NASA prepares for International Space Station retirement

In October of 2000, a Soyuz Rocket carried the first expedition to the International Space Station and thus began the permanent residence aboard the laboratory. Humans have occupied a place in space ever since. NASA is now preparing for what’s next for human presence in space with plans to de-orbit the International Space Station in 2031.

"We constantly have maintenance on the space station. We constantly send our astronauts out on spacewalks and they are doing just that," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. "Let's say we didn't have commercial stations that are ready to go. Technically, we could keep the space station going, but the idea was to fly it through 2030 and de-orbit it in 2031."

When the International Space Station de-orbits, it will re-enter the earth’s atmosphere. Most of it will burn up, but some will survive the heat of re-entry.

"It’s as big as a football stadium," Nelson said. "We need to be able to very precisely put them in the graveyard in the southern Pacific Ocean."

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It is the largest structure ever built in space. In the 1990s the Russians played a part in selecting where the ISS would orbit.

"This far in advance, 5 or 6 years in advance, we are developing the de-orbit vehicle. You never can tell with the things that President Putin is up to. What is going to be our relationship? Could we continue to rely on our partners on the space station to help get it down? So we're not taking any chances," Nelson said.

NASA is now partnering with commercial companies from both the U.S. and from allies around the world.

"There are limitations to being on a space station that’s operated by multiple governments," said President of