"Let's fly to Mars": Elon Musk suggests dismantling the ISS as soon as possible (photo)

Advisor to former U.S. President Trump, billionaire and owner of SpaceX, has stated that humanity needs to advance further into space, indicating that the International Space Station (ISS) is no longer necessary and should be deorbited soon, according to Space.

NASA's Plan for the Destruction of the International Space Station

The construction of the ISS began in orbit in 1998, with the first astronauts arriving in November 2000. Since then, crews aboard the orbital station have continuously changed, and its operation continues. The ISS is created and maintained through the efforts of NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, as well as Roscosmos. Various scientific research and experiments are conducted on the orbital station to prepare humanity for the exploration of the Moon and Mars.

At the same time, the ISS is already showing signs of aging, as certain components occasionally fail, posing risks to astronaut safety. However, all ISS partners have managed to maintain normal operational conditions on the station in orbit. Nonetheless, it is already known that NASA, along with its partners, has decided that the ISS will be decommissioned in 2030. A special spacecraft from SpaceX is expected to bring the station into Earth's atmosphere, where it will burn up. Even if some parts of the ISS do not completely disintegrate, they are planned to fall into the Pacific Ocean, away from populated areas.

It is worth noting that Russia has repeatedly announced its intention to leave the ISS before it is decommissioned. Specifically, representatives of Roscosmos have indicated that Russia will cease operations on the orbital station by 2028.

Elon Musk Advocates for the Prompt Destruction of the ISS

Now, Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX and advisor to former U.S. President Trump, has called for preparations to deorbit the ISS on his social media platform X. According to Musk, the orbital station has already fulfilled its purpose and is of little use now. The billionaire stated that he recommends destroying the ISS as soon as possible, ideally within the next two years. "Let's go to Mars," Musk wrote. He also mentioned that the decision regarding the early destruction of the ISS should be made by Trump.

Musk's thoughts should not be overlooked, as he appears to heed Trump's opinions on many matters.

It is important to remember that Musk currently heads the Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory group to the U.S. President that focuses on evaluating the federal government's performance. This review has led to thousands of job cuts across various federal agencies.

Elon Musk and the Journey to Mars

Additionally, it is crucial to remember that Elon Musk has long envisioned a future where humanity does not limit itself to low Earth orbit but instead ventures into deeper space. In particular, Musk is very interested in crewed missions to Mars. Therefore, it is not surprising that the SpaceX owner considers the ISS to be a largely unnecessary project. Conversely, Musk also does not view NASA's planned crewed missions to the Moon as priority missions. The reasoning is the same: according to Elon Musk, the focus should be on going to Mars.

As of now, crewed missions to the Red Planet are not part of NASA's immediate plans. The space agency is actively preparing for the landing of astronauts on the Moon in mid-2027. NASA sees the Moon as a training ground before sending astronauts to Mars.

Nasa representatives have also stated that the ISS and future space stations will be used for scientific research and for preparing crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. NASA is awaiting Trump's decision regarding the agency's future operations and upcoming missions in space.