In January 2031 , theInternational Space Station(ISS ) will come to an end . NASA plans to deorbit it , with the post cauterise up in Earth ’s atmosphere over a very remote area of the Pacific Ocean . It will be the end of an geological era ; there have incessantly been humans in range since its launching in November 2000 . It ’s not the only space station in existence , so hopefully , this kept record does n’t terminate with it , but it ’s the only one the US presently has access to . So when the ISS comes crashing down in a few geezerhood ' meter , what ’s NASA ’s plan , and who will still be in space ?
Tiangong, China’s space station
presently , the only other permanently orbiting space basis is China’sTiangong Space Station . The construction of it began in April 2021 and it consists of three modules . It was announce this yr that the base , currently one - third in loudness compared to the ISS , will double from 2027 , with the improver of three more modules . Tiangong is wait to last at least 10 years . It ’s unlikely that China willcontinue to crewTiangong well into the 2030s , however , specially with the additions of unexampled modules tardily in this X .
For those of you who can do loyal math , you might have just recognise this intend that there are just a few more class of uninterrupted blank presence before we lead out of land ' space stations .
Private space stations
This is whereprivate space companiescome in . If you want a more literal persistence between the ISS and human presence in space , we can debate theAxiom Station . Axiom Space will be sending modules to the ISS to take commercial-grade space activities . When the ISS is decommission , Axiom Space will detach and only keep going on its orbit .
The module that make up this post will have different map , from more traditional space research lab to manufacturing facilities and even a recording studio . The initial module is bear to be launched in former 2025 and will be home to four astronaut . When it come away from the ISS , it will have six modules and be able to house a gang of eight .
Russia’s new space station
The first module of the be after Russian Orbital Service Station ( ROSS ) is a module that was destined for the Russian part of the ISS , which has suffered many issues due to aging facilities . The module , called NEM-1 , is currently scheduled to found in 2027 , with a second one to follow suit in 2028 , conclude in 2035 with seven modules .
The ROSS post will be going in a Sun - synchronous orbit , a nearly - polar eye socket that would allow firm memory access to the station from Russia compared to the ISS . It is obscure how close this is to becoming a reality , but Russian Space Agency Roscosmos didlaunch a Moon missionwithout much announcements this summertime .
Lunar Gateway
If we are address of the Moon , the next big task for an international space station is theLunar Gateway , a space station placed in lunar orbit as a " gateway " to the Moon , and perchance even for missions to Mars . Starting at the final stage of this decade , this will involve current ISS members NASA , ESA , JAXA , and CSA – the US , European , Japanese , and Canadian space agencies , respectively . The gateway is seen as a of the essence player for building and operating bases on the Moon but it is not fancy as a permanent home in bass space .
It seems that humanity will continue to have some of its own off - planet for the foreseeable futurity but to asseverate the record unbroken , new space station will be needed in the late 2030s . India is considering one and there aremany private companiesinterested in doing the same . Who get laid , perhaps once we do n’t have the ISS anymore , we will overleap it so much that we will start building another one .
