NASA To Crash International Space Station Into Pacific Ocean

Shocking news, as NASA plans to crash the International Space Station into the Pacific Ocean! OK... so maybe it's not quite all that dramatic. And maybe it's not coming anytime soon.

But yes, NASA does plan to crash the International Space Station at the end of its operation timetable, sometime around 2030. That's after the Biden-Harris administration extended the timetable an additional six or so years, taking advantage of what experts say is the most productive time period the ISS has experienced.

“The International Space Station is entering its third and most productive decade as a groundbreaking scientific platform in microgravity,” said Robyn Gatens, director of the International Space Station at NASA Headquarters. “This third decade is one of results, building on our successful global partnership to verify exploration and human research technologies to support deep space exploration, continue to return medical and environmental benefits to humanity, and lay the groundwork for a commercial future in low-Earth orbit. We look forward to maximizing these returns from the space station through 2030 while planning for transition to commercial space destinations that will follow.”

So how big will the splash be? From 227 miles above, it will be spectacular.

We have all heard "all good things must come to an end" and that applies to our International Space Station. At the end of January, NASA issued a report that outlined exactly how it plans to transition the ISS to its end of service. It's a lot of technical jargon, but basically they'll start powering the ISS down and allowing it to reenter Earth's atmosphere. Exact timing isn't known yet, because there are a lot of variables. But once it is time, this is what they'll do:

"Eventually, after performing maneuvers to line up the final target ground track and debris footprint over the South Pacific Oceanic Uninhabited Area (SPOUA), the area around Point Nemo, ISS operators will perform the ISS re-entry burn, providing the final push to lower ISS as much as possible and ensure safe atmospheric entry," the report said.

That's a fancy way of saying... "We're gonna crash this thing into the ocean, but somewhere NOBODY exists."

Check out this video of the International Space Station, and then check out some of the amazing photos that have been taken on board the ISS.

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If you're looking for good food across Southeastern North Carolina, you've got plenty of restaurant options, and thanks to the Food Network, a lot of people know about them.

The folks over at tvfoodmaps.com have done the work of legends, putting together a complete directory of all the restaurants that have appeared on some of the network's most popular shows.

So we took a dive to look at some of the best Southeastern North Carolina restaurant choices. For the sake of this discussion, we're calling "Southeastern North Carolina" anything south of Raleigh, and east of basically Pinehurst. So you won't find any of the MANY restaurants on the list in Raleigh, for example.

What you will find is a host of North Carolina restaurants that serve up everything from barbecue to seafood, and a little of all of the in between.

You'll find restaurants on Fort Bragg, over in Wilson, and down to Wilmington. And they've been on shows like "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and "Food Paradise," as well as several others.

So let's take a look at the North Carolina restaurant list from Food Network shows, who have come down here to the wonderful Southeastern portion of the state:

8617 North Carolina 55, Angier - Seen on Food Paradise (Reopens March 1)

9th Infantry Street, Fort Bragg - Seen on Restaurant Impossible

https://bragg.armymwr.com/programs/smoke-bomb-grille

194 Gilliam McConnell Road, Carthage - Seen on Food Paradise

(Note: the original Pik N Pig restaurant in Carthage was destroyed by a fire last May. But they are in the works of building a new location. Read more about it here.)

2656 U.S. 301, Wilson - Seen on Food Paradise

751 State Road 1204, Greenville - Seen on Food Paradise

https://www.ourstate.com/a-day-at-bs-barbecue-greenville/

715 West Fire Tower Road, Winterville - Seen on Best Thing I Ever Ate and Food Paradise

4618 Lee Street, Ayden - Seen on Food Paradise

4688 Long Beach Road Southeast, Southport - Seen on Man vs. Food

109 Chestnut St., Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

114 Market Street, Wilmington - Seen on Best Thing I Ever Ate

624 South 17th Street, Wilmington - Seen on Best Thing I Ever Ate

1895 Burnett Boulevard, Wilmington - Seen on Best Thing I Ever Ate

4002 Oleander Drive, Wilmington - Seen on Man vs. Food and Best Thing I Ever Ate

3436 South College Road, Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

6301 Oleander Drive, Wilmington - Seen on Restaurant Impossible

1611 Pavillion Place, Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

7210 Wrightsville Avenue, Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

122 Market Street, Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

(This is from the Carolina Beach location.)

8024 Market Street, Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

6400 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington - Seen on Man vs. Food