Thread: On the lasting importance of the SpaceX accomplishment.
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Old July 16th 12, 02:52 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.space.history,rec.arts.sf.science
Jeff Findley[_2_]
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Default On the lasting importance of the SpaceX accomplishment.
In article ,
says...

How does this relate to the ISS? You can't pull a full inspection,
taking apart the structure and performing Non-Destructive Testing
on it. We don't have the knowledge base yet to be able to predict
what the long-term effects of the space environment are going to be.
Any predictions now are guesses, surmise, and prejudice.

The materials results from LDEF gave us a pretty good baseline.
Besides, "the space environment" largely consists of microgravity and
either vacuum or sea level air pressure (depending on which side of the
pressure vessel you're talking about).

The airframes are likewise the only part of ISS modules that can't be
changed. Pretty much everything else can be changed out. It was designed
that way deliberately, Bob.

What everybody seems to miss, or ignore, is that the ISS just being there is a
vital part of long endurance spaceflight. If we can't build structures, power systems,
environmental systems, and all the rest that can't be trusted beyond the next
scheduled resupply flight, than anything like a mission beyond the Moon
is right out. Mir was jack-legged together - the crew spent most of their time
(Especially in the later years) working at not dieing. The Russians, and we,
learned a lot, but not enough. ISS's history shows that we still have a lot to learn.

I beg to differ. I think we've learned enough to go beyond LEO for long
missions. Humans have been "doing" long duration spaceflight in LEO
since the 70's. We're coming up on about four decades of long duration
flights. If we're not "ready" to leave LEO by now, then we're gutless
cowards.

Money (the high cost of spaceflight) is what's holding us back, not
technical, engineering, or medical issues. We know how to deal with the
technical, engineering, and medical issues.

Jeff
--
" Ares 1 is a prime example of the fact that NASA just can't get it
up anymore... and when they can, it doesn't stay up long. "
- tinker