SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has expressed his opinion that it’s time to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) and focus on Mars. According to Musk, the ISS has served its purpose and offers little incremental utility. He recommends starting preparations for deorbiting the station as soon as possible, with a proposed timeline of 2 years from now.
The ISS was launched in 1998 and has been continuously occupied by rotating astronaut crews since November 2000. It has played a crucial role in helping humanity learn to live in space and prepare for future missions to the moon and Mars.
However, not all partners involved in the ISS project are on board with Musk’s proposal. Russia has expressed its desire to leave the program early, committing only until 2028. NASA and its partners plan to bring the station down in a controlled fashion by 2030 using a deorbit vehicle provided by SpaceX.
Musk’s thoughts on this matter should not be dismissed as idle musings, considering his close relationship with President Trump. Musk is leading an advisory group called the Department of Government Efficiency, which has resulted in thousands of layoffs across multiple agencies.
The billionaire has long been focused on Mars as the next destination for humanity after low Earth orbit. In contrast, NASA’s current plan calls for using the ISS and future commercial space stations to conduct science and train for crewed missions to the moon and Mars.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/the-iss-should-be-deorbited-as-soon-as-possible-elon-musk-says-lets-go-to-mars