Yup, that part burns up. It's not a complete waste though. I believe at the ISS they usually pack those sorts of parts (parts that burn up that is. Other exa

Yup, that part burns up. It's not a complete waste though. I believe at the ISS they usually pack those sorts of parts (parts that burn up that is. Other examples being the Russian "Progress" spacecraft or the ESA's ATV) full of garbage before sending them off. Intact reentry volume/mass is valuable (currently only the Soyuz and the Dragon can do that) so they just let all of their trash burn up. Here's a neat picture of the first ATV, carrying a bunch of ISS trash, burning up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jules_Verne_Automated_Transfer_Vehicle_re-enters_Earth%27s_atmosphere.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jules_Verne_Automated_Tran...