International space agency partners have formally approved a collaborative plan to deorbit the International Space Station utilizing two Russian Progress cargo ships and a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. When announcing this multilateral agreement, Roscosmos, the national space agency, confirmed that the main guidance and propulsion duties will be divided between U.S. and Russian spacecraft, guaranteeing a controlled and secure conclusion to the station’s orbital operations.
According to Roscosmos, the station’s planned descent will commence in 2028, with the entire deorbit process anticipated to take approximately two years. This sequence will incorporate natural atmospheric drag, deliberate altitude reductions via existing propulsion systems, and a final precise re-entry maneuver. NASA’s published transition framework specifies that crew members will return to Earth before operators execute the final burn. The goal of this maneuver is to direct remaining debris into a remote ocean region, minimizing risks to individuals and property, instead of allowing an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit at the end of the station’s operational life.
Russia and the United States are also working on drafting a bilateral agreement to clarify how Roscosmos and NASA will share responsibilities during this process. NASA states that safe disposal is a joint responsibility among the five agencies involved with the station: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. While the overall vehicle combination has been established, the bilateral document will detail operational accountability between the Russian and U.S. agencies throughout the multi-stage disposal. Under NASA’s published decommissioning plan, no crew will stay onboard during the final re-entry burn.
Responsibility for safe disposal shared among five agencies
In June 2024, NASA chose SpaceX to develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, as studies showed that existing station propulsion and Progress spacecraft alone lacked enough margin for the controlled re-entry. A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, published in July 2026, indicated that NASA set the project’s cost baseline at $1.2 billion in February. This figure includes the reported $843 million SpaceX contract, future launch vehicle procurement, and NASA workforce expenses necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The project aims for delivery readiness by October 2028, with the launch scheduled for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle combines a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, fitted for rendezvous and docking, with an enlarged trunk containing the propulsion system needed for descent. Design modifications include upgrades to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the trunk’s solar-array layout, according to the GAO. The spacecraft is expected 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 vehicle, while the agency’s Launch Services Program will separately procure the rocket required to place it into orbit and reach the station complex.
Re-entry process will span about two years
Since beginning assembly in 1998, the International Space Station has maintained an uninterrupted human presence since November 2000. The station’s mass is approximately 430,000 kilograms, covering an area comparable to a football field, and it orbits in low Earth at roughly 415 kilometers altitude. Its systems are interdependent: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide propulsion for reboosts, debris-avoidance maneuvers, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes manage orientation during normal operations. These relationships form the basis of the joint architecture outlined in the ISS deorbit plan and require close coordination among the participating agencies.
NASA’s current schedule emphasizes retiring the station and executing re-entry maneuvers in 2030. A June 2026 GAO report states the agency is considering whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or extend station operations into the future. The agency’s analyses support operation through 2028, with further reviews planned to address the period beyond that. As part of the multinational program disclosed by Roscosmos, orbital lowering will begin in 2028 and last about two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris in a remote ocean area.
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