Will coming Monday mark beginning of end of most expensive research centre of mankind? It is expected that Donald Trump will turn International Space station ISS into a tap. At end of January, Verge's news website quoted a draft for next U.S. federal budget, so funding for year 2025 should end. Already in NASA Transition Act last year, Republicans had applied to space agency to commercialize operation of station (to make it more independent of tax dollars).
With a closure of ISS, a lot of money could be saved, until today it has swallowed over 100 billion dollars. Since year 2000 station has been continuously occupied. Around 230 astronauts from nearly 20 nations visited 420-ton outpost in 400 kilometers. The European Space Agency, ESA, is currently celebrating tenth anniversary of its Columbus Space Laboratory, which was linked to ISS on 11 February 2008. However, since experiments from medicine or microbiology, physics or material research in orbit are not even more understandable than on Earth, station appears in news especially when re are problems. Before German ESA astronaut Alexander Barley takes over command of station for six months at beginning of June, discussion about ir future is likely to flare up.
The US costs three to four billion dollars a year for operation of Space laboratory. The fact that Government considers this to be an annoying liability is not surprising – after all, it wants to bring people to moon and sometime to Mars as soon as possible. But even independently of Trump, end of ISS approaches. Because or partners (besides ESA, Japanese, Russians and Canadians) have also not established mselves beyond 2024. "Every time it comes to extending ISS, same debate arises about wher US should continue to participate," says Joanne Gabrynowicz, director at International Institute for Space Law in Paris. In end, "expert judgement of researchers, diplomats and foreign policy experts" has always kept upper hand. SAY: The funding of laboratory in Earth-related space has been extended.
It is not guaranteed that it will run this time. But NASA also nourishes hopes. This sounds out of your response to question of time: Clearly, "leaked or undecided documents" would not be commented, official draft budget will be expected for 12 February. At same time, NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner emphasizes: "NASA and ISS partners are committed to scientific and technical research in orbital laboratory, as this is basis for expanding human presence into space."
This article dates back to time No. 07/2018. Here you can read entire output.But even if re should be a postponement, ISS 2028 expires. The oldest modules will be in operation for 30 years. And n re's taxi problem. Only Russian Soyuz spaceships are currently able to bring people to ISS. From end of 2018, US companies should launch Boeing and SpaceX manned feeder flights with US astronauts, but both are plagued by delays.
China would be big winner of an early ISS finish. First, shame of world would be that US Congress had once denied Chinese participation in World project ISS. Second, next space station in China, successor to current station Tiangong 2, would be only manned laboratory in orbit (albeit a much smaller one than ISS). An invitation has already been made by Beijing: Foreign projects and astronauts are welcome. Even Americans will be able to apply – for a visit to "CSS".
Date Of Update: 11 February 2018, 12:03
