Hallerb wrote:
Yeah BUT ISS is never going to produce much science return, it and the shuttle
are co dependent on one another too.

The ISS has already yielded many valuable returns. All the R&D done for its
construction will serve for long duration ships to Mars. NASA has also
learned, to some extent, to work with other partners who have different ways
of working.

On the station itself, much is being learned about reliability of various
systems in 0g indoors as well as harsh environments outdoors.

Nasa also learned to change its cast-in-stone-procedures to allow a 2 man crew
to EVA.

The mismanagement resulting in huge cost overruns (or gross underestimation of
costs depending on how you look at it) has also taught/forced NASA to
reevaluate how it manages those programs.

NASA is also learning how to manage crews in space (no micromanagement of
schedule, how much recreation time is needed, how much time it takes to
perform certain tasks (many of which are underestimated by folks on ground who
prepare workload schedule) etc.

All that is far more valuable than growing crystals because that is experience
and information that will serve in the future.