October 2028, with launch targeted for mid-2029.
The U.S. Deorbit Vehicle combines a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft adapted for rendezvous and docking, along with an enlarged trunk that carries the propulsion system needed for descent. According to the GAO, modifications include updates to the Dragon’s power system, added shielding, and adjustments to the solar-array configuration on the trunk. The vehicle is scheduled to dock with the station approximately 18 months prior to re-entry and will stay attached until the final phase. NASA will oversee the vehicle’s operation, with its Launch Services Program separately responsible for procuring the rocket needed to insert it into orbit and reach the station.
The final re-entry process will span roughly two years
Since the International Space Station’s assembly began in 1998, it has maintained a continuous human presence since November 2000. The station’s mass is around 430,000 kilograms, covering an area roughly equivalent to a football field, orbiting at approximately 415 kilometers in low Earth orbit. Its systems are highly interconnected: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide propulsion for reboosts, debris avoidance, and attitude control, whereas U.S. gyroscopes manage routine orientation during normal operations. These interdependencies are fundamental to the joint architecture detailed in the ISS deorbit plan and require precise coordination among participating agencies.
NASA’s current decommissioning schedule emphasizes retiring the station and executing re-entry maneuvers by 2030. A June 2026 GAO report notes that NASA plans to assess whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or extend station operations into 2028. Structural analyses support the station’s operation through 2028, with additional reviews to determine the plan beyond that period. According to the multinational deorbit program disclosed by Roscosmos, the orbital lowering will commence in 2028 and proceed over about two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris into a remote ocean area, marking the station’s final end.