Moon via ISS?

[cab5567]

Haven't the American people been sold on ISS being a jumping off point for missions to the moon and Mars? I do not understand how it makes sense to launch a tiny new tin can for each moon mission.<br /><br />In my little imaginary world, NASA launches one big tin can, along the lines of an ISS module, to be used as a moon mission bus. And all that's launched from earth for a moon mission is crew, booster, and lander. Bus lives docked to ISS, crew gets on bus, bus goes to moon.<br /><br />Tin cans are big enough for long duration flight, so using them for Mars trips isn't crazy. Nobody is going to mars in glorified Apollo capsule.<br />

 

[kane007]

The ISS is not in the best orbit for suporting a moon mission. The inclination is so high the the lcargo launched would be severaly curtailed. Plus additional energy need to get to/from the moon. <br /><br />Sorry, its going to have to serve only as a laboritory not as a gateway.<br /><br /><font color="red">DO NO HARM</font>/safety_wrapper>

 

[nexium]

Some asteroids that pass close to Earth have about the same inclination as the ISS, so gateway to the asteroids is perhaps practical. Neil

 

[thinice]

If you mean "we, Americans", I'm afraid, you can't. You can detach the US segment and deorbit it. This will require a deorbiting tug with the auto rendevouz system.