CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The International Space Station will be able to continue its operations in low-Earth orbit until at least 2030 after NASA secures approval.
The decision, announced Friday, will enable research to continue at the orbiting laboratory for at least eight more years.
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“The International Space Station is a beacon of peaceful international scientific collaboration and for more than 20 years has returned enormous scientific, educational and technological developments to benefit humanity,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. “The United States’ continued participation on the ISS will enhance innovation and competitiveness, as well as advance the research and technology necessary to send the first woman and first person of color to the moon under NASA’s Artemis program and pave the way for sending the first humans to Mars. As more and more nations are active in space, it’s more important than ever that the United States continues to lead the world in growing international alliances and modeling rules and norms for the peaceful and responsible use of space.”
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The ISS has allowed the U.S. to maintain two decades of continuous human presence in orbit around the Earth.
Over the years, the space station has hosted more than 3,000 investigations from over 4,200 researchers across the world and is returning enormous scientific, educational and technological developments to benefit people on Earth.
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NASA officials said the ISS also represents a global partnership with nearly 110 countries that have participated in activities aboard the station, including more than 1.5 million students per year in STEM activities.
NASA has not confirmed what will happen to the ISS after it is no longer operational. Most likely it will be forcibly deorbited to ensure it will return to Earth in the safest way possible, burning up in the atmosphere over an ocean.
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