For 25 years, humanity has had a continuous presence in space. Astronauts have inhabited the International Space Station since November 2000. That will not continue much longer.Late yesterday afternoon, Nasa ordered the space station’s astronauts to take shelter while they attempted to repair new air leaks. Not what you want to hear while 250 miles from Earth.
Cracks in the station have widened. Even before yesterday’s SOS, Nasa planned to “deorbit” the ISS in 2030 – a euphemism for ploughing it into a remote patch of the Pacific Ocean. Any replacement will need to come from the private sector.
Instead, Nasa’s next major project is a crewed mission to Mars, in the late 203os or early 2040s.
One thing is clear. The demise of the space station means an extraordinary chapter in the history of human exploration is drawing to a close.
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