END OF THE ISS

[robbie c]

Have read that the ISS will be sunk in the Pacific after it is decommissioned to ensure no junk remains in orbit above the Earth, I can remember the same thing happening to Mir back in 2001 I think it will be a sad day when it happens but it will not be until 2020:icon_sad:

[russ]

Amazing how quick that date will come round though.

[Psychobilly]

Very Sad

But should be spectacular I wonder if they will break it up before re-entry...

[shaunster]

Sad.. BUT.. we need to move on from just orbiting the earth

[russ]

Sad.. BUT.. we need to move on from just orbiting the earth

Only trouble is, will we ever move on?

[shaunster]

Only trouble is, will we ever move on?

My guess is China will.

[Psychobilly]

The way things are going then no country can afford it... perhaps big science will be the next casualty.... and instead of going to CERN they will instead go to the local pond with a magnifying glass in hand and some bread to feed the ducks...

[russ]

My guess is China will.

I don't think things are particularly healthy with China either. They currently give the impression of being prosperous but it's all facade. Behind the front things are not good at all.

As Peter says, i don't think there is a country now that can realistically support a serious space program financially. Popping up satellites and probes is just about the best we'll get i reckon.

[Psychobilly]

China has been buying up US debt... and that's about to go pear shaped... oops straying into politics...

Personally I reckon it would be better if they could focus on a decent series of probe missions... and abandon manned space flight...

[studio1one]

As long as NASA carry on with LISA I will be happy enough. Not looking great for the project though.

[Moonshane]

really sad I agree but was the ISS not a major colaboration between many countries? surely this is the way forward in the future too?

[laser_jock99]

Should be a spectacular burn up though!

[Psychobilly]

I guess the ISS project was around when everyone "supposedly" had plenty of money...

[Moonshane]

I can recall watching Mir burn up each evening in the south from my garden before I was into astronomy in any way. always stationary and through the binoculars glistening brightly in many many colours. I now realise of course that I was watching Sirius!!

[starstalker]

might be a silly question but why does it have to be brought back down at all?

[Stu]

Because it's better to bring out down in a controlled fashion ie into the Pacific, than risk it hitting a populated area, however unlikely.that is.

It has to be boosted into higher orbits every now and then because there is still some atmospheric drag up there, however small, which would eventually cause it's orbit to decay and it would fall to earth

Stu

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[starstalker]

so they cant just keep boosting it up?

[Shibby]

That is sad, where did you read it? I ask because often space missions have an official target end date but often it gets extended.

[russ]

When is HST expected to tumble back? Isn't that around the same time?

[Stu]

I think it was originally only committed through until 2015 which seems crazily short given the effort and cost which has gone into it. It was extended through until 2020 relatively recently I think (a year or so ago)

The expense of further missions to boost it can't be justified if it's not being used. I guess that it's such a harsh environment up there that it will start to creak at the seams by 2020. Not what you really need up there! :-o :-)

Stu

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[FraserClarke]

Check out this graph of the orbital height of the ISS over the past decade;

File:Internationale Raumstation Bahnhöhe (dumb version).png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Seems it loses a kilometer or two every week!! That's a lot of boosting to be done...

[Psychobilly]

I suppose you could "argue" that If you don't have a reliable cheap bus to get you there what's the point of making the journey... especially when the only bus stop is in Russia...

I guess they could boost it using un-manned craft...

[BlueAstra]

Can I get a refund on my iphone ISS app when it ditches?

[Axe]

send it to mars to orbit...then when we go we have a docking station!

[jaquesnoir]

I wonder how much it would cost to boost it way out into a far orbit and just park it in storage? Could be useful in the future and seems such a waste of all the energy getting it up that far.