The ISS: A journey through space and time

The International Space Station (Better known as the ISS) has orbited our planet for over 25 years, with over 280 astronauts visiting to maintain and care for this historical artifact. Early in 2025, Nasa announced their plans to retire the biggest man-made object in space, in 2030. This marks the end of a major success for humans and intergalactic travel. 

Whilst the ISS was the final product, the thought of humans being able to live in space has been a thought since the early 1600s. Renaissance astronomer, Johannes Kepler, realised the planets (in our solar system) were also worlds; wrote about how one day, people would travel to space. By the 1860s, plans and designs for a space station started to emerge, when Edward Everett Hale (a well-known author) wrote the novel “Brick Moon” where the ship held the same characteristics of a space-station. A man-made structure, with the ability to provide housing and life support. Others (for example, Russian theoretician Konstantin Tsiolkovsky) continued to consider the designs for a structure to orbit our planet, whilst also keeping humans alive. 

The first design was submitted and described as a “Wohnrad” or “living wheel” by Herman Noordung, in 1928. This was because the rotation of the space station would be required to create artificial gravity. He described how it would be built for testing, before sending each individual part into orbit, where it would be assembled. 

NASA has publicly uploaded their plans for the ISS’ deorbit and how they plan to move forward, about the future. They have selected an area of the planet called ‘Point Nemo’ in the South Pacific Ocean. This specific location has been chosen due to it being the furthest point from civilisation. At this moment of time, they are proceeding with the plans to procure a spacecraft to perform the final act. This Spacecraft is to be called the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, with only one goal: deorbit the ISS. 

After the ISS, NASA intends to prepare for the future of space travel and exploration, especially our red planet neighbour, Mars. Alongside developing technology (from the space station), to give us an insight as to how we live and work in deep space. 

Sources: 

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/ 

 https://www.nasa.gov/faqs-the-international-space-station-transition-plan/ 

 Izzy Bennett