ISS: the space station

[hansolo0]

Is the space station going to go back to a 3 person crew now that the shuttle will shortly (hopefully) be back online? If so will the 3rd crewman be from ESA?<br />Will it ever go higher than this?<br /><br />Also, has the inflateable spacehab been taken off the table and no longer being considered? <br /><br /> <br />Also, why is that new viewport that's recently been in some news circles being delayed till '09 when it's ready now?

 

[nacnud]

The third crew member is arriving on the second shuttle RTF launch, and he is from ESA called Thomas Reiter from Germany. I think he is going to stay six months, the first ESA longterm mission.<br /><br />Nope the ISS won't be going ant higher than LEO.<br /><br />The development of the inflatable hab has been taken over by Bigelow Aerospace. Currently there are no plans to fly one to the ISS.<br /><br />The cupola isn't really a must have part of the station and so it is low on the priory of things to be launched. The international science modules, nodes 2 and 3 and the rest of the solar panels take precedence, and they are also ready now.<br />

 

[thinice]

I guess hansolo0 meant will it ever be habitable by more than 3 longterm crew members.

 

[nacnud]

That depends on a couple of things:<br /><br />The first is if crew rescue can be sorted out for six people, either an additional long stay Soyuz, or perhaps Kliper or the CEV.<br /><br />The second is improved life support. This is currently planned for node 3 which might be launched in 2008ish.<br /><br />So a six person ISS crew looks like it will have to wait until 2008, node 3 and a doubling of the Soyuz flight rate, or 2010+ with the development of the CEV or Kliper.<br />