Partners from international space agencies have formally approved a collaborative plan to deorbit the International Space Station, employing two Russian Progress cargo ships alongside a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. The announcement of this multilateral agreement was made by Roscosmos, which clarified that primary guidance and propulsion duties will be divided between U.S. and Russian spacecraft, guaranteeing a controlled and safe conclusion to the station’s orbiting phase.
The plan calls for the station’s orbital descent to begin in 2028, with the entire deorbiting operation expected to last approximately two years, Roscosmos stated. The process will utilize a combination of natural atmospheric drag, deliberate altitude reduction through existing propulsion systems, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s published transition framework specifies that the crew will return to Earth before the main burn is initiated. This final maneuver aims to direct any remaining debris into a remote ocean region, minimizing risks to people and property, rather than allowing the station to make an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit at the end of its operational life.
In addition, Russia and the United States are planning to develop a bilateral agreement that will outline the division of responsibilities between Roscosmos and NASA during the deorbit operation. NASA describes the safe disposal of the station as a shared responsibility involving the five agencies managing the platform: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. The program specifies the combination of vehicles to be used, while the bilateral document will detail operational accountability between the Russian and U.S. agencies throughout the multi-phase disposal process. Under NASA’s published decommissioning sequence, no crew will remain aboard during the final re-entry burn.
Multiple Agencies Share Disposal Responsibilities
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after analyses revealed that the station’s existing propulsion system and Progress spacecraft alone lacked sufficient margin for a controlled re-entry. An assessment 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 contract with SpaceX, future launch vehicle procurement costs, and NASA workforce expenses necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The target for vehicle delivery readiness is October 2028, with a launch scheduled for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle integrates a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, specially outfitted for rendezvous and docking, with an enlarged trunk equipped with the propulsion system required for descent. Design modifications have included upgrades to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the trunk’s solar-array configuration, according to the GAO. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the station about 18 months before re-entry and remain attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate it, with the agency’s Launch Services Program responsible for procuring the rocket needed for deployment into orbit and to reach the station.
The final re-entry will take roughly two years to complete
The International Space Station has been in operation since its assembly began in 1998, maintaining a continuous human presence since November 2000. The station’s mass is approximately 430,000 kilograms, covering an area roughly equal to a football field, and orbits at around 415 kilometers in low Earth orbit. Its systems are highly interdependent: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide propulsion for reboosts, debris avoidance, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes manage routine orientation tasks. These interconnected systems form the basis of the joint architecture outlined in the ISS deorbit plan, requiring detailed coordination among all participating agencies.
NASA’s current schedule prioritizes decommissioning the station and executing re-entry maneuvers by 2030. A June 2026 GAO report states that the agency is planning a 2027 review to decide whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend station operations. Structural analyses support operating the station through 2028, with additional reviews planned to evaluate the period beyond that. Under the multinational program disclosed by Roscosmos, the orbital lowering process will commence in 2028 and extend for around two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris within a remote ocean area.