Jakarta Indonesia Sentinel — SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has suggested that the International Space Station (ISS) should be destroyed sooner than planned, arguing that it has already served its purpose.
“It’s time to start deorbiting @Space_Station,” Musk wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday (Febrauary 21). “The station has fulfilled its mission. There’s little additional value. Let’s go to Mars.”
The ISS, which has been in operation since 1998 through a collaboration between NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, Japan’s JAXA, and Russia’s Roscosmos, is set to be retired in 2030.
However, Musk is urging that its deorbiting be expedited. The station has been continuously inhabited since 2000 and is slated for decommissioning using a specialized spacecraft developed by SpaceX.
Musk has proposed that the ISS be dismantled within the next two years, but he acknowledged that the final decision rests with President Donald Trump.
“The decision is up to the President, but my recommendation is as soon as possible. I suggest within the next two years,” Musk stated, as reported by CNN Indonesia.
Exploring Mars
Musk has long advocated for direct space exploration to Mars, dismissing the Moon as an unnecessary stopover. In a post on X last December, he wrote, “We go straight to Mars,” calling the Moon a distraction.
Read Also:
ChatGPT Surpasses 400 Million Weekly Users Amid AI Chatbot Boom
NASA, however, takes a different stance. The agency maintains that the International Space Station (ISS) and future commercial space stations in low Earth orbit (LEO) will play a crucial role in research and astronaut training for deep-space missions.
“NASA’s current mission plans include using the International Space Station, as well as future commercial space stations in low Earth orbit, to conduct groundbreaking scientific research and to serve as a training ground for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars,” the agency said in a written statement.
NASA is also moving forward with its Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the Moon as a stepping stone for future human missions to Mars.
However, the agency stated that it will await further directives from the Trump administration regarding the future of U.S. space exploration and the International Space Station (ISS).
“We look forward to hearing more about the Trump administration’s plans for our agency and expanding exploration for the benefit of all,” NASA said.
(Raidi/Agung)
