Elon Musk has said the International Space Station (ISS) has 'served its purpose' and has explained why he's keen to get rid of it before the existing 2030 timeframe.
The ISS has been operated by the likes of NASA, Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos, the Canadian Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the European Space Agency since 1998.
However, its lifetime is limited by its primary structure from wear and tear.
“NASA has examined several options for decommissioning of the International Space Station, including disassembly and return to Earth, boosting to a higher orbit, natural orbital decay with random re-entry, and controlled targeted re-entry to a remote ocean area,” NASA explained.
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All but Russia have committed to operating the station through 2030, but the Vladimir Putin led country have only committed to at least 2028.
“The safe deorbit of the International Space Station is the responsibility of all five space agencies,” NASA previously said.
Musk, whose SpaceX company has been tasked with building a deorbit vehicle for the ISS, wants to decommission the space station by 2026.
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The SpaceX boss, 53, is hoping to colonise Mars from 2050 so reckons that the International Space Station (ISS) is no longer needed.
"It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the [ISS]. It has served its purpose," he wrote on X.
"There is very little incremental utility. Let's go to Mars."
When he was asked by a follower when he'd like to begin deorbiting the ISS, he responded: "The decision is up to the President, but my recommendation is as soon as possible.
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"I recommend 2 years from now."
This comes after the ISS had 50 'areas of concern' on board last year.
The American space agency and its Russian counterpart have been aware of leaks on the ISS, which have been there since 2019.
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NASA told the Washington Post that Roscosmos has used 'a combination of sealant and patches' to cover up the cracks.
"We have conveyed the seriousness of the leaks multiple times, including when I was in Russia earlier this year," NASA associate administrator, Jim Free, told the outlet.
As a fix, they instructed astronauts to keep the hatch closed as much as possible 'in the evening'.
“We’ve asked them to minimise how long that hatch is open, and they are minimising it,” Free said.
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“We’ve come to a compromise that they close it in the evening.”
The space agency believes that the ISS is still safe enough for operation.
That being said, the leak rate still 'ranges from 2 to 2.5 pounds (of air) per day above space station baseline,' NASA said a few months ago.
Anish Vij