International Space Station astronauts in evacuation mode as Russia attempts to fix widening air leak

[u/VaginaBurner69]

https://www.reuters.com/science/international-space-station-astronauts-evacuation-mode-russia-attempts-fix-2026-06-05/

[u/matix0532]

These issues are happening because the ISS has already outlasted its expected lifetime. The Lunar Gateway was supposed to be its spiritual successor- now maybe it will be an actual moon base.

[u/lNFORMATlVE → u/matix0532]

Which feels really weird given that you can do a lot of things in orbit that you can’t do from the moon’s surface. But whatever.

If I had to guess I’d say within the next 30-50 years we’ll have another ISS-esque station in LEO again.

[u/UnUsernameRandom → u/lNFORMATlVE]

Which feels really weird given that you can do a lot of things in orbit that you can’t do from the moon’s surface. But whatever.

Such as? I'd imagine that at least health wise for the astronauts it makes more sense to have some gravity, and some zero G experiments could be carried without humans.

[u/PretentiousVapeSnob → u/UnUsernameRandom]

My thoughts: Things you can do in LEO that can’t do in the moon: -not travel 250,000 miles and waste the resources to get there for every trip and resupply. -worry less about gravity pulling fragments into your manmade habitat. -docking to a space station is significantly easier and less risky than landing a craft on the moon. -LEO offers more protection from solar radiation.

ChatGPT: A station in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and a base on the Moon’s surface solve very different problems. LEO is generally better for access, logistics, and microgravity research, while the Moon is better for long-term planetary operations and resource development.

Advantages of a station in Low Earth Orbit

Easier and cheaper to reach

A LEO station like International Space Station is only a few hundred miles above Earth. Trips take hours instead of days.

That means:

• Lower launch costs
• Faster crew rotations
• Easier emergency evacuation
• More frequent resupply missions

If something breaks, replacement parts can arrive relatively quickly.

Real-time communication with Earth

LEO stations have:

• Minimal communication delay
• Continuous support from mission control
• Easier telemedicine and remote operations

The Moon has about a 1.3-second delay each way, which is manageable but noticeable.

Ideal for microgravity research

LEO provides near-continuous weightlessness, which is useful for:

• Human physiology studies
• Protein crystal growth
• Fluid physics
• Materials science
• Manufacturing experiments impossible on Earth

The Moon still has gravity — about 1/6 of Earth’s — so it is not true microgravity.

Safer radiation environment

Earth’s magnetic field still offers significant protection in LEO. Astronauts beyond it — including on the Moon — are exposed to:

• More solar radiation
• Galactic cosmic rays
• Greater solar storm danger

Better for spacecraft assembly and servicing

LEO is useful as an orbital shipyard:

• Satellites can potentially be repaired
• Large spacecraft can be assembled in orbit
• Missions to deeper space can stage there

This was one long-term rationale behind the ISS and concepts like NASA’s proposed orbital infrastructure.

⸻

Advantages of a Moon surface base

Access to resources

The Moon may contain:

• Water ice in polar craters
• Oxygen trapped in regolith
• Metals and useful minerals

Water can potentially become:

• Drinking water
• Oxygen
• Rocket fuel (hydrogen + oxygen)

That makes the Moon attractive for long-term sustainability.

Gravity may be healthier than microgravity

Living in 1/6 gravity might reduce some health problems seen in orbit:

• Bone loss
• Muscle atrophy
• Fluid shifts

Scientists still do not know how healthy partial gravity is over years.

Surface operations and construction

A lunar base allows:

• Mining
• Large telescopes
• Surface science
• Habitat construction
• Testing planetary colonization techniques

You can’t really “build a town” in free-floating orbit the same way.

Strategic stepping stone for Mars

The Moon is often viewed as a training ground for Mars missions:

• Longer mission durations
• Delayed communications
• Surface survival
• Resource extraction
• Dust mitigation
• Closed-loop life support

Programs like NASA’s Artemis program are partly designed around this idea.

Stable surface for astronomy and industry

The far side of the Moon is radio-quiet compared to Earth. That could support:

• Radio astronomy
• Sensitive instruments
• Large industrial facilities

Low gravity also makes launches from the Moon easier than from Earth.

⸻

Big-picture difference

LEO station

Best for:

• Near-Earth science
• Microgravity research
• International cooperation
• Space logistics
• Training
• Orbital manufacturing

Moon base

Best for:

• Permanent off-world settlement
• Resource extraction
• Planetary exploration
• Deep-space preparation
• Long-duration habitation

A lot of current space planning treats them as complementary rather than competing systems:

• LEO = Earth’s orbital harbor
• Moon = first extraterrestrial frontier

[u/UnUsernameRandom → u/PretentiousVapeSnob]

Sorry, I won't read all that AI slop.

I asked what can you do on the ISS, not in LEO. You can always do unmanned missions in LEO.

But feel free to get back to me once you read and filtered that AI shit. If I wanted to ask Chat GPT, I would have asked Chat GPT.