Finally, there is the possibility that the ISS will not be completely destroyed. Some companies worry that deorbiting the entire station would be a waste, and that some of its modules and resources could be repurposed or reused in space. Nasa has not yet said it is open to such ideas, but it could change its mind as the deadline to deorbit the ISS approaches.
“Nobody who’s involved in space that I’ve encountered really wants to just drop it in the ocean,” says Gary Calnan, the CEO of CisLunar Industries in the US. In late 2022, CisLunar and several other companies presented a proposal to the White House to reuse aspects of the station, such as melting down some of its metal or repurposing some of its modules. Calnan says the White House was receptive. “They liked the idea,” he says. “It fits with the politics of the current administration to reuse and have a circular economy.”
One way or another, the ISS project will come to an end in 2031, whether that’s in a fiery inferno or dismantling the station for other uses. In its place might be other smaller space stations ready and waiting to continue humanity’s presence in Earth orbit, with astronauts further afield setting boots on the Moon. The ISS will leave behind an impressive legacy, but perhaps in the annals of history it will be just the beginning.
“It leaves behind this notion that despite our obsession with nationalism and borders, we are capable of cooperating,” says Lewis. “We can do this. We can share in the riches.”
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