Como será o espetacular e brutal final da Estação Espacial Internacional

How Will the International Space Station Meet Its End?

The Spectacle of Reentry

• In eight years, observers may witness approximately 400 tons of metal burning through the atmosphere as the International Space Station (ISS) reenters Earth.

• This event is anticipated to be a dazzling spectacle due to atmospheric friction, with debris potentially falling over thousands of kilometers.

• The ISS has been orbiting Earth since its construction began in 1988, representing a significant international achievement in space exploration.

Risks and Historical Context

• Concerns arise that aging equipment on the ISS could become dangerous or uncontrollable, similar to past incidents like the Salute 7 in 1985 which required cosmonaut repairs.

• NASA has requested nearly $1 billion from Congress for resources needed to safely deorbit the ISS, marking it as a historic reentry operation.

Planning for Deorbit

• The ISS will undergo careful planning for its descent; previous space stations have experienced uncontrolled reentries but were smaller than the current ISS.

• The Mir space station's debris fell into the South Pacific Ocean, while other historical stations like Skylab had their own controlled descents.

Size and Structure of the ISS

• The ISS is significantly larger than previous space stations, being three times bigger than Mir and consisting of 16 modules with extensive solar panels.

• Currently housing seven crew members, it measures 109 meters long—comparable to a football field—and is considered humanity's largest structure in space.

Future Plans and Challenges

• Although extensions beyond 2030 are deemed unsafe, NASA plans to allow natural orbital decay starting in 2026 by reducing altitude gradually.

• A final crew may be sent around mid-decade to retrieve historically significant items before reaching an altitude considered "point of no return."

Political Implications and Final Steps

• Recent political tensions between the U.S. and Russia complicate collaboration on deorbiting efforts; Russia plans to withdraw from participation by 2025.

Reentry of the International Space Station: A Dramatic Conclusion

The Final Descent

• The final impulse will elevate the station to an altitude of 120 km, where it will enter Earth's thicker atmosphere at approximately 29,000 km/h, initiating its reentry. Jonathan McDowell explains that solar panels will be torn from the structure due to strong opposing winds.

• At around 80 km above Earth, modules begin to separate and disintegrate in swarms during reentry. The world closely monitored the reentry of the Mir space station.

Spectacle vs. Safety

• The reentry of the International Space Station (ISS), which is three times larger than Mir, is expected to be significantly more spectacular as it travels through the upper atmosphere at orbital speeds.

• Fragments surviving reentry pose no risk to human life; they are directed towards Point Nemo, a designated spacecraft cemetery known for its low marine life due to nutrient scarcity.

Managing Reentry Risks

• The area affected by debris will span several kilometers wide and possibly up to 6,000 kilometers long. Access restrictions will be necessary in this part of the Pacific Ocean during reentry to prevent accidents.

• If he were NASA, McDowell suggests deploying cameras and flying sensors for scientific observation during descent. He notes that even the fall at Point Nemo should only take about 40 minutes.

Resource Utilization Concerns

• Despite the spectacle of reentry, some view the destruction of ISS as wasteful due to valuable materials like metal frames and solar panels that could have been reused. John Klein emphasizes this lost cost as a significant concern.

• In late 2022, companies including Cis Lunar Industries and Astroscale proposed ideas for material reuse in new structures or vehicles by melting down parts of ISS's frame.

Future Opportunities in Space Recycling

• There is potential for entire modules from ISS to be repurposed for other space stations. Gary Kellnann from Cis Lunar expresses optimism about creating a "space junkyard."