International space agency collaborators have formally approved a joint strategy to deorbit the International Space Station employing two Russian Progress cargo carriers alongside a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. In announcing this coordinated agreement, Roscosmos, the national space agency, verified that the primary responsibilities for guidance and propulsion will be divided between U.S. and Russian spacecraft, guaranteeing a carefully controlled and safe conclusion to the station’s orbital life.
The planned descent of the station will commence in 2028 and is projected to span roughly two years, according to Roscosmos. This process will integrate natural atmospheric drag, intentional altitude reductions utilizing existing propulsion systems, and a final precise re-entry maneuver. NASA’s publicly available transition plan indicates that crew members will return to Earth before the execution of the final major burn, which aims to direct any remaining debris into an unpopulated ocean region and minimize hazards to individuals and property, rather than allowing the station to undergo an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit at the conclusion of its operational life.
Additionally, Russia and the United States are preparing to develop a bilateral agreement clarifying how Roscosmos and NASA will allocate responsibilities during the entire deorbit process. NASA describes the safe disposal as a joint obligation shared among the five agencies managing the station: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. The plan specifies the combination of vehicles involved, while the upcoming bilateral treaty will define operational accountability between the Russian and U.S. agencies throughout the multi-stage disposal process. Under NASA’s outlined decommissioning sequence, no crew will remain onboard for the final re-entry burn.
Five agencies share duties for ensuring safe deorbiting
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after analyses indicated that the existing station propulsion systems along with Progress spacecraft alone did not have enough margin for the planned controlled re-entry. A report published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office in July 2026 stated that NASA established the project’s cost baseline at $1.2 billion in February, including the reported $843 million contract with SpaceX, future procurement of launch vehicles, and NASA workforce costs necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The planned date for readiness of delivery is October 2028, with launch targeted for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle will incorporate a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft designed for rendezvous and docking, along with an enlarged trunk that will carry 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 of the trunk have been part of the design process. This spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the station approximately 18 months before re-entry and will remain attached through the final phase. NASA will oversee its operation, while the agency’s Launch Services Program will separately procure the rocket needed to place it in orbit and reach the station.
The final re-entry phase is expected to take around two years
Since beginning assembly in 1998, the International Space Station has maintained a continuous human presence since November 2000. The station, with a mass of approximately 430,000 kilograms, covers an area comparable to a football field and orbits in low Earth at roughly 415 kilometers altitude. Its systems are highly interconnected: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide reboosts, debris avoidance maneuvers, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes handle routine orientation tasks. These interdependent systems form the foundation of the joint deorbit plan, which necessitates meticulous coordination among all involved agencies.
NASA’s current schedule aims for retiring the station and conducting re-entry procedures by 2030. A report from the GAO in June 2026 indicated that NASA is considering whether to proceed with launching the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend station operations into the future, with structural analyses supporting continued operations through 2028. Further evaluations are underway to address the period after that. The multinational deorbit plan disclosed by Roscosmos entails beginning the orbital lowering process in 2028, which will continue for roughly two years, ultimately concluding with a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris over a remote ocean area.
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