Monday, 7 February 2011

Why the International Space Station is Valuable.

This month, the ISS will become truly international. At the moment an unmanned Russian progress space truck, and a Japanese vehicle called Kounotori are attached to the station. They came to deliver food and now serve as temporary accomodation units, and by the end of their live time will serve as garbage disposal.
Next week the European Space Agency robot delivery craft, Johannes Kepler, wich carries with it more than seven tonnes of propellant, supplies and oxygen, will join the other two craft.

The vehicle is carried into space by an Ariane 5 ES launch vehicle and give the European spaceflight programme increased independence. This will become important after the discontinuing of the NASA Space Shuttle program, later this year, when provisioning of the ISS will become dependent on the Russian Cosmodrome at Baikonur.

Artists impression of "Johannes Kepler" approaching the ISS. (Credit: ESA)

The last Space shuttle, Atlantis, will visit the ISS in June, after that other partners of NASA will supply and provide transport from and to the station.
Each shuttle launch costs NASA $ 500 million, something it can simply no longer afford. The station itself is the costliest project ever undertaken by mankind.
To say however that the station should have never been built misses the point. Occupied for more than 10 years, the station has been the only living outpost in space for that time.
Every future manned mission to space will have profited in some form from the ISS. Whether that be in how to best retrain muscles after a stay in microgravity, or experiments conducted on the effect of space on organisms.

Any future journey to the moon, or Mars, will build on lessons learned aboard the ISS.



I've realised I took a bit to come to the point here...
Anyways I'll probably write about something not space next. Although maybe the next post will be on Wednesday. I might not have enough time tomorrow.
Posted by Rondariel at 17:59
Labels: , , , ,

47 comments:

  1. Anonymous7 February 2011 at 18:52

    This space exploration is really exciting stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  2. HéxXxèN7 February 2011 at 18:54

    i love space !!! BTW Following

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7 February 2011 at 18:55

    to think that all we know is just based on this teeny tiny spot in the universe called earth, and that there's just incomprihendably much knowledge out there somewhere is just facinates me. even more so when we are on the verge of getting the gear needed to go out and discover that knowledge

    ReplyDelete
  4. onegin7 February 2011 at 18:57

    OH yeah
    I love your blog, I talk differently but about similar topics.
    damn, I'm celebrating each spall step towards the space

    ReplyDelete
  5. AugustineOfRhino7 February 2011 at 19:02

    wow, most expensive project in human history...that's cool to know. So, how many countries have to attach modules before this thing can turn into Voltron?

    ReplyDelete
  6. GaycoMalyfoy7 February 2011 at 19:15

    I feel like this would be awesome if I was little and I could build a model of it out of legos

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anon Reader7 February 2011 at 19:16

    Relatively the most expensive - as value changes hugely through time (I'd say the pyramids in Giza were pretty expensive - if not comparatively expensive), that said - I think to create a place where people can literally live in space is one of mankinds most necessary and comendable achievements - every step closer we come to being able to live independant of Earth is a step in the right direction.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dudemeister7 February 2011 at 19:36

    Fucking fascinating.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous7 February 2011 at 19:46

    That is cool. I love space. I can't wait for some day when vacations to other planets replace things like vacations to Rome or something.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jordan7 February 2011 at 19:51

    when will it be mine turn to go to mars

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tsipise7 February 2011 at 20:16

    I don't mind you posting about space. It' very interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  12. rego877 February 2011 at 20:36

    I heard the ISS is going to be abandoned soon. It doesn't seem like it went up that long a go. What do I know though lol

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymouse7 February 2011 at 20:37

    interesting stuff. i want to live in space already.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous7 February 2011 at 20:59

    So cool, always loved the space stuff since I was a little kid.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Eindb44s7 February 2011 at 21:08

    Np with space posts.. keep them coming !

    ReplyDelete
  16. AyradtheBlogger7 February 2011 at 21:49

    I remember when the ISS was first launched, it seemed cool, I thought we'd get constant reports. And the reports, while not constant, ahve come. I just expected it to be bigger. But, I am happy that we're still benefiting from it, as well as the inclusion of Russia and Japan.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Chris Sedun7 February 2011 at 22:07

    We're abandoning the Space Shuttle program?

