Russia planning de-orbit of ISS in 2020

[Candlelight]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/5351998/Russia-plots-International-Space-Station-crash-in-2020

A top Russian space official says his agency plans to sink the mammoth International Space Station in 2020.
Deputy head of Russia's federal space agency Roscosmos Vitaly Davydov said early today (NZ time) that the station "cannot be left in orbit" after it stops operation.
He said in a web-posted statement that the station will have to be de-orbited in a "planned crash so that there is no space junk left behind."

Russia sank its Mir space station in the Pacific in 1998 after five years in operation.

And then what? Just seems like a big waste of money if it's only gonna be up there a short while.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

They started building it in 1998. 22 years is hardly a "short while." It was originally intended to only last until 2015-16 to begin with, so 2020 is actually beyond its planned lifespan.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I know they're the only ones really capable of maintaining it, but I hope it isn't a unilateral decision to deorbit it. In the end, it seems like the right call, though.

 

[ares93]

Still, if there is room, maybe they should leave it up for emergencies. Well not necessarily the entire thing, but at least a part of it. I have to point this out, being a strong supporter of Murphy's law an all.

 

[B.J.]

Russia sank its Mir space station in the Pacific in 1998 after five years in operation.

I think they need to check their facts. It was built between 1986 and 1996, occupied (intermittently) between 1986 and 2000, and deorbited in 2001.

As for the ISS, anyone else think this is another attempt by Russia to get more money for the program?

 

[ares93]

^ Well they're still living under the mistaken impression that they're a superpower. So I'll have to say yes.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Well, I don't like that idea. I still hate that Skylab and Mir have been lost. I'd rather see the thing pushed up to a higher orbit and preserved.

 

[Candlelight]

Well, I don't like that idea. I still hate that Skylab and Mir have been lost. I'd rather see the thing pushed up to a higher orbit and preserved.

Or at the very least shove it far out into Lunar orbit or many even a Langragian Point.

Start an orbit museum.

 

[Canadave]

Well, I don't like that idea. I still hate that Skylab and Mir have been lost. I'd rather see the thing pushed up to a higher orbit and preserved.

Wouldn't it take a ridiculous amount of fuel to push something as big as the ISS up to an orbit high enough where it's going to be out of the way?

And I find it weird people are acting all surprised at this news. It's not like we've built Deep Space Nine up there; the ISS was always going to have a limited life span. Hell, the original plan would have seen it deorbited within the next five years...

 

[SG-17]

They should crash it onto the Moon.

 

[T'Girl]

A serious suggestions.

Maybe we can sell it to the Chinese?

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

They should crash it onto the Moon.

Or get some dude in a bathtub to fly it into the sun.

 

[Candlelight]

A serious suggestions.

Maybe we can sell it to the Chinese?

That's not a bad idea, then again I don't think it would work politically, especially as it's likely a Chinese flag will be on the moon before an American one.

Excluding the six moon landings, naturally.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Well, I don't like that idea. I still hate that Skylab and Mir have been lost. I'd rather see the thing pushed up to a higher orbit and preserved.

Or at the very least shove it far out into Lunar orbit or many even a Langragian Point.

Start an orbit museum.

That's exactly what I'd like to see.

Well, I don't like that idea. I still hate that Skylab and Mir have been lost. I'd rather see the thing pushed up to a higher orbit and preserved.

Wouldn't it take a ridiculous amount of fuel to push something as big as the ISS up to an orbit high enough where it's going to be out of the way?

Probably. I was just expressing dismay at these things that have been lost to History. On the other hand, somebody may be able to figure out a cheap way to do it. There was an interesting story in Analog a few years back that was based on the idea of the power generated by the Space Shuttle as it passes through the Earth's magnetic field. This causes the orbit to decay. What they did was use solar panels to pump energy back into the magnetic field which caused the Shuttle's orbit to increase without expending fuel. It might also be possible to use a couple of those ion engines to slowly inch it up to a high orbit over a period of months or years.

A serious suggestions.

Maybe we can sell it to the Chinese?

I don't know if they'd want it, but it would be better than a de-orbit.

 

[Mr Awe]

They started building it in 1998. 22 years is hardly a "short while." It was originally intended to only last until 2015-16 to begin with, so 2020 is actually beyond its planned lifespan.

Does change the fact that it was a big freaking waste of a money pit!!

Mr Awe

 

[Mr Awe]

A serious suggestions.

Maybe we can sell it to the Chinese?

They're on the verge of sending up their own space station.

Mr Awe

 

[Robert Maxwell]

They started building it in 1998. 22 years is hardly a "short while." It was originally intended to only last until 2015-16 to begin with, so 2020 is actually beyond its planned lifespan.

Does change the fact that it was a big freaking waste of a money pit!!

Mr Awe

Space exploration in general is a "money pit."

 

[YellowSubmarine]

"planned crash so that there is no space junk left behind."

Will it be crashed on Russian Earth territory or on Russian Moon territory though?

 

[B.J.]

In Soviet Russia, territory crash on you!

(Sorry, couldn't help myself.)

 

[Mr Awe]

They started building it in 1998. 22 years is hardly a "short while." It was originally intended to only last until 2015-16 to begin with, so 2020 is actually beyond its planned lifespan.

Does change the fact that it was a big freaking waste of a money pit!!

Mr Awe

Space exploration in general is a "money pit."

I wouldn't say that. You have to look at the scientific bang per buck. The Shuttle and ISS are both money pits. Unmanned probes, are great investments. Lots of science for relatively peanuts.

Mr Awe