http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/12/AR2009071201977.html?hpid=topnews
I can see the eBay listings now...
I can see the eBay listings now...
International Space Station to be de-orbited in 2016??
- Thread starter Candlelight
- Start date
They've got to be kidding. 
Hopefully, this is just an attempt to get public support. It would be insane to destroy this thing so soon. It was insane to destroy Skylab and Mir. Bloody Hell....
Hopefully, this is just an attempt to get public support. It would be insane to destroy this thing so soon. It was insane to destroy Skylab and Mir. Bloody Hell....
Skylab wasn't de-orbited..it crashed on it's own...NASA's original plans were for Skylab to be re-furbished and used as the ISS is being used currently..but Shuttle flights weren't initiated until 2 years after Skylab fell..so the Shuttle had no destination until docking with Mir was allowed in the 90s
Never say never. To many, manned spaceflight and exploration is still regarded as a luxury not a necessity, so when budget time comes around, it's not surprising that suspicious eyes are cast NASA's way.
I wouldn't be surprised if they do bring it down in 2016 rather than keep throwing money at it to keep it operational. Of course, they could sell the thing to private companies, I guess.
Only another space race between the U.S. and another country will make space a governmental priority again, IMO...
I wouldn't be surprised if they do bring it down in 2016 rather than keep throwing money at it to keep it operational. Of course, they could sell the thing to private companies, I guess.
Only another space race between the U.S. and another country will make space a governmental priority again, IMO...
From the article:
By and far the stupidest thing stated in this article. Are you kidding? Just give the Chinese an orbiting platform? Yeah, that's a genius idea.
Honestly, having been born in 1987, this is NASA's biggest accomplishments in my lifetime, certainly one of humanity's most impressive engineering feats, and I feel a little sad that they would take it down not long after its completion. At least you baby boomers had the moon landings.
By and far the stupidest thing stated in this article. Are you kidding? Just give the Chinese an orbiting platform? Yeah, that's a genius idea.
Honestly, having been born in 1987, this is NASA's biggest accomplishments in my lifetime, certainly one of humanity's most impressive engineering feats, and I feel a little sad that they would take it down not long after its completion. At least you baby boomers had the moon landings.
I actually think it's a great idea. China currently has the resources and man power to go beyond what Nasa would ever hope to achieve, and eventually might allow a Chinese ship to reach the moon, thus scaring the shit out of the Americans/Russians/Europeans and starting another space race.
Although I have to say it is an ironic statement; the so-named International Space Station is still run by the US, and giving it to the Chinese just sounds weird.
Yes, because with an orbiting platform they could ... uh, do research! We can't let the Chinese do that.
Seriously though, we're not talking about North Korea here. The Chinese are not going to put nukes or giant death rays on the ISS.
Yeah, but a $50bn space station is an aweful nice reward for annexing Tibet, supporting the genocide of 1/3rd of all living Cambodians, giving nuclear weapons to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, starving 40 million of its citizens, and attempting to invade India, don't ya think? 
Just let a consortium of contries including the USA, EU, Japan, China and India run it.
Just let a consortium of contries including the USA, EU, Japan, China and India run it.
Yeah, but a $50bn space station is an aweful nice reward for annexing Tibet, supporting the genocide of 1/3rd of all living Cambodians, giving nuclear weapons to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, starving 40 million of its citizens, and attempting to invade India, don't ya think?
Just let a consortium of contries including the USA, EU, Japan, China and India run it.
They've got to be kidding.
Hopefully, this is just an attempt to get public support. It would be insane to destroy this thing so soon. It was insane to destroy Skylab and Mir. Bloody Hell....
Yeah, but a $50bn space station is an aweful nice reward for annexing Tibet, supporting the genocide of 1/3rd of all living Cambodians, giving nuclear weapons to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, starving 40 million of its citizens, and attempting to invade India, don't ya think?
Just let a consortium of contries including the USA, EU, Japan, China and India run it.
They've got to be kidding.
Hopefully, this is just an attempt to get public support. It would be insane to destroy this thing so soon. It was insane to destroy Skylab and Mir. Bloody Hell....
What the hell, what is that even supposed to mean? You said nothing. Does it mean you disagree? That you do agree and are likewise frustrated?
Well since you said nothing, I'll just take any opinion from you as meaning nothing.
Yeah, but they let it crash. Skylab and Mir could have been pushed to higher orbits to preserve them.
waiting for 2016.
Yeah, but a $50bn space station is an aweful nice reward for annexing Tibet, supporting the genocide of 1/3rd of all living Cambodians, giving nuclear weapons to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, starving 40 million of its citizens, and attempting to invade India, don't ya think?
Just let a consortium of contries including the USA, EU, Japan, China and India run it.
Oh, I realize China's a pretty horrible regime, but we're not talking about a military base here. It would be best if the world continues to control the ISS, but if it comes down to deorbiting it or giving it to China it's a no-brainer. Letting China administer a research station is far from dangerous.
Yeah, but a $50bn space station is an aweful nice reward for annexing Tibet, supporting the genocide of 1/3rd of all living Cambodians, giving nuclear weapons to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, starving 40 million of its citizens, and attempting to invade India, don't ya think?
Just let a consortium of contries including the USA, EU, Japan, China and India run it.
Oh, I realize China's a pretty horrible regime, but we're not talking about a military base here. It would be best if the world continues to control the ISS, but if it comes down to deorbiting it or giving it to China it's a no-brainer. Letting China administer a research station is far from dangerous.
Until they start to go lax on maintenance, eventually de-orbit it and it "accidentely" hits a populated area. Come on, can you really put something like that past them? They've already proven irresponsible in space; just look at their anti-satellite test a few years back.
If they're going to give it away, they should give it to Scaled Composites. 
They've got to be kidding.
Hopefully, this is just an attempt to get public support. It would be insane to destroy this thing so soon. It was insane to destroy Skylab and Mir. Bloody Hell....
Mir was a orbiting scrap-heap being held together with duct-tape and glue. It was well past its time to be destroyed.
De-orbiting the ISS? Would be a shame and ridiculous considering how much money and time we've invested in the thing. Destroying it would mean no one taking NASA seriously again on anything they want to do. Everyone would be, "Yeah, but what about the ISS? Remember? You deoribited it after only a few years of operation?"
No, the ISS is important to continue using for many reasons.
Agreed. NASA would never go back to the moon or mars if they ditched the ISS now.
May as well had Mars to the Chinese on a silver platter.
May as well had Mars to the Chinese on a silver platter.
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