<a href="https://247newslive.com/tag/international-space-station/”>International Space Station (ISS), a sign of international collaboration for space exploration, nears its final phase. NASA has plans to run the ISS up until 2030. Then it will decommission.
NASA has contracted SpaceX to perform a controlled entry of the space station. The ISS is guided into the Earth’s atmospheric layer where it burns up. All remaining debris will then be sent to an area designated in the ocean.
Why the ISS should be decommissioned
The ISS has been the epitome of international space exploration cooperation. The ISS has been operated and maintained with contributions from Russia, Canada and the United States. Its retirement signals the end of this collaborative era, and the beginning of an international space industry that is more competitive.
Future Space Stations – The Successors to ISS
In the waning days of the ISS, there are several ambitious projects in development. Each has its own goals and capabilities. These projects are the future for space research and exploration.
Tiangong Space Station
- Launch: 2021
- Operator: China Manned Space Agency
Tiangong is operated by China Manned Space Agency and has a much smaller mass than ISS. It only contains one-third as much. Tiangong does not have the same extensive research infrastructure as the ISS but plans are in place to expand. A space telescope module will be added to the Tiangong by 2026. This is expected to enhance its capabilities for observation.
Tiangong’s development was prompted by NASA refusing to allow China to collaborate on the ISS. The station is expected to operate for 15 years. Tiangong, the new largest orbital space station after the decommissioning the ISS will be the first to launch.
Axiom Station
- Launch: Early 2020s
- Operator: Axiom space
Axiom Station focuses on commercial ventures and aims to assemble at least four modules when the ISS retires. Axiom intends to develop the first commercial spacestation, which will provide round trip trips to the ISS. The estimated cost is $55million.
Starlab Space Station
- Launch: 2028
- Operator: Voyager Space and Airbus
Starlab, which is a joint venture of Voyager Space and Airbus Europe (the U.S.), aims to launch the first module in 2028. Hilton has been tasked with designing the interior. Hilton is designing the interior of the space station. It can house four astronauts compared with seven on the ISS.
Bharatiya Antariksha Station (Indian Space Station)
- Launch: 2035
- Operator: Indian Space Research Organisation
In 2028 the Bharatiya Antariksha Station will be India’s initial step into space. It is expected to reach orbit in the first stages. It is envisioned as a station with five modules that can house six astronauts. This capacity will almost match the ISS.
Lunar Gateway
- Launch: 2032
- Operators: NASA, European Space Agency(ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA), Canadian Space Agency and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space CentreMBRSC
As far as international collaboration is concerned, the Lunar Gateway will inherit the ISS’s legacy. Astronauts from all three continents, including the U.S. and Europe, Japan, Canada, the UAE, will crew the space station with contributions from agencies from around the world.
This is the first orbiting station of the Moon. This will act as an important staging base in NASA’s Artemis programme, and facilitate long-term lunar exploring.
Haven-2 Space Station
- Launch: 2032
- Operator: Vast
Haven-2, run by Californian private space company Vast, is positioned as a successor to ISS. Starting in late 2020s, modules will be launched six times a year.