Space station may fall into disrepair

[arendt]

http://www.nature.com/news/2004/040920/full/040920-6.html

Failure to fix oxygen unit could leave orbiting lab crewless.

Without a working oxygen generator, the International Space Station could be left adrift.

© NASA

The International Space Station will be effectively condemned if crew members cannot repair its faulty oxygen generator by the end of next month, a British space scientist has warned.


<snip>

the United States may be turning its back on the space station, even if it overcomes its current problems. President George W. Bush has famously announced that he wants to see an American on Mars, a plan that would not involve the space station.

"The plan seems to be to phase out the space station by 2010 or thereabouts," Balogh says. If the United States wants to get to Mars, he adds, it will need to start by developing a fresh programme to go to the Moon, bypassing the stranded station on the way.

If the United States does give the space station the cold shoulder, its collaborators including Russia, Japan and Europe will not be impressed. They have all spent vast sums on the project, and would not appreciate being left in the lurch. "It's called the International Space Station for a reason," Balogh says.

<end>

--------------------

Another diplomatic and scientific trainwreck brought to you
by the flat-earth fundamentalists currently sacking the US
government.

arendt

[Jacobin]

1. but but but, I thought Smirky wanted to go to mars?

:shrug:

Haven't heard too much about that Mars "vision" lately, though.

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. The Mars mission is US-only...

...while the Space Station is fatally compromised by being a joint effort with foreigners.

[progressiveBadger]

5. Here's the plan

Let space station fall into disrepair.
Start the "race to mars" creating a massive slush fund.
Begin war in Iran and North Korea.
Citing concerns about the threat of Commu... er, I mean Nucler attacks from these countries, annex the space station and use the "Mars" funding to rebuild as a shiney new Missile defence system.

[Zerex71]

11. Yeah, *he* can go to Mars.

He's more than welcome to. Take Cheney with him.

[Endangered Specie]

3. Well, if It fails, now, less money will be wasted...

Thats the way I see it


Yes, I am for space exploration and whatnot but the ISS is a complete waste.

[arendt]

7. Fine, point taken. But Bush must be bashed for this.

Do you think a Democrat who killed a huge Military-Industrial
Complex project and screwed up international cooperation
would be left off scot-free?

If the Democrat did it to stop waste or to prevent environmental
damage, or whatever, the VWRC would be all over him for
weakening our space-based defense capability or for throwing
away our investment in a time of fiscal hardship.

The point is, Bush is on the verge of flushing a few more
tens of billions of dollars and pissing off more allies.

Yes the space station is now the space feeding trough for
corporate pigs, but it is another opportunity to bash Bush.

arendt

[MacDo]

4. That's too bad

Have always liked space. The idea of having people up there learning new things thrills me. Hope she makes it.

[readmylips]

6. I love it...let it fall

The Mission of the Space Station was for the betterment of humanity. Along the way, politicians changed the Mission to turn the Space Station into a military station able to be equipped with warheads. My hub and I worked on the Space Station Program from day one, and from day one we feared a reckless administration who would use the Station for other purposes than human research. The warhead thing was always in the back of our minds. We are retired now. When little bush came along, we knew he would be the one to change the course of the Mission.

We've been happy that the Space Station has turned into a failure. Cheering for the god damn thing fall to the ground. The world will be safer.

[WillyT]

8. Why Not... Everything Else Is !!!

rePublicans don't believe in Space anyhow!!!

:evilgrin:

[VegasWolf]

9. Yeah! If man was supposed to be in space the bible

would have said so.

[JPZenger]

10. Whatever Happened to Moon Base George?

George W. not only intended to start the multi-quintillion trip to Mars, he was also going to build a permanent moon base. Meanwhile, the Hubble Telescope was going to be allowed to become an orbiting paperweight, the Space Station was going to be left unfinished in violation of international agreements, and meaningful research by NASA on the Earth's environment was going to be cut. That's a great vision.

And we still can't get the Space Shuttle back into the sky -- we are relying upon jerry-rigged Russian space craft.

[theboss]

12. I am not sure if this station was ever a good idea

It has always seemed hugely expensive with limited advantages. And the history of space stations have not been encouraging.

When Kerry gets in (Most Merciful Lord Jesus....), one of his first moves should be to figure out what exactly the hell the goal of NASA is for the next 20 years.

[struggle4progress]

13. Why the f*ck would anybody of normal intelligence want to send ...

... PEOPLE to Mars if we could learn more and save money by sending ROBOTS instead?

[Deja Q]

14. Uh, wouldn't the space station be a potentially live saving step TO Mars?

And why is * so strung on going to the moon? Is there oil buried within?!

* the isolationist. One day, the world is going to take notice and react accordingly.