Elon Musk says space station 'too old': Even though SpaceX earns billions...I would like to go on record recommending...
, CEO of
SpaceX
and Tesla, has publicly called for the
International Space Station
(
ISS
) to be deorbited within two years, citing "potentially serious concerns" about its long-term safety. This recommendation comes in response to revelations about the station's deteriorating structural integrity.
"There are potentially serious concerns about the long-term safety of the @Space_Station. Some parts of it are simply getting too old and obviously that risk grows over time," he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
"Even though SpaceX earns billions of dollars from transporting astronauts & cargo to the ISS, I nonetheless would like to go on record recommending that it be de-orbited within 2 years," Musk added.
Musk's recommendation came in a reply to a post that listed out problems that the ISS is riddled with.
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"The ISS's structural integrity is far more marginal than is being publicly discussed. We are having multiple, and increasingly frequent, leaks from heavily fatigued node segments in the Russian section," an X user said in a post, explaining that multiple cracks have been discovered in the ISS.
NASA plans to de-orbit ISS in 2030
The ISS is set for a controlled deorbit at the end of its mission in 2030. It will be a carefully planned maneuver to ensure no populated areas on Earth are impacted. This safe return is a joint effort, shared by the five space agencies that have operated the ISS since 1998: NASA, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Russia's Roscosmos.
The ISS has been continuously crewed for over 23 years since its assembly began in 1998, serving as a vital microgravity laboratory. Over these decades, NASA and its international partners have worked together to operate, maintain and upgrade its components. However, the station's operational life is ultimately limited by the lifespan of its primary structure, including modules, radiators and truss structures, which are affected by factors like spacecraft dockings and thermal cycling in orbit.
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