Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by echoangle 40 days ago
I would call the ISS a permanent station.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station#:~...

> It is made of non-replaceable parts

Every part of the ISS is replaceable if you want to.

> it only has very limited life support supplies on board (month scale)

I still don't see why self-sustainability is a part of being "permanent".
1 comments
SideburnsOfDoom 40 days ago
> I would call the ISS a permanent station.

Since the ISS end of life is scheduled for 2030 - just four years from now - I really would not call it "permanent". Even if gets a few years reprieve, that's quite temporary.

> Every part of the ISS is replaceable if you want to.

There comes a point with buildings and with space stations where tearing down and completely replacing them is a better and cheaper option than repairing or extending them. The ISS is nearing that point.

link
echoangle 40 days ago
Something that was permanent and is now scheduled for destruction is still permanent, no?

Or can we at least agree that it was permanent at some point of its life?

> There comes a point with buildings and with space stations where tearing down and completely replacing them is a better and cheaper option than repairing or extending them. The ISS is nearing that point.

Sure, but that's the case for everything, including permanent things. My house won't be around forever, I would still call it a permanent housing.

link
SideburnsOfDoom 40 days ago
> Something that was permanent and is now scheduled for destruction is still permanent, no?

No, the ISS never was permanent. It had a limited lifespan from the outset. It's actually beyond the original 15-year life. But it is not indefinite.

> The ISS was originally intended for a 15-year mission, but the mission has been repeatedly extended due to its success and support

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station#En...

> My house won't be around forever, I would still call it a permanent

That's true, in the sense that "A word means whatever I choose it to mean". If you were in a flat in an apartment building scheduled for demolition in 2030, would you call that "permanent housing" ?

link
echoangle 40 days ago
I think it depends on the context, but for a home, I would still call it permanent housing if it’s supposed to be demolished in 2070, but probably not by 2030.

I’m not sure the bases in Antarctica all have a set lifetime so it doesn’t really matter for the original point.

link