ISS service extended!

[DerekL1963]

Actually one good proposal I saw was advertising. Seems tacky and to be honest it is. But there are some company's that would pay alot to stick there name tag on it. Hell Coca cola for one being the red planet. The first modules on mars may very well have logos all over them.

There's not enough surface area on the Graf Zepplin to put enough advertising, let alone on the surface of a Mars bound spacecraft. Given how few people are interested in space, companies aren't going to pay very much considering the brief time the advertising will be visible in the media. (Not to mention the possibility of being associated with deaths if there is a problem on the mission.) You folks seriously overestimate the amount of money to be made from advertising.

[Mitchz95]

Generate revenue how? What could a private company possibly want from a crewed Mars landing?

Publicity, for one thing. Also, developing the technology to land on Mars could pave the way to mining operations.

[DerekL1963]

Publicity, for one thing. Also, developing the technology to land on Mars could pave the way to mining operations.

A crewed Mars landing would cost probably $1x10^5 or better more than any possible publicity value.

The same goes for mining - after having spent hundreds of billions to develop even the tiniest mining operation... who are they going to sell to that can afford the resulting prices?

Seriously, can I have some of whatever you're smoking?

[Nibb31]

Is such scenario possible - after lack of funding to sustain ISS its being sold to provate company whith turns it intospace hotel?

No because a hotel for 6 people (4 guests plus 2 crew members) isn't going to be worth billions. Most billionnaires will get bored after a few days floating in zero-g and looking out of the Cupola with no broadband or TV.

Also, when the ISS is retired, it will be because it reaches its end of life and it will start costing more to maintain than building a new one. Selling it off to a private investor doesn't all of a sudden reset the mileage counter. It will still be an old leaking space station that will cost more to maintain than building a new one.

Or even if Zarya/Unity and Truss will have to be scrapped, some components will still coudl be used. Some prossurized modules? For some space company low on budget.

No they can't. Its not just a bits of Lego bolted together. Everything is interconnected, with power lines, fluid lines, coolant loops, networking, ventilation. It took 10 years of continuous EVAs to build and integrate everything. You can't just disconnect a module and use it on another station.

[Albert VDS]

No because a hotel for 6 people (4 guests plus 2 crew members) isn't going to be worth billions. Most billionnaires will get bored after a few days floating in zero-g and looking out of the Cupola with no broadband or TV.

Really? Where astronauts wish they had more time on the ISS to look at the Earth and just have fun floating around, the billionaires will be the opposite? I highly doubt that.

[kiwiak]

You can't just disconnect a module and use it on another station.

But russians plan to do that.

[Ralathon]

But russians plan to do that.

That's because their module is designed for it, the rest of the ISS isn't.

[DerekL1963]

Really? Where astronauts wish they had more time on the ISS to look at the Earth and just have fun floating around, the billionaires will be the opposite? I highly doubt that.

The astronauts are busy working, the billionaires are doing nothing but floating around. Apples and oranges to the nth degree.

[NASAFanboy]

We will not see a manned trip to Mars in the next 50 years.

We will not see a manned trip to Saturn in the next century, possibly we will never see one. Why exactly should we go to Saturn?

Quite some hardcore pessimist we got here. I'm going to insult you, but I believe in an manned mission to Mars by 2035, a manned mission to Jupiter around 2070, and an manned interstellar missions around 2150. Just my 0.02$. Please don't reply or quote this part of the post.

But anyways, I'm glad the ISS got a service life extension. I think it will likely hang around until 2028, or possibly 2040 at the ultimate limit. Its already starting to show signs of age

[Javster]

Its old and parts are starting to fail. Eventually the upkeep wont be worth it. Whats the point of constantly replacing broken parts? I say let the thing burn and build a new one. Out with the old in with the new.

Well, MIR was falling apart before they stopped its use...

[crazyewok]

a manned mission to Jupiter around 2070,

Manned saturn yes but manned Jupiter no thats one planet we wont be able to get near due to the intense radiation.

