MOSCOW, Russia / Rank Wire / – Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos has confirmed that international partners have sanctioned a joint spacecraft configuration to oversee the planned controlled re-entry of the International Space Station (ISS). This coordinated deorbit strategy involves using two Russian Progress cargo spacecraft along with the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle built by SpaceX. The agreement creates a unified approach to propulsion and navigation responsibilities shared between Roscosmos and NASA, ensuring a collective international effort to safely deorbit the station.
Roscosmos indicated that the station’s descent process will start in 2028, with an estimated duration of around two years. The process will integrate natural atmospheric drag, strategic altitude reductions via existing propulsion systems, and a final precise re-entry maneuver. According to NASA’s published transition plan, the crew will return to Earth before the final burn is executed by ground control. This maneuver aims to direct any remaining debris into an uninhabited ocean area and minimize risks to people and property, rather than allowing the station to make an uncontrolled fall from low Earth orbit at the end of its operational life.
Additionally, Russia and the U.S. intend to develop a bilateral agreement outlining how Roscosmos and NASA will share responsibilities during the deorbit operation. NASA emphasizes that the safe disposal of the station is a collective responsibility among the five agencies managing the platform: NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. The current program specifies the configuration of the deorbit vehicle, while the bilateral document will clarify operational duties between the Russian and American agencies throughout the multi-stage deorbit process. No crew will remain aboard during the final re-entry burn, in accordance with NASA’s decommissioning schedule.
Russia and US Coordinate on Deorbiting of the Space Station
In June 2024, NASA selected SpaceX to develop and deliver the uncrewed U.S. Deorbit Vehicle after evaluations revealed that existing station propulsion systems and Progress spacecraft did not provide enough margin for a controlled re-entry. A U.S. Government Accountability Office report published in July 2026 stated 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, and NASA workforce expenses necessary to certify the spacecraft for docking and station operations. The project aims for delivery readiness by October 2028, with launch scheduled for mid-2029.
The vehicle from SpaceX combines a Dragon spacecraft, which will facilitate rendezvous and docking, with an enlarged trunk that carries the propulsion system needed for descent. As per the GAO, design modifications include updates to the Dragon’s power system, additional shielding, and enhancements to the trunk’s solar-array configuration. It is planned to dock with the station approximately 18 months prior to re-entry and remain attached through the final phase. NASA will own and operate the vehicle, while the agency’s Launch Services Program will separately procure the rocket required for launch and station reach.
Crew Will Evacuate Before Final Re-entry Maneuver
The International Space Station has been in assembly since 1998 and has hosted a continuous human presence since November 2000. The station’s mass is roughly 430,000 kilograms, covering an area comparable to a football field, orbiting in low Earth orbit at approximately 415 kilometers altitude. Its systems are highly interconnected: the Russian segment and Progress vehicles supply propulsion for reboosts, debris avoidance, and attitude adjustments, while U.S. gyroscopes manage routine orientation during normal operations. These dependencies form the core of the joint architecture outlined in the ISS deorbit plan and require meticulous coordination among the involved agencies.
NASA’s current transition plan prioritizes decommissioning the station and performing re-entry maneuvers by 2030. A June 2026 GAO report states that the agency is considering a 2027 assessment to determine whether to launch the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle in 2029 or extend the station’s operational life. The agency’s analyses support operating the station through 2028, with ongoing reviews to evaluate the period beyond that. According to the multinational deorbit plan disclosed by Roscosmos, the orbital lowering will commence in 2028 and continue for about two years, culminating in a controlled atmospheric breakup designed to deposit debris in a remote ocean area.