New uses for Space Station 27 July 2011For more than a decade, the International Space Station has been a busy orbiting research lab. But it could soon take on a new role as a testbed for ambitious missions deeper into space. Future ventures could include Mars missions, lunar habitats or travelling to an asteroid – all needing new technologies and techniques that could be tested on the Station. Following today's meeting of the orbital outpost's Multilateral Coordination Board, member agencies expect to begin identifying specific technology initiatives based on sample exploration missions. The Board meets periodically to coordinate Station activities, with senior representatives from ESA, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, Russia's Roscosmos and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The meeting also discussed standardising space systems, including the revised International Docking Systems Standard, as well as the Board's effort to gather information on how successfully the Station has been used, the results of which will be published in September.http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMMXJFTFQG_index_0.html
saw this headline in this mornings news: International Space Station to be 'sunk' after 2020http://news.yahoo.com/international-space-station-sunk-2020-002250127.html
As the Station ages, would it be possible to replace the oldest sections?
Quote from: EdwardHowell on 10/21/2011 08:05 amAs the Station ages, would it be possible to replace the oldest sections? No, the core pieces can't just be pulled out and swapped.