NASA Says ISS Could Still Operate Beyond 2030—Is This Extension Safe for Astronauts?

NASA announced that it is considering using the ISS (International Space Station) beyond 2030, which is an extension of the space laboratory's retirement schedule.

This was confirmed by the space organization on Thursday, Nov. 2, during the recent Beyond Earth Symposium.

NASA Says ISS Could Still Operate Beyond 2030—Is This Extension Safe for Astronauts?

(Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
A general view of inside the Columbus replica/simulator is attached to the International Space Station or ISS in the ESAs Planetary Robotics Lab, part of the Automation & Robotics Labs, together with the Telerobotics and Haptics Lab and the Orbital Robotics Lab.

NASA's Space Operations Associate Administrator Ken Bowersox explained why the aerospace union is open to extending the retirement of the ISS.

NASA Says ISS Could Still Operate Beyond 2030

According to Space News' latest report, Bowersox explained that retiring the ISS at the end of the decade isn't mandatory at all. He added that the de-orbiting of the space station will still depend on the progress companies are making on upcoming commercial space labs.

"The timeline is flexible. It's not mandatory that we stop flying the ISS in 2030," said the NASA official.

But, he clarified that the main goal of NASA is still to switch to new orbital stations once they are completed and ready to replace the International Space Station.

Recently, NASA and other Western partners, such as Japan (JAXA), Europe (ESA), and Canada (CSA), all agreed that they'll use the ISS until 2030.

Meanwhile, Roscosmos said that they will only operate in the space laboratory until 2028.

Now, NASA said that it is still considering using the ISS beyond 2030. However, the space agency doesn't force its partners to do the same.

But, is the ISS still safe to be used by astronauts?

Is It Still Safe To Use ISS?

(Photo: NASA via Getty Images)
In this handout photo provided by NASA, the International Space Station is seen over a blue and white Earth, taken shortly after the Space Shuttle Atlantis undocked from the orbital outpost at 7:50 a.m. CDT. The unlinking completed six days, two hours, and two minutes of joint operations with the station crew.

NASA first announced the retirement plan for ISS in 2022. The space organization said that the orbital laboratory should be shut down because of its structural stresses, which have been accumulating over a long period of service.

CNN World reported that ever since the ISS was launched in 1998 (the first astronauts arrived in November 2000), the spacecraft was able to orbit 227 nautical miles above Earth.

The ISS housed over 200 astronauts from 19 different countries, making it one of the most important space innovations in the history of mankind.

Although it is quite old, NASA is confident that it can still operate beyond 2030. Yes, there were some issues that the ISS experienced, but if the space agency is considering using it for the next seven years or so, then it is still operational.

However, Bowersox said that NASA should have the right timing to retire the ISS since if the retirement plan was conducted too long, the space agency would face huge costs just to transition to new commercial space labs.