Why does finishing the ISS require so many Shuttle Missions?

[nacnud]

Over the course of the program its worse than that, including all the development costs and opperational costs the STS is about $1.4B a launch.

 

[vt_hokie]

Here's an interesting concept of a "Super Energia"...<br /><br />http://www.k26.com/buran/Info/Hercules/vulkan.html

 

[paleo]

". I would also hope they would never be so foolish as to work with the US in space again. Ever."<br /><br /> Baloney. The Russians will want to work with the USA so they can get funding. <br /><br />'Gee. we can't trust the United States to follow through'. Nobody will care. Science is about folks trying to get funding 'anywhere'. The Brits and Americans fall over eachother to co-operate. Joint ventures are diplomatic events between Prime Ministers, Presidents and othe nabobs.

 

[ehs40]

the reason that so many shuttle missions are needed to build the iss is because no one can build anything to take the pieces to the station<br /><br />how many pieces have other countries besides russia sent up everyone is hoping that nasa will build the iss

 

[cuddlyrocket]

Most of the current volume of the Space Station was launched by the Russians on expendable rockets.<br /><br />Modules could be sent to the ISS by expendables, with rendezvous technology they can get close enough to be handled by the station's robotic arms. Unfortunately, the already-built modules were designed to be launched by the Shuttle. Some may be adaptable to a SDLV. And it's always open to Nasa to build replacements that can be launched by SDLV.