Maybe many friends can’t understand what the future “destiny” of International Space Station will be like. It was reported from time to time that Russia was going to withdraw from the International Space Station project and end the International Space Station project ahead of schedule. It has even released a video of a simulated Russian section evacuation from the International Space Station. However, judging from the current situation, the International Space Station is at least operating normally. Although there are many problems with the International Space Station and may be "divided", cooperation in the International Space Station is still continuing. Look, the manned dragon spacecraft of the US SpaceX company can already complete the mission of sending American astronauts to the International Space Station, but now the US astronauts are going to the International Space Station by taking the Russian spacecraft . What's going on?
Russian State Space Corporation stated on September 18, 2022 that the U.S. delegation has arrived at the Baikonur Space Launch Site of Kazakhstan. According to the plan, US astronaut Francisco Rubio will take the "Soviet MS-22" spacecraft with two Russian astronauts to perform flight missions to the International Space Station.
Since the "Soviet-2.1a" launch vehicle , which launched the "Soviet MS-22" spacecraft, was installed on the launch pad on September 18, 2022, and is expected to be launched on September 21, 2022, sending the "Soviet MS-22" spacecraft into space. This flight mission will last until March 28, 2023. The United States already has a manned dragon spacecraft. American astronauts can already get rid of their dependence on Russian manned spacecraft, but now American astronauts are on Russian spacecraft again because the United States and Russia have agreed to launch a "cross flight", this time the first "cross flight" activity between the two sides.
According to the agreement signed by both parties, "cross flight" is the American manned spacecraft and the Russian manned spacecraft to send astronauts from both sides to the International Space Station. In other words, the American astronauts now take Russian manned spacecraft to the International Space Station, and next Russian astronauts will also take American spacecraft to the International Space Station. One of the benefits of doing this is to ensure that when the US or Russian spacecraft launch mission is cancelled, delayed launch or other abnormal situations, at least one Russian and American astronaut in the International Space Station serves in the US and Russian cabins respectively.
Destroy the International Space Station in 2031
Although US astronauts currently continue to take Russian spacecraft to the International Space Station, Russian astronauts will also take American manned dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. The cooperation projects of the International Space Station are still underway, but one problem that cannot be avoided is that the International Space Station continues to age. After all, the first cabin section of the International Space Station was launched as early as 1998. Some cabin sections have been in operation for more than 20 years, and various problems continue to arise. It is only a matter of time before retirement.
Although there has been news that the International Space Station is about to be retired, and many time nodes have also been reported, NASA plans to let the International Space Station gradually de-orbit and enter the atmosphere and burn it in 2031. Since the size of the International Space Station is too large, it will not be completely burned out like the satellite and rocket wreckage when entering the atmosphere. A considerable part of it cannot be completely burned out. In order to avoid these unburned debris causing harm to humans, these debris will fall to an unmanned land called the South Pacific called " Nemo Point ". This is the farthest place on Earth from any direction of human settlements. Before, many satellites and rockets sank into this sea area, so this sea area is also called the "spacecraft cemetery".
According to the plan, some spacecraft will be launched to the International Space Station a few days before the International Space Station is about to leave orbit. However, these missions will not carry astronauts. Their mission is only to push the International Space Station to Earth. It is planned to be completed by three Russian Progress cargo spacecraft and a Northrop Grumman "Cygnus" spacecraft .
Perhaps some friends are wondering why they should control the spacecraft to re-enter the atmosphere instead of letting it continue to float in outer space after they are retired? Controlling the reentry of the International Space Station into the Earth's atmosphere is actually due to security reasons. Although it does not require fuel to allow the International Space Station to float in space, since it is only about 400 kilometers away from the ground and is in low-Earth orbit, there is still thin air at this height. For the behemoth of the International Space Station, the impact of air resistance cannot be ignored, so the flight speed of the International Space Station will continue to decline westward and the flight altitude will continue to decline. It is impossible to avoid entering the Earth's atmosphere again. This is also the reason why the International Space Station needs to consume a certain amount of fuel to increase its flight orbit every once in a while, otherwise it would have crashed.
If it is a spacecraft with a very small size, it will basically burn out when it enters the atmosphere, and basically no wreckage falls to the ground. But the International Space Station is too big to burn completely when entering the atmosphere again. If it is allowed to enter the Earth's atmosphere in an out-of-control state, we don't know where it will fall, whether it will fall into the desert, the sea, or into the downtown area? Therefore, in order to prevent the International Space Station from falling into a densely populated area, we will control the International Space Station and let it re-enter the atmosphere. In this way, we can control the place where the International Space Station crashes, that is, let it fall to the "Nemo Point" unmanned land in the South Pacific.