[NASAFanboy]

Well, MIR was falling apart before they stopped its use...

Mir almost killed its crew twice. Not a good example.

@Crazy. We can go to Callisto. NASA even did a study on it and deemed it fully plausible by 2040.

[Seret]

Manned saturn yes

Why manned? It's not like you'd be planting flags or digging up rocks.

[Wahgineer]

Why should we go to Saturn? Why should we go to Mars? Heck, why is NASA researching the Allcubbiere Drive? Because it is human nature to push boundaries, to crush and circumvent obstacles, to make the impossible an everyday occurrence, to nurture and support and care for something no matter what, to learn new things, see new things, apply new things, to show that just because someone says no doesn't mean that they are right, to make life better and more wonderful for the next generation than the last, to prove ourselves, to grow, to mature, to protect, to see the glory of the universe for ourselves, and not through the eyes of a machine.. These are the things that make us Human. These are the reasons why we go, why we strive to reach the outer planets, why we pour our efforts into the allcubiere drive, in the hopes that, someday, we will reach out for the stars, and claim the galaxy as our own. THAT is why we should go.

[kiwiak]

Why manned? It's not like you'd be planting flags or digging up rocks.

Because adventure.

[Seret]

Because adventure.

I think I'd be more convinced if you'd told me there were cookies there.

Probes FTW. Humans suck at space exploration.

[Nibb31]

Sending a manned mission just so that people can look out of a window is pretty pointless.

[crazyewok]

Why manned? It's not like you'd be planting flags or digging up rocks.

MOONS!

Flip its pretty obviolus I was not talking about landing on the planet itself.

Enceladus and titan are in my opinion more intresting than mars.

[PakledHostage]

Because adventure.

Adventures make you late for dinner!

ten characters

[crazyewok]

Probes FTW. Humans suck at space exploration.

Human are going to have to learn to move on off this rock in the next hundred years or so. We cant surport our growing population with the resources and space we have on earth unless you fancy living in dissmal conditions that will make you want to live of Venus, even if living mean burning and being crushed to death horribly.

To me its not about exploration but future explotation of the solar system.

[crazyewok]

Sending a manned mission just so that people can look out of a window is pretty pointless.

If it was up to you it seems we would all just stay at home and do nothing.

[PakledHostage]

If it was up to you it seems we would all just stay at home and do nothing.

No, instead of putting all of our eggs in one basket we'd spend the money on dozens of robotic missions and do far more valuable science in the process. The benefits of developing that technology would help solve some of the problems that humanity faces here on earth too.

[crazyewok]

No, instead of putting all of our eggs in one basket we'd spend the money on dozens of robotic missions and do far more valuable science in the process.

If it was up to me I would slash militray spending by 10-20% in the USA and across the EU and dump $100 billion into both NASA and the ESA with the money saved. Give them the resorces to do what needs to be done.

[Nibb31]

Human are going to have to learn to move on off this rock in the next hundred years or so. We cant surport our growing population with the resources and space we have on earth unless you fancy living in dissmal conditions that will make you want to live of Venus, even if living mean burning and being crushed to death horribly.

To me its not about exploration but future explotation of the solar system.

Moving off-planet to compensate for overpopulation is a stupid idea. Have you any idea how much energy would be involved in sending billions of people to Mars? You're talking about millions of tons of human flesh that you need to accelerate from zero to 27000 km/h.

If the problem is overpopulation, it's just a tad bit easier to simply distribute contraceptives and condoms.

[crazyewok]

Moving off-planet to compensate for overpopulation is a stupid idea. Have you any idea how much energy would be involved in sending billions of people to Mars? You're talking about millions of tons of human flesh that you need to accelerate from zero to 27000 km/h.

Yeah useing rockets.

Who knows what we will have a few decades from now or a century. Hell we can move stuff offword in large amounts now is we went down the nuclear option. Anyway its more the resources I thinking than actually moving people.