ISS May Not Survive
In a hearing held yesterday on the status of the space shuttle and the International Space Station, former manager of NASA’s space station program Tommy Holloway testified that getting stuff up to the space station might not be possible when the shuttle is retired.
Apparently, the vehicles that will replace the space shuttle aren’t even close to being ready. NASA plans to retire the shuttle in 2010 after which time, there’ll be no way to get repair parts, food, water and fuel up to the ISS.
So, a report issued in February warned:
Since it takes two to three years to manufacture and prepare such vehicles for flight, NASA needs to start making the necessary arrangements now if it is to have the extra capacity available by 2010. (Full Article)
I imagine what will happen is that NASA will do nothing and when it comes time for the shuttles to retire, will probably kill the ISS program. I think this is a very good thing because there’s not much science to be done on the station anyway and it keeps NASA from spending resources on better conceived and implemented programs.
As it stands, the lion’s share of shuttle missions are for the ISS, 18 of the 28 or so missions planned by 2010 will be for the ISS.
I wish I could support the ISS program, but I think it’s too poorly managed and lacks focus. For the money, there are much better things NASA could be doing.
Image Credit: ESA - D. Ducros
Technorati Tags: International Space Station, ISS, NASA, space shuttle
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POSTED IN: NASA, space program
4 opinions for ISS May Not Survive
Astroprof
Jul 26, 2007 at 7:22 am
My understanding is that it takes a crew of two to operate the ISS, and the rest of the crew is then available to do science work. With a crew of three, that doesn’t leave much. When the Shuttle isn’t flying, all that the Progress modules can do is supply enough for a crew of two, so no science to speak of was done during the time that the Shuttle was out of commission, and none will be done after the Shuttle retires.
ISS has been a giant money black hole for NASA. Part of the reason is that there has not been a willingness to spend what it would take to do it right. And, unless you spend enough, then all you are doing is throwing good money after bad. NASA was to have developed a crew vehicle that would permit an escape craft for more than three occupants. They won’t crew the ISS without an escape craft big enough for the whole crew. The Russians can not afford to double the number of Soyuz craft in order to double the crew size. Besides, double the crew size means far more shuttle flights, and NASA won’t do that. And, of course, without the Shuttle, they won’t be able to maintain even a crew of three on board.
Oh, and really all but one of the remaining Space Shuttle flights are going to the ISS. The others not listed for the ISS are one servicing mission to Hubble and a number of “contingency” flights that will be flown to rescue crew trapped in space by a shuttle damaged during liftoff. Those “contingency” flights will only be flown in such emergency, and will not be flown otherwise. Thus, as it stands, all remaining future flights, other than the Hubble servicing mission, will be to the ISS.
Dave
Jul 26, 2007 at 4:20 pm
It appears NASA is self-destructing… if the latest news reports are accurate.. Astronauts getting blasted before blast-off…
MANJU M MELAVANKI
Apr 23, 2008 at 6:08 am
you are realy great keep it up
MANJU M MELAVANKI
Apr 23, 2008 at 6:10 am
I WANT GO TO I S S . PLEASE HELP ME
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