Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is calling on NASA to deorbit the International Space Station sooner rather than later. In a post on Thursday, Musk stated that it’s time to begin preparations for deorbiting the @Space_Station, citing its limited utility and the agency’s focus on Mars exploration.
NASA had previously announced that SpaceX has been selected to develop a de-orbit vehicle for the space station. The agency noted that transitioning to commercially owned space destinations closer to home requires responsible planning for the safe and controlled deorbit of the ISS in 2030.
Musk suggested de-orbiting the space station as soon as possible, recommending a 2-year timeline from now. Retired NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao agrees that Mars is the next big goal but emphasizes the importance of the space station as a research laboratory for testing systems needed for human missions to the Red Planet.
The situation has taken a personal tone, with Musk responding to criticism from former International Space Station Commander Andreas Mogensen over his claims about astronauts being left on the station for political reasons. Musk fired back at Mogensen, accusing him of dishonesty and expressing frustration that the Biden administration refused his offer to bring stranded SpaceX crew members back to Earth several months ago.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/elon-musk-calls-deorbiting-international-space-station-prioritize-mars-missions