The ISS de-orbit

[Dogsbd]

Who could even privately afford the ISS?

Anyone could, if ISS was being offered up practically for free. And if the choice was to:

a. spend millions on a mission to deorbit it
b. give it to someone who would continue to operate it at no cost to you and still offer you some access if you needed/wanted it.

...the decision to give it away would be easy, for me at least.

I mean, if say I bought it, (example ) how could I turn profit from it?

You or I probably couldn't. But Robert Bigelow, Elon Musk or Richard Branson might.

 

[chris]

When was the last time that there were *no* humans at all in space, outside Earth's atmosphere? It must be before the launch of Mir. It would be very sad if we return to that time.

 

[DaveS]

Sorry, everyone this is the cold hard truth: When NASA decides to fund ISS operations no more, that will be the end of ISS. NASA owns and funds more of ISS operations than the Russians.

They own and control the following ISS elements:
Node 1
Node 2
Node 3
US Lab
Joint Airlock Module
S0
S1
S3
S4
S5
S6
P1
P3
P4
P5
P6
Z1

All those elements listed above are controlled and operated by Flight Control Teams at NASA's Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. They work 24/7/365.25.

Annually the ISS funding is about $4.5 Not to mention that NASA owns all the electrical power generated by the US Solar Array Wings.

So when NASA quits as an ISS partner, that's it for ISS unless somebody else can cough up enough funds for continued operations of the USOS. And NASA will still then insist on being in charge of USOS daily operations through the ISS FCR in the MCC at JSC.

That's just the cold hard truth.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Sorry, everyone this is the cold hard truth: When NASA decides to fund ISS operations no more, that will be the end of ISS.

Indeed, and the Orions will have nowhere to go. This only can happen if NASA decides to dump the manned space programme at whole.

 

[dougkeenan]

WHEN will the moon base be capable of that? Can you imagine how much farm land you alone require each month?

Assuming relatively inexpensive energy? About 330 square meters per person.

 

[Bj]

Assuming relatively inexpensive energy? About 330 square meters per person.

how do you figure?

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

Annually the ISS funding is about $4.5

If that's all the US government can give to the ISS, then let me add some funds

 

[dougkeenan]

how do you figure?

I got curious while modeling MBA and did research into self-contained ecosystems. I own a hydroponics store in the non-Orbiter world (!) and the science seems credible enough. Might even make an interesting add-on?

 

[Lunar Pilot]

Lunar Farms

You know, all you have to do is have a base on the Lunar North Pole, or the Lunar South Pole, the regions there get sunlight practically all year long, 24/7. Of course, there is a small period of time where the sun sets, but hey, that's what rechargeable batteries are for, right?

 

[ryan]

You know, all you have to do is have a base on the Lunar North Pole, or the Lunar South Pole, the regions there get sunlight practically all year long, 24/7. Of course, there is a small period of time where the sun sets, but hey, that's what rechargeable batteries are for, right?

Did that have anything with the idea of the ISS de-orbit?

 

[apollo13]

Just remember: Mir got deorbited by a Progress freighter.

So, whats the point of having thrusters to raise the stations orbit, if a progress can do it?

@Ryan

Stop, he's just posting an idea.

 

[Cairan]

ISS plane change

One thing we are overlooking is the possibility of using ISS's power supply and an ion engine or powered tether to very slowly push it to a more favorable inclination. The real issue with ISS being a dead-end is the fact it's inclined so much in respect to the ecliptic...

Get that down to 28.5 so you can reach it due east from the Cape and without too much loss from Guyana and you have the added benefit of the station being twice a year in periods of favorable inclination to reach other planets.

That 70-something inclination is what will get these orbital cans canned...