The international space agency partners have officially agreed on a joint plan to deorbit the International Space Station utilizing two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft along with a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, according to Roscosmos. The announcement of this multilateral agreement confirmed that the primary guidance and propulsion duties will be divided between U.S. and Russian spacecraft, ensuring a managed and safe conclusion to the station’s orbital operations.
Roscosmos stated that the station’s planned descent will commence in 2028, with the entire deorbit process anticipated to span approximately two years. The approach will involve a combination of natural atmospheric drag, intentional altitude reductions using existing thrusters, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s published transition framework specifies that crew members will return to Earth before the final large burn is executed. This maneuver aims to direct any remaining debris into an unpopulated ocean region, minimizing risks to people and property, rather than permitting an uncontrolled descent at the end of the station’s operational life.
Russia and the United States also intend to develop a bilateral agreement that clearly defines how Roscosmos and NASA will share responsibilities during this process. NASA describes the safe disposal of the station as a joint obligation among the five agencies operating it: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. While the program specifies the vehicle configuration, the bilateral document will delineate operational accountability between the Russian and U.S. agencies throughout the multi-stage deorbit process. Under NASA’s published decommissioning sequence, no crew will remain aboard during the final re-entry burn.
Five agencies to share responsibility for end-of-life procedures
In June 2024, NASA selected SpaceX to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, after research indicated that existing station propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft alone did not provide enough margin for a 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 total includes the reported $843 million SpaceX contract, future launch vehicle procurement, and NASA workforce costs necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The planned delivery readiness date is October 2028, with launch targeted for mid-2029.
The vehicle will be a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, modified for rendezvous and docking, equipped with an enlarged trunk housing the propulsion system necessary for descent. According to the GAO, design modifications have included changes to the Dragon’s power system, added shielding, and adjustments to the trunk’s solar-array layout. It is scheduled to dock with the station roughly 18 months before re-entry and will remain attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate the vehicle, while the agency’s Launch Services Program will separately procure the rocket to place it into orbit and reach the station.
Estimated two-year final re-entry operation
Constructed in 1998, the International Space Station has maintained a continuous human presence since November 2000. The station’s mass is approximately 430,000 kilograms, covering an area roughly the size of a football field, and it orbits in low Earth at about 415 kilometers altitude. Its systems are highly interconnected: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide reboost propulsion, debris avoidance maneuvers, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes manage routine orientation during normal operations. These interdependencies form the basis of the joint architecture detailed in the ISS deorbit plan and necessitate precise coordination among all participating agencies.
NASA’s current schedule aims for the station’s retirement and re-entry maneuvers around 2030. A June 2026 GAO report noted NASA’s plan to evaluate in 2027 whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or extend the station’s operational period. The agency’s analyses support operations until 2028, with ongoing reviews planned for the period afterward. As part of the multinational program disclosed by Roscosmos, orbital lowering will commence in 2028 and proceed over about two years, ending with a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris into a remote ocean area.