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Russian discusses plan to dump International Space Station into Pacific
aviation answers ^ | 28 July 2011

Posted on 07/28/2011 2:49:28 PM PDT by shove_it

A Russian space official said this week that once the mammoth International Space Station is no longer needed it will be sent into the Pacific Ocean.

[the article is linked to a FL Today article which cannot be posted on FR)


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: florida; iss; spacecoast; spacestation

1 posted on 07/28/2011 2:49:34 PM PDT by shove_it
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To: shove_it

Ummmmmm.....did Obama give them the space station?


2 posted on 07/28/2011 2:51:18 PM PDT by RC2
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To: shove_it

When did it become Russia’s decision?


3 posted on 07/28/2011 2:53:12 PM PDT by PGR88 (I'm so open-minded my brains fell out)
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To: PGR88
They own the high ground. We can't get to orbit without the Ruskis, now. Who's going to stop them? We can't.

/johnny

4 posted on 07/28/2011 2:55:58 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: PGR88
When did it become Russia’s decision?

I guess since they became the only ones left capable of maintaining it.

5 posted on 07/28/2011 2:56:17 PM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: JRandomFreeper

Exactly.

Who’s gonna stop ‘em??

Is dropping it in the Pacific some kind of “Eff-U”??


6 posted on 07/28/2011 2:57:39 PM PDT by Beaten Valve
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To: Beaten Valve
Is dropping it in the Pacific some kind of “Eff-U”??

At least they're not aiming for Lake Tahoe.

7 posted on 07/28/2011 2:59:20 PM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: Cementjungle

Wonder what they’d charge to drop it someplace more useful, like Somalia?


8 posted on 07/28/2011 3:03:19 PM PDT by Beaten Valve
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To: shove_it

It was an American project, “internationalized” and name changed early on. (because nothing can dare just be American)

But this crap is more of Obamas fun. They think they own it now. Hell, in a sense, i guess they do. OUR space program is designed to support Hansen as he churns out more global warming reports.


9 posted on 07/28/2011 3:26:35 PM PDT by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office)
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To: shove_it
God forbid it should be sold to a private party/parties and get a little return on our investment instead of turning it into a giant meteor of wasted tax dollars...
10 posted on 07/28/2011 3:29:17 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: shove_it

"Screw those commie bastards, and screw their wussy little space station."

11 posted on 07/28/2011 3:30:51 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: shove_it

This answer from the Russians came in response to a question about what would be done with the ISS once it has exceeded its service life.

And if a controlled reentry into a remote area of the Pacific Ocean, similar to the fate of Mir, is not the answer then what is? There is no chance whatsoever of selectively recovering any large segments of the ISS once it is decommissioned, because all of that energy that each piece was given on liftoff has to be dissipated one way or another to get it back on Earth.

And everything has a service life, especially a large artifact like the ISS that will spend decades in Low Earth Orbit and requires near constant maintenance just to keep it habitable, while it is under constant bombardment by all kinds of particles...


12 posted on 07/28/2011 3:36:04 PM PDT by Bean Counter (Knowledge is pitiless.)
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To: shove_it

The Russians want more money for launches now that they’re the only game in town.


13 posted on 07/28/2011 3:46:45 PM PDT by jimnm
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To: Bean Counter

Everything has a service life. And Hubbell is next. Shuttle was the only way to keep it in repair, and eventually it sill need to be deorbited.


14 posted on 07/28/2011 3:51:14 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (Oh, well, any excuse to buy a new gun is good enough for me.)
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To: Cyber Liberty

If you recall the last Hubble repair mission, one of the last things they did was install a special grapple that could be used by some future spacecraft to capture and possible reposition Hubble.

However, it flies in such a high orbit it would take centuries for its orbit to decay to the point where it would even begin be a reentry hazard...


15 posted on 07/28/2011 4:18:03 PM PDT by Bean Counter (Knowledge is pitiless.)
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To: Bean Counter

Good point. I assumed it was in the stupid low orbit so we could get outdated and failing Space Shuttles to it. It will die soon, though. There is no craft that I know of that can get to it to service it, even with slick grapples. And if we don’t service it soon, it dies anyway. Meh.

Aw, who cares? There are Global Warming and Muslim Outreach missions to be served. Let’s get cracking...there are millions of hungry welfare recipients waiting.


16 posted on 07/28/2011 4:25:38 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (Oh, well, any excuse to buy a new gun is good enough for me.)
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