Comments on: ISS extension plan wins domestic support, but international uncertainty

By: Vladislaw

Vladislaw — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 04:10:49 +0000

ESPECIALLY the hangers on that want to build big massive unaffordable porkridden rockets to nowhere.

By: Vladislaw

Vladislaw — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 01:39:23 +0000

Having lived in the south, on two different occasions, I didn’t have to jump to any conclusions, I experienced it firsthand.

By: Jim Nobles

Jim Nobles — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 22:47:26 +0000

.
“We already know what the SLS is supposed to be used for. But the Obama administration doesnâ€™t want to go there. But everyone else does.”

No, everyone else does not. From what I can see only a noisy minority wants it.

By: Malmesbury

Malmesbury — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 18:44:09 +0000

“To the U.S., our participation in ISS is our â€œstake in the groundâ€ in human spaceflight. We give that up, and weâ€™ll have *nothing* for a long time. In fact, it can be assumed that to preserve their own piece of that stake, the Russians, Europeans, Japanese, and Canadians will be on Chinaâ€™s doorstep immediately”

Exactly – though I think there is a significant possibility of the Russians doing their own station in that situation.

In either case the political cost in the US would be high – can you imagine the backlash if ESA signs up to the Chinese station?

By: Hiram

Hiram — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 17:04:47 +0000

“The reason for ISS extension geopolitically is what would happen if it is splashed.”

This is a fair point. To the U.S., our participation in ISS is our “stake in the ground” in human spaceflight. We give that up, and we’ll have *nothing* for a long time. In fact, it can be assumed that to preserve their own piece of that stake, the Russians, Europeans, Japanese, and Canadians will be on China’s doorstep immediately to do what ISS used to do — be a venue for international technological collaboration and pride. We’ll be, as we were with Sputnik, watching other countries fly overhead without us. Right now, with ISS, the U.S. has leadership in that effort.

I think what this means is that to give up on our LEO outpost before we have an outpost anywhere else is geopolitically inadvisable. The puzzle is how to finance both.

By: MrEarl

MrEarl — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 14:16:47 +0000

No Vlad, it was a demonstration of jumping to conclusions.
Just like you jumped to conclusions about southerners, Texans in particular, still pining for the old south, I purposely used “comrade” a term the US used to identify Russian communists, to add effect because of your nick.

By: Stephen C. Smith

Stephen C. Smith — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 13:24:33 +0000

Jeff provided the link over on Twitter … The New York Times endorses the ISS extension:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/12/opinion/sunday/a-longer-life-for-the-space-station.html

By: Vladislaw

Vladislaw — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 12:52:48 +0000

Actually, if you are going to use comrade, you should use it correctly. You seem to think that the Russian word comrade is the same as the French word comrade. Russian version of this term (Ñ‚Ð¾Ð²Ð°Ñ€Ð¸Ñ‰, tovarishch) from Old Turkic tavar ishchi, meant something like “business companion” or “travel (or other adventure) mate”. So when you look at my nick and say comrade, you mearly are illustrating you really do not know what the word means.

By: Malmesbury

Malmesbury — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 10:10:42 +0000

Geo politics. Some people love that phrase.

The reason for ISS extension geopolitically is what would happen if it is splashed. The Russians would separate their section to form a small station. The Chinese are looking to build their own permanent station.

Both are talking to ESA et al about cooperation. In Europe the politics would be favourable to such deals.

So you could very easily see a situation where ESA is collaborating with Russia or China (or both) with the US not involved. No US astronauts in space until Congress can finish detailed design of a mission to deliver tax dollars to the right people.

SNC selling Dream Chaser to the Germans and SpaceX and Boeing selling rides to a Bigelow station would be extra humiliation.

We are talking *years* of a *NASA* gap – to the politicians that is what counts – astronauts wearing the meatball logo. They don’t want to be the ones who really shut down NASA HSF, and drove the Europeans into the arms of the Russians and Chinese.

By: Stephen C. Smith

Stephen C. Smith — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 23:44:36 +0000

In tangential ISS news, the National Geographic Channel will air in March a live global two-hour event from the station:

http://www.ngcipressroom.com/press-release/707

Looks like the secret is out of the bag. NASA still has a human spaceflight program.