Another good point about the origin of manufacture. But there would have to be universal standards for manufacturing techniques, minimum tolerances, operating system coding/compatibility, QC/QA, and the like. If you’re going to build a car with your neighbor, you’re going to be sure sure your engine not only mates to his transaxle, but the horsepower from the engine reaches the road properly. And the internal power is going to be 12 VDC universally, and not 6 VDC like your partner engineered it because that’s the way they do it in his shop. Couplings in brake lines have to mate and be able to hold the same pressure tolerances and viscosity of fluid. A thousand little details when you invite the neighborhood to help build the thing. After all this time, I think we can eliminate a basic ‘oops’ occurring on the drafting table. They’re gonna have to Perry Mason the hell out of this one, methinks.
You are right about standards across our international partners, save one. The Russian modules are all from the MIR era of the Soviet space program, some of it even older. When our Science Vice President, ALGORE, pushed us into bringing the Ruskies on board, we pretty much took their hardware as is. Of course we went over their products as best we could with as fine a comb as we had. I can testify that I certified my corner of the partnership on whatever documentation Energia provided and a one week fact-finding trip to Moscow. Still, we did a pretty good job, considering the kluge the White House forced us into has been working just fine these 20 years.
The NappyOne