Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, has called for the International Space Station (ISS) to be deorbited soon, possibly by 2027. In a recent post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he expressed that the ISS has served its purpose and lacks further utility.
Originally, the ISS was set to deorbit in 2030. SpaceX won a nearly billion-dollar contract in 2024 for this task. However, Musk’s suggestion means they would need to speed up their operations. The U.S. government, under President Donald Trump, will have to approve any changes to the current plan.
The ISS is aging, and NASA has been facing various challenges, including budget cuts and staffing issues. These problems create uncertainty about the station’s future. International partners, like the European Space Agency (ESA), hope the ISS will stay operational until at least 2030. Russia has also committed to its use until 2028.
An early end to the ISS could impact commercial plans as several private companies are working on their own space stations. However, none are expected to be ready before 2028. This could leave a gap in research capabilities, as the ISS currently hosts a diverse team of astronauts, supporting significant scientific research.
Musk’s push for change could be motivated by his larger vision of sending humans to Mars. SpaceX already has contracts to supply the ISS with crew and cargo. Ending the ISS sooner might free up resources for Mars missions, but it will require the support of international partners and U.S. lawmakers. Musk’s tweets may spark discussions, but they don’t automatically set policy.
