[amsat-bb] Re: ISS future?

[Rocky Jones]

> Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:02:36 +0000
> From: nigel at ngunn.net

> 
> NASA's lack of money or commitment doesn't prevent the other countries in the consortium from using the station past 
> NASAs cut off date. It doesn't have to die just because the US say so.
> 

As a practical matter if the US were to pull out of ISS the station would not be viable.  Most if not all of the major support hardware (solar arrays etc) are US built and maintained..without US involvement the TDRSS system disappears for instance..The "bucks" required to maintain the station are enormous...

It doesnt matter because anyone who thinks that the political system in the US would allow spending almost 100 billion to build ISS then chunking it after 5 years of "use"  doesnt understand US politics...ISS will be around for a very long time.

Robert WB5MZO

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