A safety panel highlighted the urgency of safely deorbiting the International Space Station (ISS) after it retires in 2030, warning of a catastrophe if the spacecraft were to make an uncontrolled reentry through Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) urged the space agency to develop a space tug to deorbit the ISS, saying that the deorbit vehicle is “not optional,” according to Space Policy Online.
“The day will inevitably come when the Station is at the end of its life—and we may not be able to dictate that day—it is inconceivable to allow the Station to deorbit in an uncontrolled manner,” ASAP Chair Patricia Sanders said during a briefing at the panel’s third quarter meeting on Thursday. The ISS is “simply too massive and would pose extreme hazard to populations over a broad area of Earth. This needs to be resourced and resourced now if we are to avert a catastrophe.”
I don’t think “not optional” means what they think it means.
I guarantee you that if we do nothing at all, it will deorbit on its own thanks to friction from air molecules it passes through in orbit. Humans only occupy 14.5% of the surface of the planet, so even in an uncontrolled deorbit it seems like the odds would be against any property damage or loss of life.
An uncontrolled deorbit might be reckless. It might not be recommended. But it’s definitely an option.
True. And when I’m driving to work I have the option to steer into oncoming traffic.
You may have missed the point they’re making here
an option that should not be considered = not optional