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Space Station To Be Deorbited After 2020

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the that'll-be-a-sad-day dept.

astroengine writes "Russia and its partners plan to plunge the International Space Station (ISS) into the ocean at the end of its life cycle after 2020 so as not to leave space junk, the space agency said on Wednesday. 'After it completes its existence, we will be forced to sink the ISS. It cannot be left in orbit, it's too complex, too heavy an object, it can leave behind lots of rubbish,' said deputy head of Roskosmos space agency Vitaly Davydov."

2 of 572 comments (clear)

  1. Isn't that a given? by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It was my understanding that the ISS *can't* maintain its orbit without periodic boosts (I could be mistaken there). So since when it leaving it as "space junk" even an option? If you stop maintaining it, it's going to deorbit one way or another. It's really only a question of whether or not it's a *controlled* deorbit.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  2. Re:Why? by NevarMore · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Get yourself a toy boat and some fireworks. Float the boat in some body of water. Now use the firecrackers to get it to move.

    Its not that easy to use a bomb as a propulsion device.