The International Space Station: a unique space project | DW Documentary

Summary

The script narrates the collaborative journey of the International Space Station (ISS), highlighting its inception, construction, and significance as a symbol of international cooperation in space. It recounts the historic launch of the first module in 1998, the experience of living and working in space, and the scientific advancements achieved. The narrative also touches on the geopolitical challenges faced by the crew and the ISS's role in future space exploration, concluding with the contemplation of its eventual de-orbiting and the legacy it leaves behind.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The International Space Station (ISS) symbolizes global cooperation in space exploration, with modules contributed by Russia, the US, and Europe.
• 🛰️ The ISS marked a new era in space travel, moving away from weaponization towards peaceful scientific and economic endeavors.
• 📅 The first module of the ISS was launched on November 20, 1998, and was a significant event for the crew and the world.
• 🤝 The entry into the ISS by the first crew was a joint effort, emphasizing the international nature of the project with no single 'first person'.
• 📝 The ISS has kept a logbook since its inception, with the first entry highlighting the collaborative spirit and future expectations of the crew.
• 🔬 The ISS has been a platform for significant scientific research, including experiments on concrete to combat climate change.
• 👩‍🚀 The station has seen milestones such as the first all-woman spacewalk, reflecting progress in inclusivity and gender equality in space exploration.
• 🎃 Amidst personal and professional challenges, the crew found ways to maintain morale and a sense of community, even in space.
• 🌑 The ISS has provided unique vantage points for observing Earth, such as the Cupola module, offering unparalleled views of our planet.
• 🛑 The ISS has faced geopolitical challenges, including the impact of sanctions and differing perspectives among crew members.
• 🚀 Looking ahead, the ISS is expected to be succeeded by smaller, more cost-effective commercial space stations, reflecting a shift in space exploration and utilization.

Q & A

What is the significance of the International Space Station (ISS) as described in the script?

The ISS is described as the most valuable machine humankind has ever built and also the most unlikely. It symbolizes a new era in space travel and international cooperation, where astronauts from different nations work together towards common goals.

Why was the launch of the first module of the ISS on November 20th, 1998, a significant event?

The launch marked the beginning of a collaborative project involving multiple nations, signifying a shift from geopolitical tensions to a cooperative endeavor in space exploration. It was the start of the construction of what would become the largest space collaboration in history.

How did the script describe the experience of entering the ISS for the first time?

The script describes the experience as a moment of unity, with the first American and Russian astronauts entering the ISS side by side, emphasizing the international nature of the project and the importance of teamwork.

What role did the Cupola module play in the ISS, according to the script?

The Cupola module provided a unique 360-degree view of the space surrounding the station and a 180-degree view of the Earth. It was described as a sublime experience and a place that was hard to leave due to its breathtaking view of Earth.

How did the script highlight the importance of international cooperation in the ISS project?

The script highlights the importance by mentioning the collaboration between Russia, the US, Japan, Canada, and the European Space Agency, among others. It points out that the Russian experience and American funding were combined for mutual benefit, leading to a successful and historic project.

What was the significance of the all-woman spacewalk conducted on the ISS?

The all-woman spacewalk was significant as it broke a gender barrier in space exploration and highlighted the need for more inclusive spacesuit designs that accommodate diverse body sizes, not just for women but also for smaller male astronauts.

How did the script address the challenges faced by the ISS crew during the Soyuz capsule's emergency landing?

The script describes the crew's resilience and commitment to their mission, even in the face of uncertainty. The crew was prepared to stay on the ISS for as long as necessary to protect the station, demonstrating their dedication and teamwork.

What impact did geopolitical events have on the ISS crew, as mentioned in the script?

Geopolitical events, such as the conflict in Ukraine, affected the crew emotionally and practically. The script mentions the crew's awareness of the situation and the challenges in communication due to differing information they received from their respective ground controls.

How does the script discuss the future of the ISS and the transition to commercial space stations?

