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Shutting down the International Space Station: NASA's bold plans to land outpost in ocean


The International Space Station has been continuously occupied by spacefarers from countries around the world for the last two decades, but it's time among the cosmos won't last forever.

Even now, NASA is laying the groundwork for plans to safely deorbit and land the low-Earth orbit space station, the largest of its kind ever built.

Private companies have until Feb. 12 to submit design proposals for "a new or modified spacecraft using a large amount of propellant" that in the years ahead, will be tasked with docking with the space station and safely crashing it into an ocean. NASA plans to award the contract in June for the vehicle, which will be deployed upon the space station's impending retirement in 2030.


I hope this works out okay. I remember when Skylab was deorbited and then crash landed somewhere in Australia.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shutting-down-international-space-station-175525258.html

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Skylab came down earlier than expected and NASA couldn't control it's crash. They're trying to avoid a repeat with ISS.

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This reminds me of the time I Googled: "what happens with a body if someone dies in the space station?"

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The summer of Skylab! I remember it well...

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People were putting a large X's in their yards and having Skylab parties. I don't recall anyone being terribly alarmed, but today I'm sure it will be an event that will be preceded with stress counseling and 24/7 news for weeks before it happens.

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