Elon Musk Calls for End to Space Station: ‘It Is Time to Begin Preparations for Deorbiting’
Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, is advocating for the deorbiting of the International Space Station (ISS), claiming it has served its purpose and has limited utility. He expressed his views on the social media platform X,suggesting that readiness should begin for this move,which he recommends be executed within two years. Musk believes that the focus should shift towards Mars exploration. He acknowledged that, while the final decision rests with the President, he urges action as soon as possible.
the ISS, which has been continuously occupied since November 2000 and serves as a microgravity laboratory, has shown signs of aging, and plans are already underway for its controlled decommissioning around 2030. However, Musk’s proposal may encounter political complexities since the ISS is an international collaboration involving multiple space agencies from different countries. Despite this, commentators note that the ISS’s operational days are numbered, hinting at an eventual transition toward Mars missions as envisioned by Musk.
It’s no secret that Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk has his sights set on axing loads of government fat.
(Rankling some of his critics.)
But apparently the SpaceX owner, perhaps unsurprisingly, also has sights set on the stars.
Or, at least the big red rock sitting among them:
It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the @Space_Station.
It has served its purpose. There is very little incremental utility.
Let’s go to Mars.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2025
“It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the [International Space Station],” Musk posted to X, the social media platform he owns, on Thursday.
He explained: “It has served its purpose. There is very little incremental utility.
“Let’s go to Mars.”
When asked for clarification by an X user, Musk laid out his timeline — as well as who would actually have the ultimate say:
The decision is up to the President, but my recommendation is as soon as possible.
I recommend 2 years from now.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2025
“The decision is up to [President Donald Trump], but my recommendation is as soon as possible,” Musk posted. “I recommend 2 years from now.”
Described by NASA as a “unique place,” the ISS is “a microgravity laboratory in which an international crew of six people live and work while traveling at a speed of five miles per second, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes.”
Crew members work “about 35 hours each week,” conducting various research where data is sent to Earth.
NASA boasted, “The space station has been continuously occupied since November 2000. In that time, 222 people from 18 countries have visited.”
And that factoid also suggests that shuttering the ISS may not be as simple as a stroke of Trump’s pen.
The ISS is an international conglomeration composed of the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada.
As NASA described it, “The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.”
Political complications or not, Space.com noted that the ISS’s days may be numbered regardless.
“The end is already in sight for the outpost, which has been showing signs of its advanced age,” the outlet wrote.
It added that plans are already in place to bring the station down in a controlled fashion in 2030, which is about three years slower than Musk’s preferred timeline.
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