The International Space Station orbiting Earth.

NASA Plans to Deorbit International Space Station by 2030, Embraces | AI News Digest

Published: October 14, 2025, 12:25 p.m. Science Neutral
Author: AI News Digest Editorial Team
Publisher: AI News Digest
Original report: Space.com

Industry insiders report that NASA has revealed plans to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) by 2030, signaling the conclusion of an extraordinary 25-year era of human habitation in low-Earth orbit. The ISS has been a vital hub for international scientific collaboration, facilitating over 4,000 experiments that have propelled advancements in areas like biotechnology and materials science. As the ISS nears its end, NASA is shifting its focus to the creation of commercial space stations, having allocated more than $400 million to encourage private sector participation in low-Earth orbit endeavors. This strategic move is intended to ensure that research capabilities persist beyond the ISS, with NASA planning to collaborate with select companies to build new stations that adhere to safety and operational standards. In the backdrop, China's Tiangong space station is poised to take on the mantle of the longest continuously inhabited space station as the ISS wraps up its mission.

NASAInternational Space StationCommercial Space StationsSpace ExplorationTiangong