The script discusses the transition as a natural progression, where private companies are developing smaller, more cost-effective space stations for commercial purposes. It also mentions the role of the ISS in testing capabilities for deeper space exploration, such as missions to the moon and Mars.

What are the technical challenges associated with de-orbiting the ISS, as described in the script?

The script outlines the complexity of de-orbiting a massive structure like the ISS, which has a mass of around 420 tons. It mentions the need for precise planning and the possibility of using a vehicle to push the ISS out of orbit before it burns up in the atmosphere over a specific location.

What legacy does the ISS leave for future space exploration and international cooperation, according to the script?

The script suggests that the ISS has paved the way for future space exploration by testing technologies and studying human operations in space. It has also set a precedent for international cooperation in achieving ambitious goals, which can be built upon for even more significant endeavors, such as missions to Mars.

Outlines

00:00

🛰️ International Collaboration on the ISS

The first paragraph discusses the beginning of a new era in space exploration marked by the International Space Station (ISS), a collaborative project involving Russia, the US, and Europe. The speaker reflects on the historical significance of the ISS as a symbol of global unity and the end of the Cold War tensions, with nuclear missiles no longer aimed at each other. The paragraph highlights the joint efforts in building the ISS, with Russian scientists contributing to its construction instead of weapons. The speaker reminisces about the countdown to the launch of the first module, Zarya, and the celebratory atmosphere surrounding the event. The entry into the ISS by the international crew is underscored as a moment of unity, with the first American and Russian astronauts entering side by side, signifying the spirit of cooperation. The ISS is described as the most valuable machine ever built by humanity, and the speaker shares the sentiment of the first log entry, capturing the essence of a shared journey that has spanned 25 years.

05:02

🌟 The Cupola: A Window to the Earth

The second paragraph focuses on the Cupola module of the ISS, which provides a breathtaking 360-degree view of Earth. The speaker describes the experience of looking down at the Earth from the Cupola as 'sublime' and unlike any other place on the station. The paragraph also touches on the personal relationships that astronauts develop with the equipment and the space station itself, as it becomes a sort of home. The speaker recounts the special moment of opening the Cupola shutters and the profound impact of seeing Earth from above. Additionally, the paragraph mentions the challenges of adapting to life in space, such as controlling one's body in microgravity, and the historic achievement of an all-woman spacewalk, which was initially hindered by the lack of appropriately sized spacesuits for women.

10:03

🔧 Experimentation and Innovation on the ISS

The third paragraph delves into the scientific and experimental aspects of the ISS, highlighting its role as a platform for conducting a wide range of experiments. The speaker mentions a concrete experiment conducted in space to study the material's properties and optimize it for use on Earth, potentially contributing to climate change mitigation. The paragraph also discusses the historical perspective of the ISS, comparing it to the Mir space station and emphasizing the value of the Russian experience in space travel combined with American funding. The ISS is portrayed as a testament to international cooperation and a stepping stone for future space exploration, including missions to the moon and Mars.

15:06

🌌 The ISS: A Beacon of Unity and Resilience

The fourth paragraph recounts personal experiences and challenges faced by the speaker during their time on the ISS, including an emergency landing of a Soyuz capsule and the subsequent extension of the speaker's mission. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of maintaining crew morale and unity in the face of adversity. It also touches on the emotional impact of witnessing global events, such as a country going dark to avoid air strikes, from space. The speaker discusses the complexities of communication and information disparity among crew members from different countries, highlighting the ISS as a microcosm of international relations and the necessity of cooperation for effective teamwork.

20:13

🛠️ The Future of Space Stations and the Legacy of the ISS

The fifth paragraph explores the future of space stations, with a shift towards smaller, more cost-effective commercial space stations. The speaker discusses the transition from the ISS to these new destinations and the role of private companies in space travel. The paragraph also addresses the technical and logistical challenges of de-orbiting the ISS, given its massive size and mass. The speaker reflects on the ISS's role in testing capabilities for deep space exploration and its importance in studying human adaptation to space. The paragraph concludes with a look ahead to future missions, such as going to Mars, and the continued need for international collaboration in space exploration.

