Motu Nui, a small volcanic island adjacent to Easter Island that is more than 2,700 kilometers (1,678 miles) distant, is the nearest land to the location.
Whatever is left of the ISS will plummet to the bottom within an hour after colliding with the water at a speed of several hundred miles per hour.
However, there are risks associated with disposing of space gear components in the water. According to some NASA specialists, radioactive and hazardous elements could spill into the Pacific after surviving re-entry.
Furthermore, the ISS’s disposal could be against UN environmental regulations, which mandate that countries “protect and preserve the marine environment.”
However, NASA and SpaceX are proceeding with their present plan to safely decommission the ISS until a better alternative is found.
