What is the formal term for the ISS end-of-life process designed to safely bring the structure down?
Answer
Controlled disposal
Due to the ISS's immense size and accumulated orbital energy, allowing it to simply decay naturally is considered highly hazardous because large, uncontrolled debris could impact populated areas unpredictably. Therefore, the partner agencies have developed a formal decommissioning plan centered on controlled disposal. This planned procedure is far more complex than just deorbiting a small satellite, requiring active, choreographed maneuvers using propulsive burns to precisely guide the structure's final descent path into a designated, safe zone.
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