25:16

🌍 The ISS: A Symbol of Global Cooperation and Human Achievement

The sixth and final paragraph reflects on the emotional significance of the ISS, both as a place of work and a home for astronauts. The speaker anticipates the sadness that will accompany the eventual de-orbiting of the ISS and the complex process involved in its safe disposal. The paragraph also contemplates the legacy of the ISS as a symbol of what humanity can achieve through international cooperation. The speaker expresses hope for future collaborative missions that may surpass the ISS in ambition, such as a mission to Mars, and emphasizes the importance of global unity in solving the world's major challenges.

Keywords

💡Astronauts

Astronauts are highly trained individuals who travel into space, often conducting scientific research or working on space exploration missions. In the context of the video, astronauts symbolize the collaborative spirit of international cooperation on the International Space Station (ISS), working together to overcome challenges and achieve common goals. The script mentions astronauts as 'spaceship Earth' crew members, emphasizing their role in uniting humanity in space exploration.

💡International Space Station (ISS)

The International Space Station is a space habitat that serves as a research laboratory and living quarters for astronauts in low Earth orbit. It represents the largest international collaborative project in space and is a central theme in the video. The script describes the ISS as 'the most valuable machine humankind has ever built,' highlighting its significance in space travel and international cooperation.

💡Geopolitical Situation

The geopolitical situation refers to the political landscape and relationships between different countries and regions. The video script discusses the difficulty of imagining such a large collaborative project like the ISS coming together in the current geopolitical climate, indicating the unique historical context in which the ISS was created.

💡Strategic Nuclear Missiles

Strategic nuclear missiles are long-range weapons capable of mass destruction, often considered a symbol of national power and security. The script mentions the de-escalation of tensions between Russia and the US by no longer pointing these missiles at each other, illustrating a shift from confrontation to cooperation in the realm of space exploration.

💡Space Travel

Space travel encompasses the movement of human beings and objects through outer space. The video script discusses a 'new era in space travel' marked by the launch of the first module of the ISS, indicating a significant advancement in human capability to live and work in space for peaceful purposes.

💡Cupola

The Cupola is a module of the ISS that provides a 360-degree view of the Earth, enhancing the astronauts' ability to conduct observations and inspiring awe in those who experience it. The script describes the Cupola as providing 'a one-of-a-kind view' and being 'sublime,' emphasizing its importance in the astronauts' experience and connection to Earth.

💡Spacewalk

A spacewalk, or extravehicular activity (EVA), is when astronauts operate outside their spacecraft in the vacuum of space. The script notes the historical significance of the first all-woman spacewalk conducted on the ISS, highlighting advancements in gender equality and inclusivity in space exploration.

💡Concrete

In the context of the video, concrete is mentioned as a material that, if optimized through experiments in space, could contribute to combating climate change. The script discusses the ISS as a platform for such innovative research, showing how space travel can benefit terrestrial environmental concerns.

💡Commercial Space Stations

Commercial space stations refer to privately funded and operated space habitats, which are smaller and more cost-effective than the ISS. The script mentions the transition from the ISS to these smaller stations, indicating a shift in the space industry towards commercialization and the involvement of multiple customers rather than one primary responsible entity.

💡De-orbiting

De-orbiting is the process of intentionally bringing a spacecraft or space station down from orbit to Earth. The script discusses the technical and emotional challenges of de-orbiting the ISS, which, despite its planned end of life, holds significant value and represents a historic achievement in international cooperation.

💡Cooperation

Cooperation in the video script is a recurring theme that underscores the collaborative efforts of multiple nations in building and maintaining the ISS. It is highlighted as the most important reason for the ISS's creation and is exemplified through the joint efforts of astronauts and space agencies from around the world.

