Before it comes down, what should be saved from the International Space Station?

NASA and museum experts are deciding what parts of the ISS should be preserved before the station is retired and deorbited around 2030.

At a Smithsonian panel during AIAA ASCEND, curators, astronauts, and historians discussed how to save meaningful artifacts, records, and stories from the station.

Because the ISS is too large to keep intact, its legacy will depend on careful choices about what best captures its science, culture, and international cooperation.