ISS Discussion Thread

[tater]

 

[Jeb x Valentina]

It's sad, but after being more than 20 years in orbit, NASA is considering retiring the ISS by 2024-2031, deorbiting it, and crashing it into point nemo (furthest point from any landmass) which is already a space station and sattelite grave)

Here is the location of point nemo, and the other station that ended up there, the Mir space station

And here you can see how far away it is from other landmasses

It will retire it to get back some funds, and the ISS is already quite old, and NASA wants to focus on other stuff like the artemis program.

Plus, Russia will possibly leave the ISS project by 2025, and the tension with Ukraine might speed it up

At least we got a lot of science from there, and Jeb could travel to it, at least once

YES, Jeb was on the ISS!

[NFUN]

in b4 merge

[tater]

Was extended to 2030.

[razark]

I say they should stick to tradition and dump it on Australia again.

[kerbiloid]

More tin plates for desert huts.

***

The Mysterious Island will grow at the Nemo point.

An aluminium underwater mountain sticking out of water.

With strange defense turrets on top, like in that 1973 series.

Spoiler

 

***
Unlikely something can affect the ISS lifespan, as it will probably get out of order before Artemis finishes selecting the systems design, while the Russian segment will physically separate even sooner.

[mikegarrison]

Some parts of the ISS are early 90s technology.

It used to be easier before computers. You could build an aqueduct and it is still standing 2000 years later. But nowadays, 30-year-old technology is *old*.

[kerbiloid]

Some parts of the ISS are mid-80s technology.

Siblings of Mir.

[SunlitZelkova]

1 hour ago, mikegarrison said:

Some parts of the ISS are early 90s technology.

It used to be easier before computers. You could build an aqueduct and it is still standing 2000 years later. But nowadays, 30-year-old technology is *old*.

It could still be useful. They could put it into GEO and use it for calibrating ground-based space surveillance systems. Or use it as a target for testing co-orbital ASAT fire control systems.

Or maybe Starship will be available to disassemble it so it can be moved to a purpose built museum.

In such a scenario, those buying it up would be random billionaires. We would just have to hope it goes to a public museum instead of ending up in some dude’s garage.

Auctioning off the modules would be way better than using taxpayer money to deorbit it.

Fun fact: Lunokhod 2 is owned by the son of astronaut Owen Garriott.

[kerbiloid]

57 minutes ago, SunlitZelkova said:

 Or use it as a target for testing co-orbital ASAT fire control systems.

Oh, yeah!

I recall the several months old story with Tselina-D.

~450 t of random scrap in random orbits are a thing! a lot of things!

58 minutes ago, SunlitZelkova said:

Fun fact: Lunokhod 2 is owned by the son of astronaut Owen Garriott.

Is he still paying for the parking place?

Edited June 14, 2022 by kerbiloid

[Superfluous J]

Sorry, but I've seen Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets so I know for a fact the ISS will live on for quite some time.

Okay that's a joke. I didn't watch the whole movie I had to stop halfway through because it was so bad.

But the first 10 minutes is pretty cool and shows the ISS essentially growing forever and being upgraded to a massive structure as technology allows.

[Jeb x Valentina]

12 hours ago, tater said:

Was extended to 2030.

I said 2024-2031

Edited June 14, 2022 by Jeb x Valentina

[tater]

3 hours ago, Jeb x Valentina said:

I said 2024-2031

Yeah, might well get deorbited soonish after 2030.

The current NASA plan is that Axiom is building several commercial modules that will be added to ISS, but the Axiom section is designed to detach and become a free flying station of its own. Then NASA can simply rent space on it.

 

They also have another program that Blue Origin and Sierra Nevada are working on for their own commercial stations, same deal.

We've also discussed this in the ISS thread:

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by tater

[Alyx0304]

I know this might sound dumb but, are there any other stations that may spring up after the ISS is gone? It's kinda weird to think of not having a permanent human presence in LEO

[mikegarrison]

9 hours ago, Superfluous J said:

Okay that's a joke. I didn't watch the whole movie I had to stop halfway through because it was so bad.

I didn't mind it. It was highly visual fluff.