Highlights

Astronauts on Earth must overcome challenges by working together rather than fighting, marking the start of a new era.

The International Space Station (ISS) modules were made collaboratively by Russia, the US, and Europe.

The world came together in a promising moment with the de-escalation of nuclear tensions between Russia and the US.

Russian scientists helped build the ISS instead of weapons in space, symbolizing a shift towards peaceful collaboration.

The ISS, launched on November 20, 1998, represents a new era in space travel.

The first module, Zarya, was successfully launched, marking the beginning of the ISS mission.

The crew entered the ISS side by side, emphasizing the international nature of the project.

The first log entry in the ISS logbook encapsulates the spirit of international cooperation.

The ISS is the most valuable and unlikely machine ever built by humankind.

The ISS has enabled astronauts to follow their dreams to distant stars for peaceful purposes.

The 90s laid the groundwork for international partnerships in space exploration.

Russian experience and American funding came together for the benefit of both nations in building the ISS.

The ISS partnership includes Russia, the US, Japan, Canada, and the European Space Agency, working together in space.

The Cupola module provides a unique 360-degree view of Earth, enhancing the astronauts' connection with our planet.

The ISS has been a platform for groundbreaking research and technological advancements.

An all-woman team conducted a spacewalk, marking a significant milestone for gender inclusivity in space.

The ISS has facilitated experiments that contribute to combating climate change, such as testing concrete in space.

The ISS is a historic achievement in space exploration and international cooperation.

The ISS has been a testing ground for capabilities needed for deeper space exploration, such as going to the moon and Mars.

Private companies are now developing smaller, more cost-effective commercial space stations.

The ISS is expected to be decommissioned and brought down in a controlled manner, marking the end of an era.

The ISS has been a symbol of what humanity can achieve through international cooperation and inspiration.

Transcripts

As astronauts, on this spaceship called Earth,

we can only overcome challenges by working

with each other rather than fighting.

That's why this was the start of a new era.

The modules were made in Russia, the US, and Europe.

It was a new world where we could work towards a common goal.

This is a promising moment.

The world had come together!

Russia’s strategic nuclear missiles soon

will no longer be pointed at the United States.

Nor will we point ours at them.

Given the current geopolitical situation,

it's hard to imagine such a huge project coming together again.

Instead of building weapons in space,

Russian scientists will help us to build the International Space Station.

While we were preparing at the Johnson Space Centre,

there was a poster saying "300 days 'til the first module launch".

Then: "200 days 'til the module launch".

I remember how it still seemed like a long time away.

Now, 25 years have gone by.

It went by really quickly.

This is the most valuable machine humankind has ever built.

And also the most unlikely one we’ve ever built.

A new era in space travel:

Today a Russian rocket launched the first module

of the planned International Space Station.

On the launch, it was November 20th of 1998,

I had the entire crew over to my house for a watch party.

So we had it on TV and we were watching this Proton rocket

lift Zarya to orbit.

It successfully made it to orbit and we knew that now

we were going to have a mission.

We were going to launch two weeks later,

so it was a great joy in my family room that evening

as we all watched Zarya launch.

It was quite an event.

We had a great time.

Then when it came time to actually enter the space station

for the first time, as we opened the hatch and got it open I said:

Sergei, come here.

And I pulled him up alongside me and the whole crew inside

but if you look at how we entered,

Sergei and I entered through the hatch side by side.

I felt it was really important

if we were going to have an International Space Station

that we had to enter as an international crew.

So it’s a trick question I ask people:

Who was the first person to enter the space station?

There was no first person.

I had the privilege of being the first American

and Sergei was the first Russian, but we entered side by side.

Before opening the hatch, we decided with Bob Cabana who would be first

and who would be second, and we also talked about why.

We entered the first module together,

and we also went into the second side by side.

Then the whole team came, and the TV coverage began.

