HOUSTON – NASA plans to retire the International Space Station by 2031 and will crash it into the Pacific Ocean, CNN reports.
According to CNN, newly published plans outlining the future of the International Space Station reveal the spacecraft is planned to fall to Earth in the South Pacific Oceanic Uninhabited Area – also known as Point Nemo.
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According to CNN, Point Nemo is the farthest from land, located approximately 3,000 miles off of New Zealand’s eastern coast and 2,000 miles north of Antarctica, and has been a sinking place for more than 263 pieces of space debris there since 1971.
According to the report, the International Space Station will perform thrusting maneuvers that would ensure “safe atmospheric entry.”
“The report we have delivered to Congress describes, in detail, our comprehensive plan for ensuring a smooth transition to commercial destinations after retirement of the International Space Station in 2030,” aid Phil McAlister, director of commercial space at NASA headquarters in a statement.