International space agency partners have officially approved a collaborative strategy to deorbit the International Space Station utilizing two Russian Progress cargo ships along with a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. The announcement of this multilateral accord confirmed that key guidance and propulsion functions will be divided between U.S. and Russian spacecraft, guaranteeing a carefully managed and safe conclusion to the station’s orbital operations.
The planned descent of the station will commence in 2028, with Roscosmos estimating the entire deorbit process will span approximately two years. The method will involve a combination of natural atmospheric drag, deliberate altitude reductions with existing thrusters, and a final precise re-entry maneuver. NASA’s official transition plan states that the crew will return to Earth before the final, large-scale burn is executed. This maneuver aims to guide remaining debris into an uninhabited ocean region, minimizing risks to people and property, rather than allowing the station to make an uncontrolled descent at the end of its operational life.
In addition, Russia and the United States are working on a bilateral agreement that will clarify how Roscosmos and NASA will share responsibilities during the deorbit operation. NASA emphasizes that safe disposal is a joint obligation among the five space agencies involved in operating the station: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. While the program defines the sequence of vehicle operations, the forthcoming bilateral document will specify operational accountability between the Russian and U.S. agencies throughout the multi-stage disposal process. Under NASA’s decommissioning sequence, no crew members will remain onboard during the final re-entry burn.
Responsibility for safe disposal is shared among five agencies
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after studies revealed that existing station propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft alone did not provide enough margin for a controlled re-entry. An assessment published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office in July 2026 indicated NASA set the project’s cost baseline at $1.2 billion in February, which includes the $843 million contract with SpaceX, future launch vehicle procurement, and NASA workforce expenses necessary for certifying the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The targeted date for vehicle readiness is October 2028, with a launch planned for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle will incorporate a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft designed for rendezvous and docking, along with an enlarged trunk carrying the propulsion system needed for descent. Design modifications have included upgrades to the Dragon power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the trunk’s solar-array configuration, according to the GAO. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the station roughly 18 months before re-entry and will remain attached until the final phase. NASA will own and operate it, with the agency’s Launch Services Program separately procuring the rocket necessary for launch and transit to the station.
The final re-entry process will span approximately two years
The International Space Station, assembled since 1998 and continuously inhabited since November 2000, has a mass of about 430,000 kilograms, covers an area comparable to a football field, and orbits in low Earth at about 415 kilometers altitude. Its systems are interconnected: propulsion for reboosts, debris avoidance, and attitude control are provided by the Russian segment and Progress vehicles, while U.S. gyroscopes handle routine orientation. These operational dependencies are integral to the joint deorbit plan, requiring meticulous coordination among participating agencies.
NASA’s current schedule prioritizes the station’s retirement and re-entry maneuvers by 2030. A June 2026 GAO report states that the agency is considering whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or extend station operations beyond 2028. Structural analyses support operation until 2028, with further evaluations planned for the subsequent period. According to the multinational deorbit plan disclosed by Roscosmos, the station’s orbital descent will begin in 2028 and last for approximately two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup aimed at depositing debris into a remote ocean area.