NASA will let the ISS disintegrate into the atmosphere. Here's why - Vox

The ISS will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere in a few years, paving the way for new businesses in space.

This plan has its risks. NASA is betting there will be a lot of demand for commercial space stations, which are all supposed to launch around 2027. But only a fifth of ISS crew resources that NASA has set aside for private companies to develop their businesses in space have been used thus far, according to Gatens, the ISS director. And competition for customers could get even more intense as space stations launched by China, Russia, and India open for business.