The International Space Station (ISS) could face an earlier-than-expected end if Elon Musk gets his way. The billionaire entrepreneur recently announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it’s time to start preparations for bringing the ISS back to Earth ahead of schedule—a statement sure to capture attention as Musk’s influence over NASA continues to

NASA has selected SpaceX to develop the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, which will be responsible for guiding the ISS to its end of life. While SpaceX will develop the spacecraft, NASA will take ownership and oversee its operation during the deorbit process. The spacecraft will ultimately burn up along with the ISS during re-entry.