China shares ambitious plans to double its space station as the ISS approaches the end of its life cycle::undefined
I don’t really understand how the entire ISS could be “end of life cycle.” Aren’t there a bunch of different modules of different ages? And anyway, the oldest modules are 24 years old that is nothing with proper maintenance, there are 50 year old trains still in operation daily.
Space trains fall under a different regulating authority than space stations, unfortunately.
If a train fails, at worst that will happen is it will stop. When a space station fails, the worst that will happen is everyone inside dies.
In addition, a space station is far more expensive, and it may be simply too expensive to still maintain old technology. Ideally, at some point, one will replace it with a newer, more modern, space station. Which will both be cheaper, and allow more, novel, science to be done. Although I don’t know if there is any plan for that.
I’d like to see a space station with a rotating ring, that generates artificial gravity through centrifugal acceleration.
Lol that’s nowhere near the worst scenario for a train failure.
I don’t know why can’t they just send it to a Lagrange point and leave it there. Burning it seems like literally burning money.
Space races are good for science. As long as spacex engineers keep Elon at bay, Starship should be able to launch stage biggest station modules in history.
A certain attempt at symbolism there.
China shouldn’t be allowed any expansion until they reach themselves of their current hideous government.
USA shouldn’t be allowed any expansion until they reach [sic] themselves of their current hideous government.
At least the US has a still vaguely functional democratic process.
“The United States is also a one-party state but, with typical American extravagance, they have two of them.” - Julius Nyerere
A wonderful quote.
You mean barely functional?
Barely functional is still better than utterly unimaginable.
Allowed? Space pollution aside, nobody should be trying to restrict access to space.
I’ll bite. What enforcement mechanism would you suggest?
No idea. It was hyperbole.