Roscosmos has confirmed that all international space agency partners have officially approved the plan for the controlled end-of-life process of the International Space Station. As part of the joint strategy, two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft and a specialized U.S. Deorbit Vehicle will oversee atmospheric re-entry procedures. This operational agreement allocates crucial propulsion and guidance functions between Russia and the United States, marking the conclusion of decades of collaborative station operations under a shared safety framework.
According to Roscosmos, the station’s planned descent from orbit will commence in 2028 and is projected to span approximately two years. The process will integrate natural atmospheric drag, intentional altitude reductions via existing thrusters, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s published transition plan indicates that crew members will return to Earth before the final burn is initiated. This maneuver aims to direct any residual debris into an unpopulated ocean region, minimizing risks to individuals and property, rather than allowing an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit at the end of its operational life.
A bilateral agreement is also in development, which will delineate responsibilities between Roscosmos and NASA during the entire disposal operation. NASA describes safe disposal as a collective responsibility shared among the five agencies operating the station: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. While the program defines the combination of vehicles involved, the upcoming bilateral document will specify operational accountability between the Russian and U.S. agencies throughout the multiple phases of deorbiting. Under NASA’s published decommissioning sequence, no crew will be aboard during the final re-entry burn.
NASA Establishes $1.2 Billion Budget for Deorbit Vehicle Development
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deliver an uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. This decision followed assessments indicating that the station’s current propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft alone did not have sufficient margin for the planned controlled re-entry. A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office published in July 2026 stated 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 procurement of launch vehicles, and NASA’s workforce costs for spacecraft certification and station docking procedures. The vehicle is scheduled for delivery readiness in October 2028, with a launch targeted for mid-2029.
The U.S. Deorbit Vehicle combines a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, fitted for rendezvous and docking, with an enlarged trunk that provides the necessary propulsion for re-entry. Design modifications have encompassed updates to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and enhancements to the trunk’s solar array configuration, according to the GAO. The spacecraft is planned to dock approximately 18 months prior to re-entry and remain attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate the vehicle, while its Launch Services Program will separately procure the rocket needed for orbital deployment and approach to the station.
Enhanced Propulsion Capabilities in the Modified Dragon
Since the ISS’s inception in 1998, the station has maintained a continuous human presence since November 2000. With a mass of roughly 430,000 kilograms, it covers an area comparable to a football field and orbits at approximately 415 kilometers in low Earth orbit. Its systems are closely interconnected: propulsion for reboosts, debris-avoidance, and attitude control is provided by the Russian segment and Progress vehicles, while routine orientation is managed by U.S. gyroscopes. These interconnected systems underpin the joint architecture outlined in the ISS deorbit plan and necessitate meticulous coordination among all involved agencies.
NASA’s current decommissioning timeline prioritizes station retirement and re-entry maneuvers in 2030. A June 2026 GAO report indicates the agency plans to evaluate in 2027 whether to proceed with launching the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend station operations. Structural analyses support operations through 2028, with further assessments planned for the period beyond that. According to the multinational deorbit plan disclosed by Roscosmos, the lowering process begins in 2028 and extends over two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris into a remote ocean area.