NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has pushed back against SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s suggestion that the International Space Station (ISS) should be retired sooner than planned. Speaking from aboard the ISS, Williams emphasized that the station is still in top condition and remains crucial for scientific research.
“This place is ticking. It’s just really amazing,” Williams said during a press conference. “We’ve got all the power, all of the facilities up and operating. So I would think that right now is probably not the right time to call it quits.”
Williams reaffirmed NASA’s commitment to keeping the ISS operational until at least 2030, as agreed upon by international partners. She highlighted the station’s ongoing contributions to medical research, materials science, and space technology—work that benefits both future space missions and life on Earth.
“We have probably till 2030 in our agreements. And I think that’s probably really accurate,” she said. “We should make the most of this space station for our taxpayers and for all of our international partners.”
Musk's push for an early ISS shutdown
Musk, a vocal advocate for deep-space exploration, recently argued that the ISS has “very little incremental utility” and should be deorbited within two years.
“It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the @Space_Station. It has served its purpose,” Musk wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He later clarified that while the final decision rests with the U.S. government, his recommendation is to bring it down as soon as possible.
Musk’s comments come as SpaceX focuses on developing Starship, a spacecraft designed for Moon and Mars missions. His push for an early ISS retirement aligns with his broader vision of prioritizing deep-space exploration over maintaining infrastructure in low-Earth orbit.
Future of the ISS and human presence in space
The ISS, which has been continuously occupied since November 2000, is a joint effort between NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA and CSA. While still functional, aging infrastructure, air leaks, and rising maintenance costs have fueled discussions about transitioning to commercial space stations.
NASA has already begun funding private companies — including Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman — to develop new orbital habitats. SpaceX, despite Musk’s deorbit stance, continues to play a key role in ISS operations through its Crew Dragon missions.
As debates over the ISS’s future continue, Williams and other astronauts emphasize that scientific research and international collaboration remain critical. Meanwhile, Musk and proponents of deep-space exploration argue that NASA should shift its focus toward the next phase of human spaceflight.