Officially, international space agency collaborators have approved a joint plan to bring down the International Space Station through the use of two Russian Progress cargo ships and a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. The announcement of this multilateral agreement came from Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, which confirmed that the primary guidance and propulsion duties will be shared between U.S. and Russian spacecraft, guaranteeing a controlled and safe conclusion to the station’s orbital lifespan.
According to Roscosmos, the station’s controlled descent from orbit is scheduled to start in 2028, with the entire process expected to last around two years. The plan involves leveraging natural atmospheric drag, executing deliberate altitude reductions via existing propulsion systems, and performing a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s outlined transition framework states that the crew will return to Earth prior to the execution of the final burn by ground operators. The maneuver is designed to direct debris into an uninhabited ocean region, minimizing hazards to people and property, rather than permitting an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit at the end of the station’s operational life.
Additionally, Russia and the United States intend to develop a bilateral agreement that will specify how Roscosmos and NASA will divide responsibilities during the deorbiting process. NASA describes 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. This program details the combination of vehicles to be used, while the future bilateral document will clarify operational accountability between the Russian and U.S. entities throughout the multi-phase disposal procedure. Under NASA’s publicly released decommissioning sequence, no crew will remain onboard during the final re-entry burn.
Shared oversight among five agencies for safe deorbiting
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, after analyses revealed that existing station propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft alone did not provide enough margin for the planned controlled re-entry. A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, published in July 2026, indicated that NASA established a cost baseline of $1.2 billion for this project in February. This amount includes the reported $843 million SpaceX contract, future launch vehicle procurement, and NASA’s workforce expenses necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The project aims for delivery readiness by October 2028, with the launch targeted for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle design incorporates a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft equipped for rendezvous and docking, along with an enlarged trunk capable of carrying the propulsion system needed for descent. According to the GAO, modifications to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the solar-array configuration on the trunk have been part of the design process. The plan is for the vehicle to dock with the station approximately 18 months before re-entry and stay attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate the vehicle, while its Launch Services Program will separately acquire the rocket needed to place it in orbit and reach the station.
The final re-entry process will span nearly two years
Constructed in 1998, the International Space Station has maintained a continuous human presence since November 2000. It has a mass of about 430,000 kilograms, covers an area roughly equivalent to a football field, and orbits at approximately 415 kilometers altitude. The station’s systems are highly interdependent: propulsion for reboosts, debris avoidance, and attitude control is provided by the Russian segment and Progress vehicles, 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, requiring detailed coordination among the participating agencies.
NASA’s current schedule emphasizes decommissioning the station and executing re-entry maneuvers around 2030. A June 2026 GAO report states that NASA is considering whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend station operations into the future. Structural analyses support continuing operations through 2028, with additional reviews planned for the period afterward. Under Roscosmos’s disclosed multinational program, the orbital descent process begins in 2028 and extends for about two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris within a remote ocean footprint.