^ Tiny red dot above represents Point Nemo. Roughly halfway from Australia to South America, aand whereabout Nasa wants to eventually bring down a too long in the tooth International Space Station "safely"
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/127257099.cms

> The International Space Station is approaching its final years in orbit, and planning for its controlled return to Earth is now moving from theory into preparation. After more than two decades of continuous human presence, the ageing structure is no longer expected to operate safely beyond the end of this decade. NASA and its international partners have confirmed that the station will not be abandoned or allowed to fall at random.

> Instead, it will be guided down in a deliberate process designed to minimise risk on the ground. Central to that plan is a remote stretch of ocean known as Point Nemo, chosen for its isolation rather than symbolism. The process itself is slow, technical and largely invisible to people on Earth, unfolding over months rather than moments, with safety margins taking priority over speed or spectacle. NASA has committed to fully use and safely operate the space station through 2030 .. .. ..

smh said:

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^ Tiny red dot above represents Point Nemo. Roughly halfway from Australia to South America, aand whereabout Nasa wants to eventually bring down a too long in the tooth International Space Station "safely"
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/127257099.cms

> The International Space Station is approaching its final years in orbit, and planning for its controlled return to Earth is now moving from theory into preparation. After more than two decades of continuous human presence, the ageing structure is no longer expected to operate safely beyond the end of this decade. NASA and its international partners have confirmed that the station will not be abandoned or allowed to fall at random.

> Instead, it will be guided down in a deliberate process designed to minimise risk on the ground. Central to that plan is a remote stretch of ocean known as Point Nemo, chosen for its isolation rather than symbolism. The process itself is slow, technical and largely invisible to people on Earth, unfolding over months rather than moments, with safety margins taking priority over speed or spectacle. NASA has committed to fully use and safely operate the space station through 2030 .. .. ..

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Maybe with a different thread title, such as "International Space Station to CRASH into Pacific!" Would have gotten more follow up.

I'm SHOCKED , but not surprised, to read this! And nobody commented. Wow. It's big news.

thank you sir, for the publicity, though to be honest none our personal lives should/will be affected, umm, unless we're inside said flying object. # live long and prosper

Yeah, but that's an incredible announcement if the space station is going to be decommissioned!!!!


I asked for confirmation.

Quote:

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Yes, the International Space Station (ISS) is planned to be decommissioned around 2030 and intentionally deorbited to crash into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean, likely near Point Nemo, in early 2031. NASA and its partners are retiring the aging station to transition to commercial space outposts.
BBC
BBC
+4

Key details regarding the decommissioning plan include:

Timeline: While operations are funded through 2030, the final deorbit, or "plunge," is scheduled for early 2031.

The Process: A specially designed,1-billion-dollar NASA US Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) will be used to guide the station's reentry to ensure it breaks up safely.

Location: The wreckage is intended to land in the South Pacific Oceanic Uninhabited Area, also known as the "spacecraft graveyard".

Reasoning: The station is being retired due to aging hardware and high maintenance costs, as noted in this Scientific American article.
BBC
BBC
+4

This controlled reentry will allow the station to descend safely, with most of it burning up in the atmosphere, as reported by Longreads.

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Did people here know that you can see the international space station with a naked eye as it passes overhead shortly after sunset and shortly before sunrise, on particular days?

Yes, there is a website where you can enter your location on earth and it will populate a table showing you when the ISS is going to fly overhead, and when it is visible.

The space station is high above earth and so therefore still in sunlight while directly below earth is dark. If you capture the right moment, the sky is dark, but the station is like a bright star moving across the sky, it moves pretty fast, so you have to be in position. I saw it one time and it was pretty cool.

Now I know, soon to be no more.

tnx again. wonder if many other cybers eyeballed the int'l station; me and better half have, several time iirc
# time flies

unrelated, here's a snapshot of a tv series dvd box i've apparently seen too (and rated decent), yet have no memories of, titled Wonderfalls.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361256