ISS To Be Deorbit in 2021

[Dammy]

http://news.discovery.com/space/space-station-end-ocean-110727.html

Great pity it was built to begin with since it's a waste of time, money, and effort.

 

[Argo]

Well, it's not like its modular or anything.... Where the modules could be replaced and upgraded.

 

[Robert]

Hope there's some sort of replacement planned but can't see it anytime soon.

 

[Robert]

Not everyone appears to agree:

Although Davydov told his interlocutors that 2020 would be the end of the ISS's mission, NASA and others – ISS partners also include Canada, the European Space Agency (ESA), and Japan – may see a longer life for the multibillion-dollar effort.
"The partnership is currently working to certify on-orbit elements through 2028," NASA spokesman Joshua Buck told Fox.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/27/russia_intends_to_dump_the_iss_into_the_sea/

 

[ltstanfo]

The Russians are just making noise again. They do this from time to time as a way to get more (insert choice of words here... attention, cash, operational command, etc...). The governing organization that oversees the ISS has no plans to "splash" the ISS in 2020. As a matter of fact, they are looking (evaluating) at a proposal to extend the life of the station for several years beyond.

As for the station not being modular, um... what definition of modular are you using? The whole station is modular. How do you think it was transported? The ONLY restriction to sending up new modules is the physical constraint (lifting thrust and payload dimensions) of the launch vehicle.

As for waste of time, money and effort.... it was vastly over budget and NASA, ESA and Russia share the blame on this one. Anytime you have an international effort of this magnitude it almost goes without saying. As for waste of time and effort, that remains to be seen (IMO).

By the way, look for the Chinese to attempt their own space station within 10 years. They are already working on their design which is a hybrid of the old Soviet Salyut and MIR designs. So their copy of a Russian station will be launched on their copy of a Soviet era launch vehicle with an estimated life span of just 2 years.

Regards,
Ltstanfo

 

[Dammy]

Well, it's not like its modular or anything.... Where the modules could be replaced and upgraded.

Problem is key components aren't designed to last forever, as are the connecting modules. Everything wears out, more so in LEO. I'll be happy when it's gone and off of NASA's budget. I rather see the money go to exploration and R&D. Russians may be sharing my POV to get it off their books as well.

Nope, I was wrong. Russians seem to be wanting some of their ISS modules to be reused in their own station: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Piloted_Assembly_and_Experiment_Complex

 

[faethor]

The Russians are just making noise again

Being they are the only nation with a manned space program they likely get a slightly larger vote than one might like them to have.

As for Dammy's waste of time charge. That's your opinion. There is information being gathered here that will be used to improve the chances of people in space longer. It's information we can only get by doing it. While that might not be important to you it's important to many others. I classify this as part of exploration.

 

[Dammy]

As for waste of time, money and effort.... it was vastly over budget and NASA, ESA and Russia share the blame on this one. Anytime you have an international effort of this magnitude it almost goes without saying. As for waste of time and effort, that remains to be seen (IMO).

It's in the wrong orbit to be useful. The original station was not going to be in that orbit (ie it would be in a useful orbit for micro gravity research) but the Russian's complained and insisted it had to go to the orbit it's in now. I think it had to do with Russians were unable to get to that orbit (with significant payload) was the main problem. The first Russian launch from French Guiana is set for this October which will almost double the payload into LEO.

 

[Dammy]

As for Dammy's waste of time charge. That's your opinion. There is information being gathered here that will be used to improve the chances of people in space longer. It's information we can only get by doing it. While that might not be important to you it's important to many others. I classify this as part of exploration.

So what great things have come out of the ISS vs what we would have gained by keeping the original design in the original orbit?It's been how long since the ISS was first manned and we have gotten what in it's return?

 

[faethor]

@Dammy:

ISS is a space research platform. There's definitely a few hundred experiments that have been published to date. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/389388main_ISS Science Report_20090030907.pdf and of course others to come.

Research is something that's always difficult to do a cost benefit analysis against. We'd have to know the outcome to assign a cost. The point of research is to find new outcomes.

I fall back on this is your opinion. And it's my opinion it has done good. The point of contention here is if the person sees value to the research. You don't find value in new methods to deliver cancer killing treatments. Having lost loved ones to cancer I find value in something like that. You think food preservation methods are good enough. Myself I realize that evolution marches on and we need those found new methods as alternatives in our arsenal of weapons against bacteria and disease. New materials tested for their uses in space helps build our knowledge bank of useful materials to enhance future explorations. Certainly you claimed to value exploration but perhaps not.