Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by andrewl-hn 2257 days ago
I agree to almost all points, but de-orbiting ISS would be a waste. Dozens of astronauts go there (and to Mir before that) every year for decades, and yet every day their work time is packed with scientific experiments. Sure, some of that work could be done by automatic labs, but humans can do a lot of things machines still can't. So, it's a valuable source of data and knowledge that we wouldn't get otherwise.

ISS is expected to function for another 10 years, and its lifetime is very likely to be extended further. Big part of ongoing expenses is transportation of materials and personnel, but it will be lowered over time due to competition.

1 comments

I've suspected for a couple of decades now that the most significant science aboard the ISS is simply living in space.

What are the impacts on individual human bodies, on equipment, crews, projects, international collaboration and cooperation.

But mostly uman-body effects so far as I can make out.

Transfer of which to terrestrial use is nonzero, but likely limited.

I've periodically requested lists of acievements in other fields -- the supposed actual intent of the station. Answers have been ... vague.

Nasa's own list:

Space Station Research Goals, NASA Research:

- Space Life and Physical Sciences

- Research and Applications

- Human Research Program

- Science Mission Directorate

- Advanced Exploration Systems

- Space Technology Mission Directorate

Similarly here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20080123150641/http://pdlprod3.h...

Astronomy, planetary science, reconnaissance, and communications seem to make up the lions share of the remainder.