[tater]

37 minutes ago, Alyx0304 said:

I know this might sound dumb but, are there any other stations that may spring up after the ISS is gone? It's kinda weird to think of not having a permanent human presence in LEO

The idea is that LEO remains continuously inhabited, just not on ISS, which is quite old. The only real purpose of ISS was to learn about human factors in a space environment (microgravity effects on health, life support systems, etc). Having learned a lot, a newer station could take those lessons and make something better.

 

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-companies-to-develop-commercial-destinations-in-space

 

https://www.nasa.gov/leo-economy/low-earth-orbit-economy/next-gen-commercial-stations-nasa-serious-business

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by tater

[kerbiloid]

Iirc, to the date the only expandable module is the shed of the Russian ISS segment.

Looks, like in KSP the expandability works better.

[SunlitZelkova]

3 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

Iirc, to the date the only expandable module is the shed of the Russian ISS segment.

Looks, like in KSP the expandability works better.

“Expansion” in their plans means tagging something new on to the ISS for a little while, then detaching it later and having it fly on its own.

The actual US Orbital Segment itself will go down in 2030 if it survives that long.

[Codraroll]

5 hours ago, Alyx0304 said:

I know this might sound dumb but, are there any other stations that may spring up after the ISS is gone? It's kinda weird to think of not having a permanent human presence in LEO

There's still the Chinese space station, which appears to be slated for continuous habitation. Russia is also dreaming of a space station of its own, although it's still mostly on the "please give us more money so we can make the dream more detailed" stage. And I think ESA, JAXA, and CSA would like to maintain some sort of collaboration about a destination station too, even if they don't have crew rockets of their own to go there.

[kerbiloid]

6 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

“Expansion” in their plans means tagging something new on to the ISS for a little while, then detaching it later and having it fly on its own.

The actual US Orbital Segment itself will go down in 2030 if it survives that long.

I mean the Bigelow-style hype several years ago.

5 hours ago, Codraroll said:

Russia is also dreaming of a space station of its own

ROSS is not an inhabited station plan. It's a visitable station project.

5 hours ago, Codraroll said:

although it's still mostly on the "please give us more money so we can make the dream more detailed"

Yes, NASA plans are such ones.

 

5 hours ago, Codraroll said:

And I think ESA, JAXA, <...> would like to maintain some sort of collaboration about a destination station too

Previously: modules for somebody else station or shuttle.

And no, unlikely they will. Especially now.

***

Looks like there is no reasonable project of orbital station at all anywhere.

(China will probably finish its half-Mir, but mostly for XP and level up.)

So, ISS has non-zero chances to become the first orbital craft with fusion powerplant.

Edited June 15, 2022 by kerbiloid

[tater]

2 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

I mean the Bigelow-style hype several years ago.

NASA came up with the idea,  Bigelow made their tiny BEAM module then folded, Nanoracks/Sierra Nevada look to continue with expandables (same NASA tech).

2 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

Looks like there is no reasonable project of orbital station at all anywhere.

Axiom is certainly happening.

BO wants their thing but they are as slow as their mascot. Slower, even.

The first Crew Starship to reach orbit is an instant ISS+ (similar pressurized volume, likely far more usable crew volume).

[kerbiloid]

28 minutes ago, tater said:

Axiom

 

28 minutes ago, tater said:

reasonable

 

[Codraroll]

3 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

Yes, NASA plans are such ones.

The difference is that NASA actually has money, and the US has a space industry that actively develops new hardware (not just pretends to develop while all the funds are being embezzled).

[kerbiloid]

46 minutes ago, Codraroll said:

The difference is that NASA actually has money

I see. Without money who could bt a six-seat capsule for a billion.

Still no OS, alas.

[tater]

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-first-commercial-destination-module-for-international-space-station

"On Feb. 28, 2020, NASA awarded Axiom a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum potential value, inclusive of options, of $140 million over an up to seven-year ordering period consisting of a five-year base period and a two-year option. "

Chump change. Axiom wants to build it anyway.

The other LEO station concepts have also been given a little bit of money. The goal is commercial stations with NASA as an anchor customer.