HIGHLIGHTS 

The International Space Station has entered its penultimate decade of service.

NASA plans to deorbit the International Space Station by smashing it into Pacific Ocean.

The ISS's initial module was deployed in 1998.

WHY IN NEWS 

The International Space Station (ISS) is nearing the end of its operational life, and NASA plans to make it available for commercial use. In a recent paper, the space agency lays out the transition strategy in detail. It details NASA's efforts to establish 'both the supply and demand sides' of the commercial low-Earth-orbit economy. Several private exploration businesses, including SpaceX, which is controlled by Elon Musk, are fighting for a piece of the multibillion-dollar space market. Thousands of tiny satellites have already been launched into low-Earth orbit by SpaceX to deliver broadband Internet. Others, like as Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, are considering space tourism flights.

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 In January 2031, NASA intends to 'deorbit' the ISS and dump it into the Pacific Ocean. Prior to that, it anticipates a decade of research and technological development results aboard the spacecraft. 'NASA is making strides to assure a successful transition of activities to paid enterprises,' NASA said in a study outlining the technical processes and funds needed to make the shift. The first component of the International Space Station (ISS) was launched in 1998, and the space station has now remained in orbit for more than two decades. 

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The spaceship is going to enter it's own third and also most productive decade, according to NASA's ISS director, and this decade will 'build on our effective international collaboration to endorse interstellar space investigation, return healthcare and environmental benefits for humans,' as well as 'lay the groundwork for a commercial future in low-Earth orbit.' NASA has already begun to create the foundation for the changeover. NASA announced in December 2021 that three companies — Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman — had been awarded contracts to lead the development of private space stations in Earth orbit. According to NASA, Axiom Space is creating numerous modules for the International Space Station that will eventually detach from the orbiting lab to establish 'free flying commercial space stations.'

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With NASA's help, Phil McAlister, director of commercial space at NASA Headquarters, believes the private sector can create and operate commercial low-Earth orbit destinations. He went on to say that the paper lays out a detailed plan for a smooth transition to commercial destinations once the ISS retires in 2030.