On January 31st, NASA (the US space agency) revealed details about its plans to retire the International Space Station. It will continue to operate until 2030 and be launched into the Pacific Ocean in 2031.

The Space Station is an artificial structure in the Earth’s orbit that serves as a laboratory for scientific studies. It also has places for astronauts to sleep and rest. The project was created in 1984, but construction only began in 1998, through a consortium of countries that includes the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, and an organization representing some European nations. Even Brazil backed the initiative.

For now, NASA does not plan to build another station. The idea is to let private companies (i.e. companies that are not government owned) spearhead this movement. “We look forward to sharing our lessons learned and operations experience with the private sector,” said NASA’s director of commercial space, Phill McAlister, in an official statement.

By deactivating the station, NASA’s plan is to make it head towards Point Nemo in the Pacific Ocean – the area on Earth furthest from any continent or island, and, therefore, the safest place to drop the structure. Hundreds of satellites and spacecraft parts have already been launched there, which has lent the place the nickname of “spaceship graveyard”. The Russian Space Station, for example, has been at Point Nemo since it officially stopped working in 2001. 

QUESTIONS
1) In what year will the International Space Station cease operations?
a) 2025
b) 2022
c) 2030
d) 2031

2) What do you think of projects such as the Space Station for scientific research in space?

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