Roscosmos has declared that all international space agency collaborators have officially approved the flight plan for the controlled shutdown of the International Space Station, with the strategy involving two Russian Progress cargo ships along with a specialized U.S. Deorbit Vehicle to oversee atmospheric re-entry procedures. This operational agreement ensures a balanced division of essential propulsion and navigation responsibilities between Russia and the United States, marking the end of decades of collaborative station operations under a unified safety framework.
According to Roscosmos, the station’s orbital descent will commence in 2028 and is expected to take approximately two years, using a combination of natural atmospheric drag, deliberate altitude decreases through existing propulsion systems, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s publicly available transition plan stipulates that crew members will return to Earth prior to the execution of the final burn, which aims to direct remaining debris into an unpopulated ocean area to reduce risks to people and property, rather than allowing an uncontrolled re-entry from low Earth orbit at the end of the station’s operational life.
Furthermore, Russia and the United States are preparing to draft a bilateral agreement outlining the responsibilities of Roscosmos and NASA during this process. NASA emphasizes that safe disposal is a shared obligation 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 details the vehicle configuration, the upcoming bilateral document will specify operational responsibilities for both Russian and U.S. authorities throughout the multi-stage deorbit process. No crew will remain onboard during the final re-entry burn, according to NASA’s published decommissioning plan.
NASA Establishes $1.2 Billion Budget for Deorbit Vehicle Development
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after studies revealed that the existing station propulsion and Progress spacecraft alone did not provide enough margin for the planned controlled re-entry. An assessment by the U.S. Government Accountability Office published in July 2026 confirmed that NASA set the project’s cost baseline at $1.2 billion in February, which includes the reported $843 million SpaceX contract, future launch vehicle procurement, and NASA workforce expenses necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The vehicle’s delivery readiness is projected for October 2028, with a launch targeted for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle integrates a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, modified for rendezvous and docking, with an enlarged trunk that carries the propulsion system required for descent. According to the GAO, design modifications have included updates to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the solar-array configuration of the trunk. Scheduled to dock with the station approximately 18 months prior to re-entry, the vehicle will remain attached through the final phase, after which NASA will take ownership and operate it, while the Launch Services Program will separately procure the rocket to place it into orbit and reach the station.
Enhanced Propulsion Capabilities in the Modified Dragon
Since assembly began in 1998, the International Space Station has maintained a continuous human presence since November 2000, with a mass of about 430,000 kilograms, covering an area roughly equivalent to a football field, orbiting at about 415 kilometers altitude. Its systems are interconnected: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles provide reboost, debris-avoidance, and attitude control, while U.S. gyroscopes manage routine orientation during normal operations. These interdependent systems underpin the joint architecture detailed in the ISS deorbit plan and necessitate close coordination among all participating agencies.
NASA’s current schedule emphasizes retiring the station and executing re-entry maneuvers in 2030. A June 2026 GAO report indicated 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 operation through 2028, with subsequent reviews addressing the period beyond that. As per the multinational deorbit plan disclosed by Roscosmos, the orbital lowering will commence in 2028 and extend for roughly two years, concluding with a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris into a remote ocean location.