International space agency collaborators have formally approved a joint plan to deorbit the International Space Station through the use of two Russian Progress cargo ships along with a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. In announcing the multilateral agreement, Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, confirmed that the primary guidance and propulsion duties will be divided between U.S. and Russian spacecraft, ensuring a controlled and secure conclusion to the station’s orbital activities.
The process to gradually lower the station’s orbit is scheduled to commence in 2028, with Roscosmos indicating that the deorbiting will span roughly two years. This sequence will utilize natural atmospheric drag, deliberate altitude reduction via existing propulsion systems, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. According to NASA’s published transition framework, the crew will return to Earth before operators initiate the final large burn. This maneuver aims to direct debris into a remote ocean region, minimizing risks to humans and property, rather than permitting the station to make an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit at the end of its operational life.
A bilateral agreement between Russia and the United States is also being drafted to outline responsibilities during the deorbit operation. NASA describes the safe disposal as a shared duty among the five 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 specifies the combination of vehicles to be used, the bilateral document will clarify operational accountability between Roscosmos and NASA throughout the multi-stage deorbit process. Under NASA’s decommissioning plan, no crew members will be aboard during the final re-entry burn.
Five agencies collaborate on ensuring safe deorbiting
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deploy the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after analyses revealed that existing station propulsion and Progress spacecraft alone did not have enough margin for the planned controlled re-entry. A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, published in July 2026, indicated that NASA had established a project cost baseline of $1.2 billion in February. This figure includes the reported $843 million SpaceX contract, future launch vehicle procurement, and NASA’s costs for certifying the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The vehicle’s delivery readiness is scheduled for October 2028, with a launch targeted for mid-2029.
The U.S.-built vehicle combines a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, equipped for rendezvous and docking, with an enlarged trunk that carries the propulsion system necessary for descent. According to the GAO, design modifications have been made to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding has been added, and the trunk’s solar-array configuration has been revised. The plan is for the vehicle to dock with the station roughly 18 months prior to re-entry and stay attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate the spacecraft, while its Launch Services Program will procure the rocket needed for the launch and orbit insertion.
The complete re-entry process is expected to last approximately two years
Since its assembly began in 1998, the International Space Station has maintained a continuous human presence since November 2000. Its mass is approximately 430,000 kilograms, covering an area comparable to a football field, orbiting at around 415 kilometers in low Earth orbit. Its 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 handle routine orientation. These interconnected systems underpin the joint architecture outlined in the ISS deorbit plan, requiring meticulous coordination among all participating agencies.
NASA’s current transition plan prioritizes station retirement and re-entry maneuvers in 2030. A June 2026 GAO report states that NASA is planning a 2027 review to decide whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or extend station operations. Structural analyses support operations through 2028, with additional reviews ongoing for the period beyond that. Under Roscosmos’s disclosed multinational program, the orbital lowering will begin in 2028 and extend over approximately two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris into a remote ocean area.