It's tradition to keep a logbook.

And it was only right that the shuttle commander wrote the first entry.

It was the start of a path that we’ve been traveling together for 25 years.

I think I captured it somewhat in the first log entry for the ISS.

If you read that logbook entry, the whole crew signed it.

But it starts out: From small beginnings great things come.

And it talked about our future and what we expected working together.

And I truly believe that’s been the case.

We can follow our dreams to distant stars,

living and working in space for peaceful economic and scientific gain.

Tonight, I am directing NASA to develop

a permanently manned space station and to do it within a decade.

Back then we’d also go to the Russians.

We flew straight to Moscow and said,

Hey, you’ve got your Mir space station

let’s do some research there together.

And they said, Sure, come join us.

And within a few years we had actually managed

to carry out several missions on board Mir.

In many respects, the 90s was an ideal time to lay the groundwork

for these kinds of partnerships.

The Soviet Union had broken up,

the idea to create a successor to Mir was in the air,

and the Americans also wanted to build a space station.

Those factors alone were good signs,

and thankfully the collaboration came together.

At the time, the Mir station was the benchmark.

The first module had gone into space in 1986.

So the experience that the Russians had had with the Salyut station

and then with Mir was extremely valuable when it came to designing,

constructing and operating the International Space Station.

Russia had always been a proud nation and they were good at space travel.

They were experienced.

They had their Soyuz rockets for decades, they’d built space stations

they had a lot of experience.

Then the Americans came along and said, We don't have the experience,

but we do have the money.

So what happened was that Russian experience and the American money

were brought together, for the benefit of both.

That was the situation back then.

When I look at the partnership of the ISS,

it’s truly amazing when you consider Russia, the US, Japan, Canada,

the European Space Agency and all its partners

we are all working together on this as one, you know,

250 or so nautical miles above the Earth,

with a crew up there continuously working together.

And so that’s pretty awesome.

Now when I come into a training module like this one,

it feels completely different.

Before I flew to the ISS, this was all unfamiliar technology.

It was confusing and complex.

But ever since I spent a year on the ISS,

everything in here feels really familiar.

You think differently about the equipment because you’ve worked

with it for a long time.

Even with a space station,

you start to have a sort of personal relationship.

It feels a bit like being at home.

Being in the Cupola was like the most special.

We felt as a crew that we were really lucky

because it had just been brought up by the crew

before us and attached and all the space walks done

to take the covers off.

So now we were able to look down on earth.

And we didn’t have the robotic arm station in there

there was nothing there.

You could just go float and look at earth and it was amazing.

It’s really hard to tear astronauts away from the Cupola.

Welcome to the Cupola.

It's about to get really bright in here.

That's a hallmark of the Cupola.

When you come in from the space station and it's light outside,

then suddenly it’s dazzling.

Your eyes have to adjust.

Without this module, we wouldn't have this one-of-a-kind view:

360 degrees around and 180 degrees onto the earth.

It’s sublime.

No other place on the station is this incredible.

Just minutes before we started this video event,

my colleagues here actually gave me the honor

of opening the Cupola shutters and it’s an amazing view.

It’s a view that I was dreaming about for years.

The Earth is so beautiful from above, and so different to what you imagine.

It's not like when you zoom in on a satellite image,

where everything always looks the same.

The space station is moving, the solar panels are moving,

spaceships dock and undock, and we use the robotic arm to grab them.

I wanted to document all of that and share it with people down below.

Another somersault

oops, now I’ve broken something.

Oh, the camera’s floating.

Okay, I got it.

At first it took me a while to control my body.

I was constantly bumping into things or colliding with the other crew.

It was quite funny at first.

But by now, you’re expected to be able to control your own body

and not be constantly knocking things off the walls.

For the first time, a spacewalk has been carried out by an all-woman team.

After 220 previous ISS spacewalks,

NASA has finally completed one using only female astronauts.

