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
Space architecture On July 12, 2006 the "Genesis I" experimental space habitat was launched into low Earth orbit. "Genesis I" demonstrated the basic viability of inflatable space structures, even carrying a payload of life science experiments. The second module, "Genesis II", was launched into orbit on June 28, 2007 and tested out several improvements over its predecessor. Among these are reaction wheel assemblies, a precision measurement system for guidance, nine additional cameras, improved gas control for module inflation, and an improved on-board sensor suite. While Bigelow architecture is still modular, the inflatable configuration allows for much more interior volume than rigid modules.