International Space Station to be retired in 2031

[steve...]

I hadn’t heard this before. It will be guided into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean where much of it will burn up on re-entry. It will have been in orbit for thirty years.

NASA said that commercially operated space platforms would replace the ISS as a venue for collaboration and scientific research.

"The private sector is technically and financially capable of developing and operating commercial low-Earth orbit destinations, with NASA's assistance. We look forward to sharing our lessons learned and operations experience with the private sector to help them develop safe, reliable, and cost-effective destinations in space," said Phil McAlister, director of commercial space at NASA Headquarters in a statement.

CNN

[Ombligo]

I fully expect it will be delayed by at least 5 years, most likely longer for a multitude of reasons - everything from political pressure to NASA being sued because a jellyfish might get hit by falling debris.

[pRICE cUBE]

Seems like an waste to let but all burn. Couldn’t a private enterprise take it over and utilize it? Can it be pushed further back up? Is it too old to maintain?

[Thrift Store Scott]

pRICE cUBE wrote:
Seems like an waste to let but all burn. Couldn’t a private enterprise take it over and utilize it? Can it be pushed further back up? Is it too old to maintain?

Going by how far computer technology has progressed in the past 30 years (speed, memory volume, and component size) along with normal wear and tear on the station's non-computer systems and structure, I'm guessing at minimum it would need to be almost completely gutted and refurbished. Also I'd imagine engineers have learned a lot from the space station through continuous use and there are several things they'd do very differently now if starting from scratch.

I think the current space station would serve as a great staging area/temporary housing for astronauts building a new and better space station incorporating lessons learned over the last 30 years.

[clay]

push it to the moon and retrofit into the first moon base!

[Don C]

or Mars. Send it to Mars. That would give certain people with too much money something to aim for.

[Rolando]

I fully expect Elon or someone else to put a booster on it.

Eventually the SpaceDock from ST3 will be built around/over it!