What does the ISS do?

[glazbagun]

Looking at this article, I'd forgotten just how substantial the ISS is.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-1298...

Wiki lists the scientific experiments carried out here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_research_o...

But most of it seems to be in the nature of "Experiment XTZ... but in weightlessness" Is that all the ISS does?

It'd be a shame to see the station decommisioned before another serious attempt on the Moon, or Mars, but within the present economy, I can see exactly that happening. Does anyone know the rationale for keeping the ISS project alive at the moment? Is it just to maintain an active space presence/core of experienced astronauts as opposed to having to start it all from scratch again at a later date?

Edited by glazbagun on Thursday 14th April 20:12

[Fatman2]

I don't think it'll be long before the Chinese have put a man on the moon.

Interesting article though. Here's another website that gives a timeline of the construction of the ISS up to 2008. Enjoy!

http://i.usatoday.net/tech/graphics/iss_timeline/f...

[Brighton Derly]

Orbits the earth.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

It flys over every so often and looks cool.

[Simpo Two]

This is the problem with having a programme with no clear objective.

WW2: Clear objective. Tick.
Apollo: Clear objective. Tick.

Afganistan: No clear objective
ISS: No clear objective


And perhaps that is why politicians like them - because if it fails, it doesn't matter very much.

[Hooli]

Simpo Two said:

And perhaps that is why politicians like them - because if it fails, pretend it was doing something else.

EFA

[FourWheelDrift]

It's up there so when the passing Vulcan spaceship sees it they'll know we are advanced enough for first contact.

[dudleybloke]

its a very sneaky tax haven for the illuminati.

[Eric Mc]

To be srious for a bit, there is a lot of science being conducted on the station - mainly life sciences (biology, microbiology), earth resources science and chemistry.

However, a lot of this is fairly mundane and not attention grabbbing so doesn't get any real coverage from the mainstream media.

It's main legacy will be that we are gradually amassing vast amnounts of data on what it tak3es to live long term in space which will all be very useful if and when we start pushing out into the solar system and neyond.

As for China, yes, they have plans to send men to the moon but they as yet do not have a significant lunar programme so I do not see them doing anything in this area for another 20 years.

[Simpo Two]

dudleybloke said:

its a very sneaky tax haven for the illuminati.

It certainly gives a new dimension (literally) to 'offshore'! What altitude does HMRC's remit go to I wonder?






There you go - space and tax in one go - Eric, this is your new vocation

[Eric Mc]

So far no British UK tax resident has been on board the space station so there are no tax cases. Based on the longest stayers who have frequented either the ISS or Mir, if any of them had been Brits none would have been on board long enough to qualify for non-residence status.

And before anyone shouts "Michael Foale", although born British, he took out US citizenship so he could train as an astronaut and is, of course, a US resident. ]
Helen Sharman was only on board Mir for a very short time.

[Efbe]

Eric Mc said:

As for China, yes, they have plans to send men to the moon but they as yet do not have a significant lunar programme so I do not see them doing anything in this area for another 20 years.

I severely doubt even in 20 years.

putting a man in space is a whole different ball game to landing on the moon.

I doubt they will do it this century or at all. given that the current leadership will not expect this to be achievable in their lives they probably won't bother with it too much.

[anonymous-user]

It keeps this chap in a job....

[Simpo Two]

[Eric Mc]

I always preferred Scott.

[Simpo Two]

Too bad; you'll be based at Tracy Island and they haven't done the books since 1968

[Eric Mc]

I always lmew that Jeff Tracy was a bit of a scam merchant.

[Caruso]

One unsung benefit of the ISS is that it has set a precedent for former adversaries to work together on a project too big for any one of them to be able to afford alone. It offers much better foreign policy value than a war on incursion costing 10 times as much.

[dudleybloke]

how long before there's a subway or starbucks up there?

[Simpo Two]

dudleybloke said:

how long before there's a subway or starbucks up there?

Not before a Tesco supermarket I expect. Multilevel marketing or wot eh?!