Vanguard subsea habitat deployed; ISS requires regular reboosts to counter orbital decay

British ocean‑technology firm DEEP has deployed its 35‑ft (10.7 m) subsea habitat "Vanguard" on the seafloor off the Florida Keys, marking the first open‑ocean human habitat placed in U.S. waters in more than four decades. The habitat, intended for crewed missions later this year, aims to enable longer‑term underwater research by providing a living chamber for scientists to eat, sleep, work and conduct dives.

Meanwhile, the International Space Station loses roughly 100 m of altitude each day due to thin atmospheric drag at its 400 km orbit. To maintain its operational height, docked Russian Progress cargo spacecraft fire thrusters about once a month to re‑boost the station. Without these boosts, the ISS would eventually descend and burn up on re‑entry. NASA plans a controlled deorbit in the early 2030s using a SpaceX‑built vehicle.