Point Nemo: The remote ocean coordinate that doubles as a spacecraft graveyard
Point Nemo, the South Pacific’s oceanic pole of inaccessibility about 2,688 km from land, hosts a broad, controlled re-entry zone for decommissioned spacecraft rather than a single wreck site; the commonly cited 263 figure is a historical minimum, with debris scattered over large areas rather than intact vessels. When the ISS passes overhead, astronauts can be closer to Nemo than people on land for brief moments, but this depends on orbital timing. The region balances immediate safety with environmental considerations, and not every retired satellite is disposed of there.