    ReplyDelete
  18. AssortedNews7 February 2011 at 22:33

    It's kind of depressing to see the fall of the space program.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Rondariel7 February 2011 at 22:36

    The space programme isn't abandoned. Only the shuttles. And they are replaced with private company providing the services. I've written about that a few posts back. :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Zakk7 February 2011 at 23:04

    I've always wanted to go to space :(

    ReplyDelete
  21. Obi-wan Mikenobi7 February 2011 at 23:08

    They must get so lonely up there.

    ReplyDelete
  22. DBtG57 February 2011 at 23:26

    It gives me shivers to think about this

    ReplyDelete
  23. Feed the Rapture8 February 2011 at 00:16

    Space exploration is just such an exciting field.

    ReplyDelete
  24. G8 February 2011 at 01:10

    They also need it to generate some tourist dollars...

    ReplyDelete
  25. Some_Chi_Guy8 February 2011 at 01:37

    Now we wait to tour of the ISS to go for $50 million.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Frosty8 February 2011 at 01:46

    I love your space posts, just sayin'. Vote of approval :p

    ReplyDelete
  27. rickysha8 February 2011 at 01:55

    I hope humans can make it to Mars before I pass away.

    ReplyDelete
  28. AKA: THE GAME8 February 2011 at 02:58

    We need more space adventures. \o/ I'd rather fund that then other projects

    ReplyDelete
  29. Arek Sałata8 February 2011 at 03:51

    You now realize that before humans get in space for sure you'll be dead or to old to move.

    ReplyDelete
  30. roextt8 February 2011 at 04:12

    Very good points

    ReplyDelete
  31. Lendo Khar8 February 2011 at 05:12

    I enjoy space stuff, keep going. Wish I could visit space someday.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Dania8 February 2011 at 05:38

    i think the space station is a wonderful idea. one of the astronauts that was up there went to my school, told some really neat stories at a presentation.

    http://underratedfilms.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  33. mrecan8 February 2011 at 07:52

    oh space traveling is really amazing. i wonder when it will be open for public

    ReplyDelete
  34. What a wonderful world8 February 2011 at 09:52

    When it'll crash I hope it will be on Cthulhu's face !

    ReplyDelete
  35. Forrest Stump8 February 2011 at 12:14

    Azathoth is in the space eating all the NASA stuff

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous8 February 2011 at 12:56

    Getting ever closer to residing in outer space...

    ReplyDelete
  37. Cody8 February 2011 at 16:36

    Step by step...gotta crawl before you can walk.

    U Laugh U Lose
    http://ulaughulose.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  38. Ugh8 February 2011 at 17:20

    I'd love to travel to space....never gonna happen tho :(

    x

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous8 February 2011 at 18:47

    It's sad that we have to waste so much material after a mission, though it is cool that we're getting farther knowledge for space.
    It just reminds me of Dead Space in a way, which prooobably isn't a good thing, hahaha.
    Awesome blog!!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Jactating8 February 2011 at 20:45

    W-O-W. I had no idea 500 million dollars went into this project! I guess that it makes me feel good that THIS is the most expensive project in history, though. I would have figured man-kind would have pissed away more money on something quite stupid and useless. So it's a relief that this is the most expensive!

    ReplyDelete
  41. gunnerzip8 February 2011 at 21:01

    At first I thought $500 million seems like quite a small figure relative to the budget for the space program.
    $500 million per launch. Oh. Haha.
    Following, very interested in space news.

    ReplyDelete
  42. nukpana9 February 2011 at 01:16

    the ISS is a bureaucratic nightmare, but it's nice to see countries come together and make things happen in space.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Icky Ray9 February 2011 at 04:39

    I'm for government budget cuts, but not budget cuts to NASA. We get too much out of NASA.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Mr. Machine9 February 2011 at 07:55

    Space exporation is the way to go and I imagine a lot of useful experiments are performed to make longer missions possible. No way they should reduce funding to that!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Aquadog9 February 2011 at 14:11

    I've read a lot of your posts, and am now commenting; I just wanted to say that I almost always have found what you post interesting. Keep 'em coming!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Erasmus11 February 2011 at 15:20

    It's a lot of money, but I think the space program is one of those things that will continue to benefit us for a long time, unlike short term programs that nobody will care about in even 5 years, let alone 10 or 100.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Pure Gamer13 February 2011 at 12:50

    Cool post! Very nice background aswell. Hope you come back to some space info soonish :)

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)