
For nearly three decades, the International Space Station has buzzed around our planet, providing a home-from-home for astronauts 254 miles above Earth's surface. But all good things must end. NASA plans to retire the ISS by the close of this decade, 2030. Yet unlike most retirements which wish you well with a nice watch and a party, the ISS will plunge into the “spacecraft cemetery” that is the Pacific Ocean. Which begs the question: What happens next?