There is considerable discussion about whether ISS should continue to be operated after 2020. Many of the 15 nations that built the station have had economic problems recently and may decide they can't afford to support the current proposal to extend ISS' operational lifetime to 2028.
NASA argues that without such an extension a manned flight to Mars any time soon will be impossible. Compiling the necessary medical data base and getting the necessary experience with closed-loop life support systems require using ISS well beyond 2020, the agency says.
If ISS is abandoned in 2020, the plan now is to de-orbi it. However, things could be moving rapidly in commercial space by then. A fully functional space station already in orbit that its owners no longer want could be seen as an interesting investment by the right consortium.
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