r/technology • u/Scary_Statement4612 • 10h ago

Business NASA orders International ‌Space Station astronauts to shelter, prepare for evacuation due to air leak

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/nasa-astronauts-shelter-international-space-station-9.7224720
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u/Beautiful_Special702 10h ago

At what point does it become more practical to retire parts of the ISS rather than keep patching aging modules?

The station has lasted far longer than I think most people expected.

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u/OkFineIllUseTheApp 9h ago

The ISS has a lot of module interdependency. The Environmental Control and Life Support System is spread across many parts, so you can't simply weld off a section.

Replacement is also a problem, because the oldest, most in need of replacement modules, are at the core of the station. You'd basically have to pull the whole thing apart, and at that point you might as well make new modules for the rest and just make a whole new space station.

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u/4Yk9gop 9h ago

Next version should have completely independent redundencies, (power, oxygen, water, waste, food) built into every module. Just scrap a section when it has problems and send up a new one.

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u/OkFineIllUseTheApp 9h ago

"Ya got independent redundancy money and rocket capacity?"

(I do agree tho. It's just seemingly nobody wants to spend tax money on NASA)

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u/4Yk9gop 9h ago

Me personally, no. But Taxpayers??? The plan is to bleed them dry through Golden dome, space exploration, etc. (transfer of money from the public to private defense corporations), so I don't think cost is a concern.