According to Professor John Crassidis, a space debris specialist at the University of Buffalo in New York, “the ISS could break apart and create a lot of fragments and debris.”
“That debris may collide with other debris, resulting in Kessler Syndrome.” More collisions might result from this domino effect, perhaps destroying our communication satellites and making further space travel all but impossible.
Earth’s atmosphere will cause the station to naturally drop from 400 km (248 miles) to 320 km (199 miles) starting in 2026.
For the first time in more than 25 years, astronauts will leave the station six months before to re-entry, leaving it unattended.
A SpaceX-designed tug, which was modified from the Dragon spacecraft, will push the ISS down to 220km (137 miles) once it reaches 280km (174 miles).