Back in March, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir

had their spacewalk cancelled at short notice,

because they had nothing to wear.

I think that it is actually important to talk about it.

As women we also celebrated that spacewalk.

It meant a lot, especially because the suits

weren’t designed with women in mind.

They were designed for medium- to extra-large male bodies,

which also left out smaller male astronauts as well.

Not just women.

Station, this is President Donald Trump.

Do you hear me?

I just want to congratulate you.

What you do is incredible.

You’re very brave people.

I don’t think I want to do it, I must tell you that.

But you are amazing people.

They’re conducting the first ever female spacewalk

to replace an exterior part of the space station.

So I think it was really good that we pointed it out

and then they’re changing the new space suits

so that they do take into account diverse body sizes.

And they will be more inclusive for the people who go fly in them.

I was allowed to mix concrete in space.

Concrete releases more CO2 around the world

than the entire aerospace industry.

So if we can examine this traditional material

under very specific conditions in space,

and put our results into a computer model,

then we can optimize concrete and hopefully make a major contribution

to combating climate change.

When scientists wanted to build satellites,

the ISS was always seen as a huge thing that cost too much.

But if you look at its size, the research that’s been done there

and the international community that’s come together around it,

it’s really historic.

In terms of space exploration,

it’s one of humanity's greatest achievements.

This video has a serious story behind it.

When I was commander Halloween came around...

Their Soyuz capsule had to make an emergency landing

after a major propulsion failure.

US astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin

had been due to join the crew of the International Space Station.

I understood that I was now commanding a crew of three on the space station.

And I realized our mission might take a lot longer than we’d anticipated.

I said to my crew: They’re going to ask us how long we can stay up here.

I asked them if they were ready, and how long they were prepared to stay.

Their answer was:

as long as it takes to protect this valuable station.

It was part of my task

to keep the crew’s spirits up amid that uncertainty,

maintaining motivation and a sense of togetherness,

so that nobody got frustrated.

I’d brought the Darth Vader costume because I just had a feeling it

might come in handy, though I didn’t know how.

It turned out to be perfect.

And my two colleagues were really creative.

Sergei worked out a really good Elvis costume

I still laugh when I think about it.

And Serena was the Nutty Professor.

We had a lot of fun.

It was by far the saddest day of my six months in space.

When you’re up there, you can’t see signs of life during the day.

But at night, life on Earth is wonderfully illuminated

by all the city lights.

On February 24, we were flying over Europe with everything brightly lit.

But suddenly we came to a dark spot, right in the middle of Europe.

It was so striking.

It really hit us hard.

Something had happened in that country.

The whole country had gone dark, with only the capital, Kyiv, still visible.

Everything else was blacked out so as not to reveal targets

for the Russian air strikes.

We knew it was something we had to talk about.

Because up there we’re a little family.

And within that family we can only work together efficiently

and face the dangers and emergencies that come our way

if we’re all pulling together.

At some point I grabbed Anton and his commander and then also Pyotr

and his Russian colleagues.

But I wasn’t able to start an in-depth discussion.

It was immediately clear

that people had been given completely different information.

The argument was being made

that they had to fight terrorists in the country.

Well, that’s how it was on the 24th.

In the days that followed, it was relativized.

There was some discussion in Western media that the nine cosmonauts

were sending a pro-Ukraine message.

I think I can correct that here and now.

Those suits had been chosen and ordered a year before the launch.

So the color was pure coincidence.

Later I saw Oleg flying through the station wearing a jacket.

I said: Aren't you too warm with that jacket on?

He beat around the bush for a bit and then he said:

We only have yellow sweaters,

and we're not allowed to wear yellow any more.

Orders from Ground Control.

I gave him my blue sweater so that he wouldn’t have to go around

the station wearing his jacket.

Another thing that happened was that Russian credit cards were blocked

from Western services because of the sanctions.

That included the music streaming service Spotify,

one of several we were able to use.

