Musk states it's time to bring ISS back from orbit and proposes his own alternative
Photo: American billionaire Elon Musk (Getty Images)
American billionaire Elon Musk stated that it is time to bring the ISS back from orbit and instead head to Mars, according to the Twitter (X) of the SpaceX founder.
"It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the International Space Station. It has served its purpose. There is very little incremental utility," he wrote.
Instead, Musk suggested another option.
"Let’s go to Mars," he added.
What is known about the ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a crewed space station orbiting Earth, designed for scientific space research.
Construction began in 1998 and was carried out in collaboration with the space agencies of Russia, the United States, Japan, Canada, Brazil, and the European Union. The station has a mass of approximately 450 tons and orbits Earth at an altitude of about 415 kilometers, completing 15.77 orbits per day. It moves at an average speed of 27,700 km/h and can be easily seen with the naked eye.
Initially, the ISS was planned to remain operational until 2010. However, by 2008, alternative timelines suggested 2016 or 2020. In early 2015, plans were announced to extend its mission until 2024.
