NASA Decided — And We Already Know Where the International Space Station Will End Up: In a 'Cemetery' in the Pacific Ocean

NASA Decided — And We Already Know Where the International Space Station Will End Up: In a ‘Cemetery’ in the Pacific Ocean

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 04/11/2025 at 14:27

Imagem: Representação artística feita por IA

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After 25 Years In Orbit, The International Space Station Has A Deadline For Its End: In 2030, It Will Be Guided By NASA To Point Nemo, The Remote “Graveyard Of Spacecraft” In The Pacific Ocean

On Sunday (2), the International Space Station (ISS) completed 25 years of continuous human occupation. This achievement is historic because it represents the longest human presence outside Earth. However, the end of this journey already has a date and location set: Point Nemo, a remote area of the Pacific Ocean known as the “graveyard of spacecraft.”

NASA confirmed that, in 2030, a Dragon capsule from SpaceX will carry out the controlled re-entry of the ISS into the atmosphere. Fragments of the structure will fall into the ocean, marking the end of three decades of orbital operation.

The Largest Scientific Collaboration Ever Conducted In Space

Built between 1998 and 2011, the ISS is considered one of humanity’s greatest technological achievements.

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How The End Of The ISS Will Happen

To safely conclude the mission, NASA intends to use a modified version of the Dragon capsule manufactured by SpaceX.

The plan is to guide the station to a controlled re-entry, ensuring that most of the structure is consumed by the heat of the atmosphere before hitting the ocean.

The destination point, Point Nemo, is about 2,700 kilometers from the nearest inhabited land.

This distance makes the area ideal for the descent of space debris, as it virtually eliminates any risk to people or vessels.

For this reason, the location has earned the nickname “graveyard of spacecraft.” Hundreds of satellites, probes, and old stations that have completed their missions rest there. The ISS will therefore be the largest object ever “buried” in that remote place.

The Reentry Process And The Symbolism Of The Ending Of The Space Station

During the reentry planned for 2030, the ISS is expected to gradually disintegrate. First, solar panels and radiators will detach.

Next, the main modules will break into smaller pieces. Most of these fragments will burn up completely, but denser parts may survive until they hit the ocean.

Previous cases have shown that this type of operation requires precision. In 2001, Russia directed the Mir station to the same point in the Pacific.

In 1979, part of the Skylab station from the United States fell into Australia, which led to NASA receiving a symbolic fine of US$ 400.

With its 460 tons and dimensions equivalent to a football field, the International Space Station will conclude its trajectory as the largest human artifact to re-enter Earth in a controlled manner — a farewell that symbolizes the end of an era and the beginning of a new phase in commercial space exploration.

With information from Olhar Digital.

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NASA Decided — And We Already Know Where the International Space Station Will End Up: In a ‘Cemetery’ in the Pacific Ocean

After 25 Years In Orbit, The International Space Station Has A Deadline For Its End: In 2030, It Will Be Guided By NASA To Point Nemo, The Remote “Graveyard Of Spacecraft” In The Pacific Ocean

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How The End Of The ISS Will Happen

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NASA Decided — And We Already Know Where the International Space Station Will End Up: In a ‘Cemetery’ in the Pacific Ocean

After 25 Years In Orbit, The International Space Station Has A Deadline For Its End: In 2030, It Will Be Guided By NASA To Point Nemo, The Remote “Graveyard Of Spacecraft” In The Pacific Ocean

The Largest Scientific Collaboration Ever Conducted In Space

How The End Of The ISS Will Happen

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While in Brazil a 10-story building takes 2 years to complete, in China a company stacks pre-fabricated modules and raises the entire building in just 28 hours and 45 minutes.

BRICS is preparing a payment system inspired by the Brazilian PIX that will allow direct transactions between countries using national digital currencies without relying on the dollar or Western banks as intermediaries.

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An entire island in the Pacific wants to surround itself with a colossal barrier against the ocean to try to escape increasingly violent waves and not be swallowed by the sea in the coming decades.

After ten days orbiting the Moon, science confirms that the astronauts of the Artemis II mission return with altered bodies.

Peru built a tunnel at an altitude of 4,738 meters cutting through the Andes Mountains, and the road leading to it reaches 4,818 meters, making it the highest paved road in the entire world.

Brazilian cities shining from space impress in a new image from NASA that reveals São Paulo, Rio, BH, and other urban centers during the historic Artemis II mission, which also captured the Moon like never before.

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