The International Space Station will end in 2030 — What will replace it in orbit?
November 8, 2025 2025-11-08 11:58The International Space Station will end in 2030 — What will replace it in orbit?
The International Space Station will end in 2030 — What will replace it in orbit?
When it finally burns up in Earth’s atmosphere in 2030, the International Space Station will take more with it than hardware and experiments. This orbiting laboratory has been flying for thirty years as a symbol of cooperation, ambition, and persistence. Its fiery demise will signify not just the loss of a scientific outpost but the closing of a remarkable chapter in human history.
What Will Humanity Lose When the ISS Falls?
The ISS has continuously hosted astronauts and cosmonauts since Expedition 1 docked in November 2000. It has been a home, a workplace, and a shared dream for people from across the globe. Yet, as its deorbit draws closer, questions remain about what it truly achieved and what its disappearance will mean.
To some, the ISS is progress and partnership in space; to others, an expensive symbol of ambition that never quite lived up to the promise. Sociologist Paola Castaño-Rodriguez of the University of Exeter says opinions about the ISS depend on who defines “we”. She argues that while enthusiasts celebrate it, many see it as an extravagant investment.
Castaño-Rodriguez, who studies how science is practised on the ISS, explores these themes in her forthcoming book Beyond the Lab: The Social Lives of Experiments on the International Space Station. Her research follows stories such as the first lettuce grown in orbit, the twin experiment with Mark and Scott Kelly, and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer attached to the station’s hull.
