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Ep153: ISS Deorbit and Transition Plan · Kidcast Daily

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  Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where we bring news, trivia, fun
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  facts, and more just for curious kids like you.
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  Today, we're blasting off on a super space adventure as we
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  learn all about the International Space Station's
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  big goodbye and what comes next for humans living and working in
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  space. Buckle up, future astronauts,
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  because this is a journey you won't want to miss.
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  Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what's
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  really up there? High above Earth, circling our
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  planet every 90 minutes, is the International Space Station, or
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  ISS for short. For over 25 years, astronauts
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  from all over the world have called the ISS home, doing
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  science experiments, floating in zero gravity, and even eating
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  space tacos. But big changes are coming to
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  the ISS, and today we're going to find out what's next for this
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  famous space home. Let's start with the biggest
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  news. NASA has decided that the ISS
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  will finish its amazing mission and say goodbye by the year
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  2030. That's right, the ISS is
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  planning a grand finale. But don't worry space fans,
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  because this isn't the end of humans living in space, It's
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  actually the beginning of a brand new chapter.
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  So what's going to happen when the ISS retires?
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  NASA has a plan called the ISS Deorbit and Transition Plan.
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  That means they're getting ready to safely bring the ISS back
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  down to Earth and make way for new, exciting space stations.
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  But how do you bring down something as big as a football
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  field that's zooming around Earth at over 17,000 mph?
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  Let's find out. First, NASA is building a
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  special spaceship called the US Deorbit Vehicle.
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  Think of it like a space tugboat made just for this important
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  job. In June 2024, NASA picked
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  SpaceX, the same company that sends astronauts and rockets to
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  space now, to design and build the deorbit vehicle.
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  When the time comes, this powerful spacecraft will
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  carefully guide the ISS out of orbit and send it on a safe path
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  to burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
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  Most of the stations and will turn into harmless dust, but a
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  few small pieces might splash down safely into the ocean.
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  This way the ISS gets a proper send off and everyone on Earth
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  stays safe. Now you might be wondering what
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  will happen to all the cool science and experiments in space
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  when the ISS is gone. Great question.
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  NASA is already working with new companies to build the next
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  generation of space stations. The plan is to have at least one
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  commercial space station ready before the ISS says goodbye.
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  So there's always a place for astronauts to go.
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  These future stations will be owned and run by different
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  companies, kind of like space hotels or science labs in the
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  sky. Let's meet some of the companies
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  getting ready to take over. One of them is called Sierra
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  Space. They're famous for their
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  inflatable space habitats, called life habitats.
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  Imagine a giant balloon that can expand into a roomy, safe home
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  for astronauts. Sierra Space is teaming up with
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  Blue Origin, another space company, to create something
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  called the Orbital Reef. It's like a business parking
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  space where scientists, tourists, and even students
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  might get to visit one day. The Orbital Reef is planned to
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  open by the end of this decade, just in time to take over when
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  the ISS retires. But there's more.
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  Another company, Axiom Space, is building special modules that
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  will attach to the ISS before it retires.
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  These modules are like space building blocks.
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  They can be used with the ISS at first, then detach and float on
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  their own to become a brand new space station.
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  The first Axiom module, called the Payload Power Thermal
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  Module, could launch as soon as 2027.
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  After the ISS retires, it will join up with Axioms next module
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  called Habitat One, and together they'll form from the start of a
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  whole new station. This way, astronauts will always
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  have a place to live and work in space, even after the ISS takes
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  its final lap. But what about the cool space
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  vehicles that visit the ISS? One of the most exciting is the
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  Dream Chaser space plane. Built by Sierra Space.
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  It looks a little like a mini space shuttle and can land on
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  regular runways. Back on Earth, Dream Chaser was
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  supposed to fly supplies to the ISS.
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  But with the clock ticking down to the ISS's, retirement plans
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  have changed. Now, Dream Chaser is getting
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  ready to fly on its own in space, testing out new ideas and
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  getting ready to visit the new commercial stations that will
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  soon orbit Earth. This is a great example of how
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  space companies are staying flexible and preparing for the
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  future, even as the ISS's time comes to an end.
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  You might be asking why is NASA letting companies build new
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  space stations instead of just making another ISS?
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  That's a smart question. NASA wants to focus on exploring
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  even farther, like the moon and Mars.
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  By letting companies take care of space stations in Earth's
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  orbit, NASA can use its resources to build rockets and
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  habitats for deep space missions.
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  Plus, having lots of different stations in space means more
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  experiments, more science, and even the chance for regular
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  people to visit space one day. Imagine doing your homework in
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  zero gravity. Of course, there are challenges.
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  Building and running a space station isn't easy.
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  It takes lots of money, teamwork, and new technology.
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  Companies like Sierra Space and Axiom Space are working hard to
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  make sure their space stations are safe and ready for
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  astronauts. They have to pass tough tests to
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  make sure habitats can survive in space, keep astronauts safe
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  from space rocks and radiation, and even deal with things like
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  space dust and super cold temperatures.
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  It's a big job, but these companies are excited to take on
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  the challenge. Let's check out a few fun facts
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  before we wrap up our space adventure.
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  Did you know that the ISS has been home to astronauts from 19
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  different countries? That's right.
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  It's like a floating United Nations in space.
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  The ISS is so big, it's about the size of a football field.
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  If you put it on Earth, it would stretch longer than a Boeing 747
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  jet every day. The ISS orbits Earth about 16
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  times. That means astronauts see 16
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  sunrises and sunsets every single day.
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  When the ISS retires, some of its robotic arms, like the
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  famous Canadarm 2, will keep working on new stations, helping
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  astronauts with repairs and science experiments.
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  And here's a wild idea. In the future, you might be able
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  to take a vacation in space thanks to these new commercial
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  stations. Pack your zero gravity
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  toothbrush. So what did we learn today?
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  The ISS has been an amazing home for astronauts and a science lab
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  in the sky for over 2 decades, but it's getting ready for a big
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  retirement party in 20-30. NASA is making sure the ISS has
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  a safe and exciting send off with the help of the US Deorbit
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  vehicle. Meanwhile, new space stations
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  built by companies like Sierra Space and Axiom Space are on the
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  way, ready to welcome the next generation of space explorers.
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  With inflatable habitats, new space planes, and lots of
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  teamwork, the future of living and working in space is looking
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  brighter than ever. Thanks for joining us on Kit
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  Cast Daily. Keep looking up, stay curious,
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  and maybe one day you'll be the one floating in space, doing
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  experiments and making new discoveries.
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  Until next time, keep dreaming big and reaching for the stars.