According to documents obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, NASA plans to announce this week that it has White House approval to extend the station's operations by four years until 2024.
Also to be decided by ESA governments in December is what direction Europe should take in long-term space exploration. France has reluctantly agreed to continue financing the international space station until 2020 in return for Germany’s participation in the Ariane program. It is not yet certain, Le Gall said, whether Germany wants to continue its leading role in Europe’s space station effort beyond 2020.
In a written response to SpaceNews inquiries, Johann-Dietrich Woerner, chairman of the German Aerospace Center, DLR, agreed that Germany has not yet decided whether to urge its space station partners — the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada in addition to the rest of Europe — to keep the station operational to 2028. Germany is Europe’s biggest space station supporter.
Basically put: If the above reporting is correct than the two biggest ESA contributors to the ISS are not sure if they wish to continue beyond 2020.
Quote from: woods170 on 01/08/2014 06:01 amBasically put: If the above reporting is correct than the two biggest ESA contributors to the ISS are not sure if they wish to continue beyond 2020.How would you characterize the impact to ISS if ESA were to drop support beyond 2020?
That's easy: no more Euronauts on ISS, and Columbus operations will be impacted. MCC for Columbus is in Europe. If and when ESA decides to discontinue ISS ops beyond 2020, it will impact Columbus ops.Other than that I don't see too much difference, other than perhaps that the station will be ditched late 2024 in stead of late 2028.
Quote from: woods170 on 01/08/2014 06:21 amThat's easy: no more Euronauts on ISS, and Columbus operations will be impacted. MCC for Columbus is in Europe. If and when ESA decides to discontinue ISS ops beyond 2020, it will impact Columbus ops.Other than that I don't see too much difference, other than perhaps that the station will be ditched late 2024 in stead of late 2028. Makes sense. Splitting right down the middle between 2020 & 2028 seems to be a good compromise. If this can get agreed upon by all of the various players, it will hopefully make Commercial Cargo/Crew more worth it. Maybe NASA will get some more service modules in exchange from the ESA to cover their costs.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-space-station-extension-20140107,0,3847257.storyQuoteAccording to documents obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, NASA plans to announce this week that it has White House approval to extend the station's operations by four years until 2024.Exciting News!
Crashing the party...From here: http://www.spacenews.com/article/civil-space/38968europe-to-consider-radically-streamlined-supplier-base-for-next-generationQuoteAlso to be decided by ESA governments in December is what direction Europe should take in long-term space exploration. France has reluctantly agreed to continue financing the international space station until 2020 in return for Germany’s participation in the Ariane program. It is not yet certain, Le Gall said, whether Germany wants to continue its leading role in Europe’s space station effort beyond 2020.QuoteIn a written response to SpaceNews inquiries, Johann-Dietrich Woerner, chairman of the German Aerospace Center, DLR, agreed that Germany has not yet decided whether to urge its space station partners — the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada in addition to the rest of Europe — to keep the station operational to 2028. Germany is Europe’s biggest space station supporter.Basically put: If the above reporting is correct than the two biggest ESA contributors to the ISS are not sure if they wish to continue beyond 2020.
Asked whether France, which is spending some 270 million euros per year on the space station, would favor an extension to 2028, Le Gall declined to answer outright, saying France’s priority is to find an agreement with Germany with respect to the station.
Got to be about this, I'd assume....everyone having a teleconference around the same time (SNC, Orbital and this).January 8, 2014MEDIA ADVISORY M14-007NASA Hosts Media Teleconference Today to Discuss International Space StationNASA will host a teleconference at 12:30 p.m. EST today, Jan. 8, to update media on plans for the International Space Station.The teleconference participants are:-- William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate-- Sam Scimemi, director of NASA's International Space Station Program.The teleconference will be streamed live online at:http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudioFor more information about the International Space Station, visit:http://www.nasa.gov/station
I was thinking if this decision was, at least partly, influenced by the recent delay in Russian MLM. I guess it won't make sense to ditch the ISS in 2020 when the MLM has just arrived.
Quote from: owais.usmani on 01/09/2014 06:46 amI was thinking if this decision was, at least partly, influenced by the recent delay in Russian MLM. I guess it won't make sense to ditch the ISS in 2020 when the MLM has just arrived.Or start working out how to attach the MLM to a replacement spacestation. It presumably has a Common Berthing Module.