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 the ISS or partner with the ISSNL to develop new research platforms in space. In addition, the National Lab supports approximately three-dozen privately owned technology companies that provide services to researchers on the Station. This web of researchers and technology companies work together with the staff at the ISSNL to convert terrestrial research into experiments that can be performed in low earth orbit, and to develop and validate new technologies for use on the Station. This model has served the research community well and the ISSNL fully utilizes its 50% allocation of ISS resources. Over the past five years, the