As the International Space Station (ISS) approaches the end of its operational life, NASA is preparing for one of the most ambitious and controversial space engineering projects ever attempted. The agency plans to guide the 420-tonne orbital laboratory through a controlled re-entry before directing surviving debris into a remote region of the Pacific Ocean, often referred to as the world's "spacecraft cemetery".

"We believe this gap in international law needs to be closed, and the ISS de-orbit is a vivid illustration of why."

As the International Space Station (ISS) approaches the end of its operational life, NASA is preparing for one of the most ambitious and controversial space engineering projects…