International Space Station nears its end. Inside NASA's plan

As of Sunday, Nov. 2, the International Space Station has been stationed in low-Earth orbit with a continuous human presence for 25 years.

Four of the five nations whose space agencies operate the ISS have committed to supporting the station until 2030.

By then, a SpaceX vehicle will help to deorbit the space station into Earth's atmosphere, where some parts may burn up and others may crash into an ocean.

The that has been in orbit longer than any other outpost of its kind.

In fact, on Nov. 2, the orbital laboratory marked .

But the , which has begun to show its age, won't remain operational forever.

Even now, plans are underway in the years ahead to , which has been marred by and . That means by the end of 2030, the iconic ISS – where the world's astronauts have lived, worked and fo