NASA, the ISS, and future cooperation in space

[ZenMasterSauce]

I say here wondering and was really curious about how NASA and our government would proceed after the ISS becomes the platform for use for us. The Russians are fairly committed to building their own platform specifically including material research that could be a huge boom for their industries if they come up with significant advancements. NASA and by extension our government has not really spoken deeply about plans after the ISS beyond the possibility of India along with Japan and Canada taking more centerstage in the complex. I know we have a significant if not confusing plan for returning to the Moon and going beyond that. But I think it should also be paramount for NASA to consider LEO operations even in light of political back and forth. I see any renewed cooperation with Russia especially in space would yield great opportunities to bring other partners even China, though less likely, into a new cooperation establishment. Almost every major country has plans for a moon base after 2020. Just like the ISS, cooperation on that level could again yield very interesting developments not only for our own program but for others. What are the thoughts on this? Should the ISS really be extended past its current structure? Should NASA make plans to create their own station with focus not only on research and science but ship construction especially for later missions? Should cooperation with Russia be a paramount goal for our government in space? Looking for a framework of sorts similar to the ISS but more involved and certainly better yielding.

 

[bessler4space]

Space exploration could go any way but its all on funding. The United States can go anywhere we want in space. Funding will be the determining factor in exploration. If money is tight stay in low earth orbit and do reasearch and/or we can go to the moon part-time. We have many options too choose from.

 

[Danzi]

To be honest, i would prefer MOST ambitious space projects to be international, rather than just 1 country attempting them alone.
It would make getting back to the moon cheaper for each participating country, and beneficial to the planet not just NASA! Wouldn't it be better to see an International moon base!

 

[vulture4]

Far from wishing to steal our "secrets" (NASA does not have classified programs) or race to the moon, what China wants is to be invited to join the ISS program, as a sign it is in the first rank of industrial nations. Unlike a new moon race, which would be pointless and absurd for both countries, Chinese membersip in the ISS is a win-win proposition. China is the only country with the additional investment capital the ISS needs to continue, and the only country not already in the program that can provide launch vehicles for both cargo and manned access. Without China we will soon be totally dependent on Russia for access to LEO.

ISS was approved by Congress not for science, but to serve as a catalyst for trust and cooperation between the US and Russia, and thus hopefully avoid a disastrous future conflict. ISS can serve the same purpose with China. China is rapidly becoming the US largest trading partner, and is by most measures already the world's second largest economy. The world's two most powerful nations must learn to communicate and work in cooperation, To continue to refuse to make China part of the ISS, as Bush and Griffin did, is to deny that the Space Station is, in fact, International.