International Space Station program with on-orbit refurbishment in mind. According to the Outer Space Treaty the United States is legally responsible for all modules it has launched. In ISS planning, NASA examined options including returning the station to Earth via shuttle missions (deemed too expensive, as the station(USOS) is not designed for disassembly and this would require at least 27 shuttle missions), natural orbital decay with random reentry similar to Skylab, boosting the station to a higher altitude (which would simply delay reentry) and a controlled targeted de-orbit to a remote ocean area. The technical feasibility of a controlled targeted deorbit into a remote
Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to support research that is directed towards improving the lives of the American public. The ISS is a platform for a portfolio of research projects that exploit the microgravity environment, harsh external conditions of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and radiation exposure. CASIS, through its activities on the ISSNL currently contributes to a space-based economy, serving the academic and industrial research communities by providing access to the International Space Station (ISS). The ISSNL has conducted business in space for the past six years. During that time, it has built intellectual capital and a network of researchers that utilize existing resources on