Point Nemo: The Remote Ocean Graveyard Where the ISS Will Make Its Final Descent in 2030

With 25 years of non-stop presence of human beings aboard the International Space Station, humanity's most extensive run orbital laboratory has achieved a significant milestone. However, the end of its journey is quickly approaching. In late 2030, NASA and its global partners are set to retire and deorbit the ISS for a controlled fall through the Earth's atmosphere, with the final splashdown taking place in the Pacific Ocean at Point Nemo. A sparsely populated section of the Pacific Ocean, Point Nemo, or “Spacecraft Cemetery”, is the farthest possible location on Earth from any piece of land. Thus, the remnants of the returned wreckage can have little impact on people, land, or possessions abroad.

NASA Chooses Point Nemo for ISS's Controlled Ocean Descent, Ensuring Safe End-of-Life Disposal

According to a Space.com report, mission planners selected Point Nemo due to its extreme isolation — roughly 2,688 kilometres from the nearest landmass. Experts note that its remoteness makes it the safest location for large spacecraft reentry. In the past, hundreds of space objects have been guided to this oceanic graveyard, including Russia's Mir station in 2001.

When the Union does deorbit, NASA engineers expect the ISS to break apart in several stages. Panels and external structures are likely to detach first before module fragmentation. Most components are expected to incinerate from the high heat, and in the end, only the densest parts survive and sink into the ocean.

The modified Dragon will ensure controlled ISS deorbit, avoiding Skylab-like debris risks, and set a safe benchmark for future space station retirements. According to scientists, as low Earth orbit grew more crowded, ISS's discharge also marked a move to newer commercial space stations and a globally evolving space strategy.