Elon Musk Proposes to Deorbit the International Space Station to Travel to Mars

Elon Musk suggested that the International Space Station (ISS) should be retired earlier than planned. In a social media post on February 20, Musk stated that "it's time to start preparing for the deorbiting of the International Space Station," arguing that it has already fulfilled its purpose and that resources should be directed toward missions to Mars.

Although NASA had planned the station's deorbiting for 2030, Musk recommended that this process occur in two years, highlighting that the decision rests with the President of the United States.

NASA had previously selected SpaceX to develop a deorbiting vehicle that, based on SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, would dock with the ISS to carry out the necessary maneuvers for its controlled deorbiting.

This vehicle would be launched around a year before the scheduled date to avoid any risk to populated areas, with an $843 million contract awarded to SpaceX in June 2024. However, Musk suggested that this process could be accelerated, proposing a deorbiting for 2027 instead of 2030.

Musk's proposal has caused controversy, as it affects NASA's transition plans, which include operating the ISS until 2030. The space agency plans that, by then, commercial space stations will be ready to replace the ISS, allowing the continuation of current research and technological activities.

However, the space industry has doubts about whether commercial stations will be ready in time, which could result in a gap in continuous human presence in low Earth orbit (LEO).

Additionally, an early retirement of the ISS could create tensions with other countries and companies involved in the station, as well as with the ISS's international partners, who have agreed to continue participating in the project until 2030, except for Russia, which plans to withdraw in 2028.

A major challenge of an early deorbiting would be that it would affect NASA's goal of maintaining a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit.

In its December LEO Microgravity Strategy, NASA highlighted the importance of this "continuity" of human presence, which is why the agency had considered the possibility of overlapping the ISS's operation with commercial stations for an orderly transition.

However, the early retirement of the ISS could create a void in the United States' presence in space, something that political opposition considers detrimental, especially in light of China's advancements in the space sector.

Senators like Ted Cruz (Republican-Texas) have emphasized that it would be a mistake to leave LEO before commercial stations are ready, which would allow China to fill the void.

Musk, meanwhile, has disagreed with other comments and particularly with the criticisms of European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen. In an interview, Musk had claimed that NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were left on the ISS for political reasons under the Biden administration, something Mogensen refuted, calling the claim a "lie."

Musk replied vehemently, asserting that SpaceX had offered to bring Wilmore and Williams back earlier, but that the Biden administration had rejected that proposal. This exchange of opinions occurred just before Musk made his statement about the early deorbiting of the ISS.

Meanwhile, the industry continues to develop commercial stations, such as those proposed by companies like Axiom and Vast, which are confident that their stations will be operational before 2030.

What are the functions of the ISS?

The International Space Station, which was launched in 1998, has various space exploration and research functions, which have greatly sophisticated over the years.

Among the main functions of this station are the study of terrestrial meteorology, astronomy, physics, and astrobiology, which includes the study of some of the effects of space on the human body.

As fields of study within those associated with the relationship between space and the human body, one can mention the effects of space on human DNA, the future possibilities of normal human reproduction, and the likelihood of living permanently in the future.

On the other hand, among other functions, the preparation of astronauts to travel to destinations further from our planet is highlighted, as well as the functionality of serving as a strategic point for interplanetary travel.