ISS: The real work up there can begin

[n2doc]

With the space station nearing completion, astronauts can trade hard hats for test tubes
By ERIC BERGER
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Sept. 21, 2009, 5:59AM

After 15 years of construction, narrow congressional votes, delays and, yes, cost overruns, the $100 billion international space station finally appears ready for prime time.

The orbiting station, which in size and scope far exceeds anything humans have ever put into space, recently has been on quite a roll.

In May the space station doubled its crew from three to six astronauts, and this summer two space shuttle missions delivered a new laboratory and critical scientific equipment.

Then, earlier this month, a panel appointed by President Barack Obama to study the future of human spaceflight gave the station high marks, recommending its life be extended until at least 2020 and full funding to reach its potential.

The station is now beginning to do just that, as astronauts use the ISS for its intended purpose as an outpost for scientific research in a weightless environment, and learning to live for long periods in space.

more:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/6628585.html

[LunaSea]

1. Watch the skies!

US and Canadian readers, enter your zip code below, hit Go!, and you will find out what is going to fly over your area in the nights ahead. There are hundreds of satellites in Earth orbit; we cut through the confusion by narrowing the list to a half-dozen or so of the most interesting. At the moment we are monitoring spy satellites Lacrosse 3 and NOSS 2-1, the International Space Station, the ISS Toolbag, and the Hubble Space Telescope

http://www.spaceweather.com/flybys/?PHPSESSID=0fpnnurd5ak1rki5cjiitq1mp1

[Ready4Change]

6. WooHoo! Saw the ISS tonight! Thanks for the link.

Finally had a clear(ish) cloudless evening, and the ISS showed up right on time. VERY bright, brighter than I've ever seen a planet at that time of the evening. Flew past right near the moon and was relatively as bright (except for size, of course.)

I've seen it before, but it wasn't nearly as obvious. That was years ago, so it wasn't nearly as big yet. Perhaps that's why.

Anyway, thanks for the link!

[Phoonzang]

2. It's going to take a lot of good science up there to convince

some people that it was worth spending the time and money to construct.

[caraher]

3. No way it'll be $100 billion worth of science

That's why most promotion of human spaceflight emphasizes the "inspiration" angle and "spinoffs."

[Indenturedebtor]

4. Simply building it is worth $100 billion

We spend way over 100 bln a year to suppress and kill brown people in other countries... why not a space station?

[caraher]

5. Why not renewable energy?

If we took it out of the Pentagon's hide that would be one thing, but it doesn't work that way.

Put another way - how much do we spend on ALL other science? Now take $100 billion worth of that and look at what gets accomplished. Whirling around the Earth in a tin can, with a few experiments on the side, will never stack up favorably to that...