There is a spot in the South Pacific so far from any coastline that when the International Space Station passes overhead, the nearest human beings may be the astronauts in orbit - not anyone on land.

Key Points:

• Point Nemo, located in the South Pacific Ocean, is the oceanic pole of inaccessibility, being the spot farthest from any land—about 2,688 kilometers from the nearest uninhabited islands—and is so remote that the closest humans at times are aboard the International Space Station overhead.
• This remote location has been used since 1971 as a controlled spacecraft disposal site, known as the "spacecraft cemetery," where over 260 spacecraft, including the Russian space station Mir, have been deliberately deorbited to minimize risk to people.
• The International Space Station (ISS), much larger and heavier than Mir, is planned to be deorbited in a controlled manner around 2030 using a newly contracted NASA spacecraft developed by SpaceX, designed to safely bring the ISS down near Point Nemo.
• The exact timing of the ISS deorbit remains uncertain due to potential extensions of its operational life and differing international commitments, while environmental concerns persist about the long-term impact of accumulating debris on the deep ocean floor in this unregulated international waters area.
• The upcoming ISS deorbit will be the largest controlled spacecraft reentry ever attempted, highlighting ongoing challenges in balancing space operations, safety, and environmental stewardship in remote oceanic regions.