Elon Musk Calls For Immediately Destruction Of NASA's ISS Station, Here's Why

Elon Musk called for NASA to immediately deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) (photo: x @JoelMambou_IA)

JAKARTA - Elon Musk has called for NASA to immediately deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) because the $ 150 billion (IDR 2.4 quadrillion) laboratory is considered to have "completed its goals" in space.

In his post on X on Thursday 20 February, Musk wrote: "It's time to start preparations to deorbit the ISS. He has completed his goal. The added benefits are very few. Let's go to Mars."

The ISS is nearing its end of its operational period and shows signs of wear, such as cracks, leaks, and other care problems.

For example, in November 2024, a five-year leak in Russia's segment sparked fears that astronauts inside may need to be evacuated. NASA warns that the leak could cause "catastrophic failure" on the space station.

The astronauts have patched the leak and kept the module where the leak occurred closed to eliminate direct threats to their safety.

This worrying care issue is one of NASA's reasons and its ISS partners Russia, Japan, Canada and 11 European countries are planning to retire the ISS by 2030. They assigned Musk's SpaceX to build a deorbit aircraft.

However, Musk seems to think that five more years is too long. In a follow-up post on X, he added that he wanted to see the space station be deployed soon, ideally "in the next two years." However, he also said that the decision "was up to the president."

However, deorbiting the ISS before that time is not that easy. The decision requires the approval of all ISS partners, not just US presidents.

President Donald Trump could have proposed closing the space station before 2030, but in addition to obtaining approval from other ISS partners, funding for the deorbit mission must be approved by Congress.

In June 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX a USD 843 million (IDR 13.7 trillion) contract to build a deorbit vehicle (USDV) that will be used to guide the ISS back into the Pacific Ocean by 2030. However, the contract only includes USDV manufacturing costs, not all deorbit missions.

Last summer, NASA's then Administrator, Bill Nelson, asked Congress for $1.5 billion to cover the entire cost of the mission.

Musk's recent statement should not be underestimated. Apart from being the CEO of SpaceX, the world's leading commercial space airline that will play a key role in the final plan of the ISS's operational term, Musk is also the face of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Trump's leadership.

As one of Trump's senior advisers, Musk has direct access to the president on various issues, including the future of American space exploration.

Over the years, Musk has stated that Mars should be his next destination, ruling out other potential missions such as NASA's plan to return to the moon as a "disturbation."

From his statement last Thursday, it appears Musk sees the ISS as a nuisance (and a possible waste of money), implying that the space station is no longer useful enough to maintain until 2030.

One of the most likely reasons why Musk wants to deorbit the ISS faster is to free up time, resources, and funds to push humanity towards Mars.

NASA itself has also designated Mars as its destination, but the agency does not appear to have the same urgency as Musk or the desire to remove the ISS as quickly as possible.

In a statement given to several news organizations on Thursday, NASA officials said that the ISS supports research and training that will be the foundation for future Mars missions.

"The current NASA mission plans include the use of the ISS, as well as future commercial space stations, in low-Earth orbit to carry out breakthrough research, as well as a training ground for manned missions to the moon and Mars. We look forward to hearing more about Trump's Administration plans for our agency and expansion of exploration for the benefit of all."

With his ambitious vision of bringing humans to Mars, Musk continues to push the boundaries of space exploration. However, whether his call to deorbit the ISS more quickly will get enough support still needs to be seen.