Experts Raise Concerns Over Plan to Sink ISS in Pacific Ocean

Executive Briefing

• NASA plans to use a SpaceX spacecraft to de-orbit the ISS, targeting a splashdown near Point Nemo in the south Pacific.
• Ocean Foundation president warns the plan raises serious ocean health concerns the space community has not adequately addressed.
• Legal gaps exist around ocean dumping of spacecraft, with no clear international framework governing the ISS disposal.
• Researchers note uncertainty about how much debris survives reentry, given the ISS spans the size of a football field.
• Alternatives exist, including a GAO proposal to convert the ISS into a rentable commercial module rather than destroying it.