ISS shutdown in 2015 ?

[radarredux]

Space station partners bicker over closure date<br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>The United States insists it will pull out of the station at the end of 2015 ... NASA administrator Michael Griffin has told space station partners that the US agency has no plans for "utilisation and exploitation" of the science research lab for more than five years after it is completed<br />...<br />"If NASA is staying, we are ready to follow," he added. "If NASA is quitting, I shall not propose to ESA to pay part of the cost that NASA is covering today."<br /><br />That may well limit the station's life to the five years the partners agreed to keep it running after it is fully operational although both Russia and Europe see a need to prolong it beyond 2015 to conduct more scientific experiments.<br />...<br />But ESA would not be able to afford the cost of upkeep for the project, given that the US space agency picks up as much as 70 percent of the tab, Taverna added.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />

 

[tplank]

We'll probably just sell it to the Chinese. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>The Disenfranchised Curmudgeon</p><p>http://tonyplank.blogspot.com/ </p> </div>

 

[crix]

Not. For so many reasons.

 

[tplank]

Here in America, its all about money. You see what Congress does if it gets a good offer. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>The Disenfranchised Curmudgeon</p><p>http://tonyplank.blogspot.com/ </p> </div>

 

[crix]

Wrong. There would be ITAR violations.

 

[askold]

Dr. Griffin has made it abundantly clear that he has no interest in the two major projects he has inherited - the shuttle and ISS.

 

[PistolPete]

It's ironic and tragic that it will have taken longer to build the ISS than it will be used at full capacity. It just seems like a waste to trash such a potentially valuable and very expensive asset. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[thereiwas]

But the limitations of the shuttle compromised the ISS long term viability, by putting it into such a low orbit that it is constantly on the verge of coming down by itself. Without constant care and feeding, it won't stay there.

 

[crix]

The ISS is more like a car than a house. It is a liability, not an investment.<br /><br />It does suck to see it built and burnt in so little time, no doubt. But there is finite funding and we have to prioritize. I think we'll be on a more sustainable path once we get the Lunar return going... a path that will allow private industry to maintain space development.

 

[docm]

I agree 100%.<br /><br />And I would add that the ISS has taught us a lot, starting with how <i><b>NOT</b></i> to design, build and position a space station. <br /><br />Design: Cannot replace faulty modules etc. etc. etc. Inline layouts are expedient, but hub/spoke is better (MIR, Bigelow etc.)<br /><br />Build: Too interdependent with STS for assembly. Where were assembly bots, Soyuz type vehicles or on-module maneuvering systems when we needed them?<br /><br />Position: Wrong orbit; too low etc. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[baktothemoon]

What is it with people and space stations? They're really not that useful when you think of it.

 

[docm]

They can be useful if done right. <br /><br />I can see monolithic (single module) stations as way-stations & temporary habs at L points and modulars (multi-modules) in higher Earth orbits for research, but IMO the inflatables are a better construction plan being lighter/cheaper per occupied cu/meter. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[thereiwas]

A place to transfer from your big non-aerodynamic space-only vehicle to the atmospheric launch/reentry vehicle. See "2001 a space odyssey".

 

[jimfromnsf]

The two vehicles could meet themselves without a go between

 

[docm]

Agreed, and I'd really like to see if a large rotational gravity station would work out. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[thereiwas]

But everyone with business in LEO does not need to go to the moon or Mars, and vice versa. A big enough station (not the inadequate thing NASA built) allows decoupling the scheduling. Plus refueling.<br /><br />This is all very long term of course, but if you don't know where you are going you'll never get there.<br /><br />

 

[erioladastra]

"What is it with people and space stations? They're really not that useful when you think of it."<br /><br />Really? I dunno, I have found people to come in handy now and then! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[nuaetius]

Doesn't really matter what Dr. Griffen thinks about ISS. He is so fired when the Democrats win in 2008. Who knows what President Obama or Clinton will do with NASA. I just can't wait for head of the EPA Al Gore... that's going to be some funny funny policy.

 

[jimfromnsf]

"But everyone with business in LEO "<br /><br />There is little to no business in LEO.

 

[docm]

Lori Garver is the Clintonista space stooge <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <br /><br />Interesting read about what her and other Dems are thinking;<br /><br />http://www.thespacereview.com/article/917/1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[thereiwas]

I agree there is no business in LEO <i>now</i>, but it is a convenient transition point between different extraterrestrial destinations, due to the high cost of those last 200 km to the surface.<br /><br />Think about the history of St. Louis, MO.

 

[gunsandrockets]

"If NASA is quitting, I shall not propose to ESA to pay part of the cost that NASA is covering today." <br /><br />To hell with the ESA then. 2015 is a long time from now, perhaps by then Russia or Japan or both nations will step in to fill the NASA gap. For just the cost of maintainence it would be a great bargain for a large and complete space station. <br /><br />Heck, Japan might keep it going just to keep aerospace employment up. Japan is not shy about pumping excess money into high tech projects to subsidize the industry involved.

 

[gunsandrockets]

<...And I would add that the ISS has taught us a lot, starting with how NOT to design, build and position a space station....<br /><br />...Position: Wrong orbit; too low etc... /><br /><br />For the U.S., yes. But not for a high-latitude nation like Russia.<br /><br />One other nice thing about the ISS orbital inclination is it covers more of the surface area of the Earth. Great views for tourists...

 

[kelvinzero]

Any chance something like VASIMR or in-orbit refueling could end this habit of dropping everything as soon as we finish with it.. and in time to save the ISS? I like the idea of some sort of space junkbox at a lagrange point.

 

[docm]

The Jan '07 issue (pdf) of AIAA-Houston's Horizons Magazine says;<br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>The AARC facilities at the ASPL will be moved to a larger facility in early 2007 to accommodate the delivery of a large vacuum chamber, which has a 14 foot inner diameter and a length of 33 feet – making it one of the largest vacuum chambers in the nation. This chamber will enable pulsed operation at up to 200 kW of power so that the overall performance of the VASIMR can be accurately determined.<br /><br />Ad Astra plans to test a full-scale ground prototype called the VX-200 in December of 2007. This test will pave the way for the construction of the first flight unit, the VF-200-1 to be tested in space in late 2010. Beyond these demonstrations, Ad Astra plans to fill a developing high power transportation niche near Earth for orbit maintenance of large space structures for commerce and tourism, satellite repositioning, retrieval and re supply and ultimately the delivery of large payloads to the lunar surface, recovery of space resources from asteroids and comets and support human missions to Mars and beyond<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Check out the PDF as it has a photo of the VX-100 (pg. 6) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>