After a Quarter of a Century in Space, the ISS Continues to Make History
NASA
For 25 years, the International Space Station (ISS) has been a beacon of human ingenuity and scientific exploration, orbiting Earth and providing invaluable insights into space and our solar system. Despite its impending deorbit and plunge into the South Pacific Ocean in five years, the ISS is far from done making history. In December 2025, it achieved a remarkable milestone by having all eight of its docking ports fully occupied for the first time in its history. According to NASA, Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft was the eighth ship to attach, allowing the ISS to reach full capacity. In addition to Cygnus, the ISS's other ports were occupied by two SpaceX Dragons, JAXA's HTV-X1, two Roscosmos Soyuz crew spacecraft, and two Progress cargo ships. Cygnus arrived to resupply the ISS and will depart around March 2026, filled with trash and unwanted cargo. The ISS is staffed by a rotating crew of scientists and engineers, typically seven astronauts and cosmonauts, who conduct vital scientific experiments while on board. Although the ISS will be decommissioned in a few years, the crewing arrangements will continue for the foreseeable future. When the ISS is decommissioned, it will be slowly deorbited once the last crew members have returned home. The majority of the ISS will burn up as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere, while the rest will splash down into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean. While it's sad to see this legendary space station go, it's a necessary procedure, as the aging ISS will soon become unsafe and impractical to crew. So, let's make the most of the ISS while we can, as it will soon be nothing more than a memory. If you found this interesting, you might also enjoy reading about a second giant hole that has opened up on the sun's surface and its implications. Categories: NATURE/SPACE, SCI/TECH Tags: cygnus XL, deorbit, international space station, iss, NASA, science, single topic, space, SpaceX Dragon, top
