The International Space Station (ISS) is the greatest engineering project of humanity. But it is aging. Its first module, "Zarya," was launched in 1998. By 2030, the ISS will likely be flooded in the Pacific Ocean. What next? Humanity cannot abandon space. New stations will come — commercial, national, international, and then lunar. What will they be? Who will build them? And why do we need them? The End of the ISS: Why It's Time to Say Goodbye The ISS is a marvel of engineering, but it is wearing out. Cracks, air leaks, metal fatigue. Maintaining it is getting more expensive (about 4 billion dollars a year). In 2022, NASA confirmed plans to flood the station after 2030. Roscosmos also agreed (with reservations). Russia plans to withdraw from the ISS project after 2028. China has its own station, "Tiangong." The United States wants to move to commercial stations. So the era of the ISS is coming to an end. But new stations are not far off. The Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS) ROSS is a project for a new Russian station. It is planned to be launched into a high-inclination orbit (96-98 degrees) to see all of Russia, including the Northern Sea Route. There is nothing like that on the ISS. There will be two stages: first the "Nauka-2" module (formerly "Nauka"), then four more. The station will be visited, not permanently inhabited (resource conservation). The launch of the first module is scheduled for around 2028. ROSS should last until the 2040s. China and India may participate, but for now, the project is Russian. The Chinese Orbital Station "Tiangong" "Tiangong" (Heavenly Palace) is already operational. Since 2022, it has been in orbit with three modules. China plans to expand the station by adding several more modules, including a telescope. The station is open to international cooperation: there are already experiments from Europe, Pakistan, and Kenya. China is also considering the possibility of creating an "international lunar station" (ILRS) wit ... Read more