AMS is certainly going to be one of the most scientifically interesting pieces of ISS. But while it may nicely illustrate the versatility of ISS, there are no capabilities that could not have been engineered into AMS as a free-flyer. That was an option, when ISS was going to be taken off line, that would have cost about $400M. What Sam Ting got out of the deal, putting it on ISS with Shuttle, was a free ride from SOMD Launch Services Program, much as HST did. SOMD also funded the integration for AMS, essentially providing it with a free spacecraft. Given that ISS managers were desperate to associate ISS with high priority science, that was a politically astute move on Ting’s part.

Ah, thanks for the insight.
All I’ve heard so far was that making it a free-flyer would have been vastly more expensive due to the power requirements, but $400m doesn’t sound that extreme. It’s not pocket change either however, and as we’re seeing with JWST and MSL, the possibility of delays and cost overruns is an ever present threat.

Anyway what I meant about versatility was that the station allows for this sort of thing to be integrated with relative ease. Another example would be VASIMR, if they ever get around to it.

The only real interest the media has in this mission is the human interest angle about Giffords. The President…. and the country… have moved on from the space shuttle program. The press will wax emotionally over the ending of this program, do some TV specials and roll out footage from the vaults to mark the passage of three decades yet few of them have ever really asked the hard questions regarding the failure to reduce operational costs and the glaringly poor management decisions made as layed bare in two separate accident reports.

doesnt he work for Kay?

RGO

The launch was going to take place during space propulsion class, but the lecturer was nice and gave us a break, so we watched the live stream right there in the auditorium on the big screen.