Space station could be temporarily abandoned in November

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Yeaaah. Something reusable with delta wings and a retractable arm and generous cargo capacity.

Nah. That was our old future.

Reusable: Check
Delta Wings: Check
Retractable Arm: Check
Generous Cargo Capacity: Double Check!



Yea that future would have been awesome...

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Yea that future would have been awesome...

Well, I hope the retired US shuttles can avoid the former Soviet Union's one fate of being buried and destroyed under tons of rubble in a cosmodrome due to an earthquake. That was a sad end.

[razark]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Reusable: Check

You sure about that?

Orbiter, only used once. Needs new paint. Includes hangar:



Edit:
*muttering something about Torplexed not having to download and resize his picture*

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by razark

You sure about that?

Yep, she was used twice. 1st as a spacecraft... and 2nd to hold up the roof of an old hanger...

That's Russian versatility comrade!

[Anthony W.]

I just have a feeling we could strap a Russian space pod to a Delta rocket or something like that.

But no, Komrade, circle pod too advanced to let Amerikanski's use in place of space plane.

[August]

This reminds me of a documentary I watched awhile ago about the Dark Ages and how discouraging it must have been to see crumbling Roman ruins like aqua ducts and not even have the skill to keep them in repair, let alone build more.

How are they planning to get the present space station crew back down if the Russians can't fix Soyuz?

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by August

This reminds me of a documentary I watched awhile ago about the Dark Ages and how discouraging it must have been to see crumbling Roman ruins like aqua ducts and not even have the skill to keep them in repair, let alone build more.

How are they planning to get the present space station crew back down if the Russians can't fix Soyuz?

There are presently two Soyuz craft docked with the ISS for crew departure purposes. However, they have a limited time they can remain safely rated for use in space due to an expiration date of 200 days. Beyond that the type of fuel (hydrogen peroxide I think?) they use begins to deteriorate.