Official agreements have been reached among international space agency partners to initiate a joint plan for deorbiting the International Space Station, utilizing two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft alongside a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. The announcement of this multilateral accord from Roscosmos confirmed that the main guidance and propulsion duties will be divided between U.S. and Russian spacecraft, guaranteeing a controlled and safe conclusion to the station’s orbital life.
The process for gradually lowering the station’s orbit is scheduled to start in 2028, with Roscosmos indicating that the entire deorbit operation will span roughly two years. This sequence will involve leveraging natural atmospheric drag, intentional altitude reductions with existing propulsion systems, and a final targeted re-entry maneuver. NASA’s published transition plan specifies that the crew will return to Earth before the execution of the final burn, which is designed to direct any remaining debris into an uninhabited ocean area. This approach aims to minimize risks to people and property, preventing an uncontrolled descent from low Earth orbit at the end of the station’s operational life.
Additionally, Russia and the United States intend to draft a bilateral agreement that clearly outlines how Roscosmos and NASA will share responsibility during the deorbit process. NASA describes safe disposal as a collective obligation involving the five agencies operating the station: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. While the vehicle configuration has been established, the upcoming bilateral document will detail operational accountability between the Russian and U.S. agencies across the multiple stages of the deorbiting procedure. Under NASA’s published decommissioning sequence, no crew members will remain aboard during the final re-entry burn.
Five agencies share the duty of ensuring safe deorbiting
In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after assessments revealed that the existing station propulsion and Progress spacecraft lacked sufficient margin for a controlled re-entry. A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, published in July 2026, noted that NASA set the project’s cost baseline at $1.2 billion in February. This figure includes the reported $843 million SpaceX contract, future launch vehicle procurement costs, and NASA workforce expenses for spacecraft certification and station operations. The plan aims for delivery readiness by October 2028, with a launch targeted for mid-2029.
The U.S. vehicle comprises a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft equipped for rendezvous and docking, along with a larger trunk that contains the necessary propulsion system for descent. Design modifications have included updates to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and adjustments to the trunk’s solar-array configuration, according to the GAO. It is scheduled to dock with the station approximately 18 months before re-entry and remain attached through the final phase. NASA will oversee its operation, with the agency’s Launch Services Program procuring the rocket needed to place the vehicle into orbit and reach the station.
The final re-entry phase will span nearly two years
The International Space Station, assembled in 1998 and continuously inhabited since November 2000, has a mass of about 430,000 kilograms, covers an area roughly equivalent to a football field, and orbits at approximately 415 kilometers above Earth. Its systems are highly interconnected: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles supply propulsion for reboosts, debris-avoidance, and attitude control, whereas U.S. gyroscopes manage routine orientation during normal operations. These interdependencies are fundamental to the joint plan outlined in the ISS deorbit strategy and demand extensive coordination among involved agencies.
NASA’s current transition plan emphasizes retiring the station and executing re-entry maneuvers by 2030. A GAO report from June 2026 indicated that the agency is considering a 2027 review to decide whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or to extend station operations. Structural analyses support operating the station through 2028, with additional evaluations planned for beyond that period. Under the multinational deorbit program disclosed by Roscosmos, the orbital lowering will commence in 2028 and continue for about two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup that will deposit debris into a remote ocean region.