So all of a sudden my Russian colleagues had no music.

That has an impact on the crew’s well-being.

So we let them use our log-ins.

Which isn’t entirely legal, but it was really important

that they could listen to music and relax up there, just like we could.

There were many reasons the ISS came into being,

but the most important was co-operation.

There’s still a huge demand for experiments and technologies.

We’re doing more experiments onboard the ISS than ever before,

and we have more researchers

than ever applying to carry out experiments with us.

Despite all that, the fact is there isn’t going to be a successor

to the ISS as we know it today.

We’ve been able to use the international Space Station

to test out the capabilities

that we’ll be needing to go deeper into space.

So the ISS has been used not just for technology growth

in terms of facilities and capabilities

but also for humans and studying how the human operates in space as well.

And so with the things we have learned that allows us

to be able to know that we have the right systems

going forward to the moon and we’re learning what we need to go to Mars.

The space station is this massive entity.

It’s well suited to large-scale scientific experiments.

You can do all sorts of things with it.

But for commercial purposes it's just too big and expensive.

Maintaining it costs far too much.

That’s why private companies

now want small but sophisticated space stations.

They don’t need thousands of square meters of living space,

just 2 or 300 would be enough.

That's why smaller ones are being built now.

We’ve got contracts to help develop commercial space stations in space.

We’re flying private astronauts to the ISS.

And we need that time to transition from a US-involvement

in this huge International Space Station

to smaller commercial destinations in space where the US

is one of many customers not primarily responsible so we can focus

on that job of exploring beyond planet Earth.

Bringing it down will be much more technically challenging

than ending the operation of the Mir station.

The ISS has a mass of around 420 tons, and as things stand today,

it won’t be dismantled into parts with each part brought

into re-entry individually.

The whole thing in its entirety will have to be brought into re-entry.

The typical lifespan of a space station is about 30 years.

It's like a car: after 15 years, it needs more and more repairs,

and you start to think about getting something else.

That's what I think will happen with the current space station.

As repairs go up, companies won't be as interested,

and they'll let their space stations burn up in the atmosphere.

From Mir we have experience in how to bring a space station out of orbit.

It’s no easy task, technically speaking.

I may well end up helping my colleagues

to make the necessary decisions

and to deal with unexpected situations if they arise.

But I hope that isn’t going to happen in the near future,

even though the station has already been in orbit longer than planned.

NASA’s already figuring out concrete scenarios for doing it.

They’ve modelled the process and they know what would happen.

If the space station had to come down tomorrow,

the Americans would know exactly how to do it.

If it needs to be de-orbited it will probably be us.

It will be one of those types of experiments,

safely done and done in a way that we learn from it.

There are plans to build a vehicle, send it up

and have it push the ISS out of its orbit.

Then they’d let it burn up over a specific location

probably the South Pacific, which is also where Mir came down.

Most of it would burn up and a few metal parts would crash into the sea.

That's a complex operation.

You can’t just do it: it needs a great deal of precise planning.

So the space agencies will definitely be involved.

It may well be a really sad moment.

That’s how we felt when the Mir station was brought out of orbit.

But this will be especially sad because the ISS

wasn’t just a place where we worked.

It was also a place where we really lived.

When I go outside and I see the space station going overhead,

first I think about my friends who are onboard

and wonder what they’re doing and how they’re doing.

There were times during my mission when the three of us

on the space station realized that at that exact moment,

there were seven billion people on our home planet

and just three members of our species outside of it.

You felt like a sheep separated from the herd.

And you had to smile because it was such a crazy situation.

And such a privilege.

The ISS means to me: cooperation and inspiration.

Future stations may well be smaller and built differently.

We might achieve other unique things, like going to Mars.

Missions where all of humanity comes together to achieve something

even more ambitious than the ISS.

We all know that we can only solve the world’s major challenges

by working together.

And the ISS was the best proof that that’s possible.