Elon Musk has called for the deorbiting of the International Space Station as soon as possible, aiming to complete the process within two years from now. The SpaceX CEO believes the station has served its purpose and offers little incremental value.
Musk stated that the decision ultimately rests with the President but recommended a two-year timeline. SpaceX has developed a contract to build a deorbit vehicle using its Dragon spacecraft. The company also conducts regular cargo missions to the ISS twice a year.
The proposal comes as NASA’s Artemis program, focused on returning humans to the moon, raises questions about the future of space exploration. Boeing stands to lose from Musk’s plan due to potential changes in the Artemis mission schedule and lost revenue if the space station is taken down earlier than expected.
SpaceX has successfully completed 13 crewed missions to the ISS for NASA and private company Axiom Space, solidifying its position as a key player in space exploration.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-02-elon-musk-deorbit-international-space.html