ISS TO MOON ORBIT

[SPAHSFAR]

ISS PUSH OUT TO MOON ORBIT :idea:

Why not send the ISS to an orbit around the Moon and on to
Mars!!? Just fit a slow accelerating engine(Shuttle delivery), haul in the
solar panels temporarily if neccessary, reinforce the structure somewhat and
off you go with a ready made long term interplanetary vehicle. A Lunar
Landing Module along with supplies, oxygen, food, fuel, spare parts, etc,
could probably be delivered by Shuttle before making the trip or sent by
remotely controlled rocket to Moon orbit to rondevous with the ISS which
would also be very appropriate as Mothership during Moon exploration. The
ISS is already a proven vehicle for long term periods of living in space and
we have lots of astronauts with plenty of experience, it would also allow
for a more flexible schedule to be planned.

 

[js117]

This post has been mensioned before.
The ISS is to big.
It probably also not hold up to the stress to put it there.

 

[access]

Also it's completely reliant on resuply from earth so the cost of resupply would soar

 

[radarredux]

Also it's completely reliant on resuply from earth so the cost of resupply would soar

Yes, during the shuttle downtime after Columbia they could barely provide enough supplies to keep it operating with a skeleton crew. ISS needs lots of care and feeding.

 

[aphh]

Currently ISS flies at the altitude of about 350 km. Moon is about thousand times farther away, so we'd need to raise the orbit of ISS one thousand times higher.

To raise the orbit even a few km requires exorbitant amount of fuel, so this simply is not doable. Too much mass to accelerate and too much fuel required.

Somebody with the time could make the calculation of needed fuel to raise the orbit 10^3.

 

[matthewota]

The delta V problem has already been addressed. But there are more reasons why it is not a good idea. The ISS is designed for low earth orbit. It lacks the critical radiation shielding that would be necessary if it were to be placed in lunar orbit OUTSIDE of the earth's protective magnetosphere. It wold be subject to deadly radiation from solar Coronal mass Ejections and Solar Flares.

In addition the cost of servicing would vastly elevate due to the fuel required to get to lunar orbit.

All in all it would be a dumb idea, similar to the posts I saw in the 1980s suggesting sending space shuttles to the moon, which also was a silly idea.