This doesn't look like US $100 Billion worth of reseach to me (okay, okay, maybe $50 billion -- but $100 is the figure the media always use). I guess most people on the street will just take NASA PAO's word that there is important research being done on the station. Give them the list of experiments and their eyes probably glaze over. Oh well... Compared to the rest of the station, the AMS will be worth every dollar.It's just a little bit depressing when you think of what $100 billion could have done in other areas like planetary science.
Even if press and criticizers have to use it, can we at least drop the 100 billion figure? Further more, are shuttle assembly flights included in the public ISS price? Those would have flown anyway, flying so much more important experiments relating to ants and tiny screws.
You cant blame NASA that they accepted reductions and cuts over decades of space station design that removed so much technical and scientific capability from it. Centrifuge was a cut made in this decade.
And I wonder how does the "no worthy science on ISS" relate to what ESA and Japanese are doing with their modules?
I have to say, I can't understand this continued hatred toward ISS by some... There are many areas of research that take time and money and may or may not result in direct benefits or applications to the mass populations - but its always worth doing the science!!
I could write an article on my own site, but this information as I see it is copyright protected and I must ask for permission.
Specifically, it has been thanks to the return to regular launch operations for the shuttle that a “steady pace” of increased science has resulted in over 100 major scientific accomplishments being achieved on the Station
As an engineer, following the construction of the largest and most complex structure in space has and is a most exiciting achievement
One of NASA’s top priorities for research aboard the ISS is the development and testing of new technologies and materials that are being considered for future exploration missions. To date, 22 different technology demonstrations have been performed. These experiments include research characterizing the microgravity environment, monitoring the ISS environment both inside and outside the spacecraft, testing spacecraft materials, developing new spacecraft systems, and testing picosatellites and new satellite commanding and controls. We are tracking 34 scientific publications, and recognize that classified and proprietary proceedings include a much greater number of results documenting technology developments.
