Sinking the International Space Station (ISS) in 2031 in a remote area of the South Pacific Ocean, called Point Nemo and known as the “spaceship graveyard”, is the plan that NASA revealed a few days ago.
The station, which opened in 1998, was designed to last fifteen years, that is, until 2013; and by 2031, when it is pulled to Earth and launched into the ocean, it will have been operational for more than 30 years.
The decision of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is that the ISS has already completed its useful life.
The agency assures that, although the systems – such as power, environmental control and life support – are repairable and replaceable in orbit, each new docking and undocking of modules adds more tension and problems, especially with some of the modules. Russians, including repeat leaks, which have started to rise. Though he says safety checks on the upper structure have shown it to be safe through 2030.
The ISS has been continuously occupied since November 2000 and has “remained a beacon of international cooperation,” with the US, Russia and the European Space Agency leading the way, according to NASA.
Fausto Freire, doctor in Dynamics in Mechatronic Systems and professor at the UTE university, where he is the coordinator of the UTE Satellite Program —which launched two nanosatellites in 2017 and 2019 together with the Russian Southwest State University (Uesor) and with the support of the Russian space agency Roskosmos—, he recalls that when the ISS was born there were very high expectations high on the contribution it would have and that, without a doubt, have been fulfilled, in addition to being a symbol of development after the Cold War (1947-1989).
“It was born as the fruit of a friendship approach, of joint work between the US and what was the Soviet Union. Russia inherited much of that technology, systems and science. When the first module was launched, the Zarya, which was Russian, this was the base or nucleus and from which the others were joined, such as the Unity, of American origin, and others”, he comments.
The professor adds that, over time, expectations about the ISS and its objectives have not changed, despite any political differences that have arisen between the nations that work on the station. “One thing is political differences and another is the scientific work of people who like space, the cosmos; and the relations there are very different, they have nothing to do with the relations that the countries have beyond, ”he points out.
For its part, NASA maintains that the ISS has managed to be “a unique laboratory that is returning enormous scientific, educational and technological developments to benefit people on Earth and is enabling our ability to travel into deep space.”
Robyn Gatens, director of the International Space Station at NASA Headquarters, stresses that “the ISS is entering its third and most productive decade as an innovative scientific platform in microgravity.”
Despite the fact that in less than a decade it will be the end of its main structure, many NASA research and development activities are advancing, such as the technologies and procedures to send the first woman and the first African person to the Moon in 2025, and the first humans to Mars in the 2030s.
A new commercial space station
Meanwhile, when the station reaches the end of its useful life, which is determined by the main structure, not the individual modules, a series of events will occur.
First of all, all commercial modules and some of the older, more reliable modules, possibly including newer Russian installations, will be separated from the framework.
Then, in a perfect scenario, its orbital altitude, currently about 253 miles, will drop until it hits the atmosphere.
As part of the transition plan, NASA said several commercially operated modules will be added to the station over the next decade.
The goal is for them to eventually break away and form their own commercial station, joining at least three other privately run orbital facilities due to launch before 2030.
Freire states that there is a tendency to start betting on private companies and that it is being seen more in the West.
“We already see companies, like SpaceX, that are building their own ships, their own rockets, their own projects. At least in America you see that tendency to sponsor private companies to enter this business”, he expresses.
He highlights that this has not yet fully happened in Russia, and says that rather the state trend is maintained and that they have continued to send modules, such as Nauka and Prichal, launched in 2021, which can then take over for a new space station. .
Freire assures that, whatever the course it takes, “the joint work will continue for many more years, since it is in itself the fruit of humanity and this goes beyond any country or company.”
How will the ISS reach the ocean?
Meanwhile, to end the main structure of the ISS, several uncrewed spacecraft will be sent to the ISS in its last days before leaving orbit, to help push it towards Earth. NASA suspects this can be accomplished with three Russian Progress spacecraft and one Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft.
As it falls through the layers of Earth’s atmosphere, it will be dragged and pulled lower and lower, traveling so fast that it will throw debris behind it.
A large part of this will burn up due to the friction of the atmosphere, but some will remain, following the main mass as it heads for its final resting place, Point Nemo..
Freire says it won’t be the first time this has happened. He mentions the sinking of the Russian space station Mir in 2001, and that, contrary to what one might think, the arrival of remains of this type does not represent a risk for the planet, since what enters are just fragments that cannot be burned. when they enter the atmosphere, and highlights that they are made of material that meets strict environmental quality standards, like everything sent into space.
“Let’s assume that the ISS will enter the atmosphere at a speed of 28,000 kilometers per hour, we are talking about 8 kilometers per second; the friction and speed will cause a large part of the station to evaporate due to the action of heat”, he states and clarifies that the rate of fall, once inside, decreases. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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