Space station now at full length, full power (Now looks like Reagans Space Station Freedom)

collectspace.com/ ^ | March 20, 2009

[Names Ash Housewares]

March 20, 2009 — Spanning the length of a football field (including the end zones) and weighing approximately the same as a loaded space shuttle orbiter, the International Space Station's (ISS) integrated truss, or backbone, was completed in orbit this week after nine years of assembly.

"We're the largest space structure in all of history and it is really amazing to be on-board," exclaimed ISS Expedition 18 commander Mike Fincke on the morning after the final piece of the truss was attached.

The 356-foot, girder-like truss supports the station's living modules and laboratories, as well as eight 115-foot solar array wings that generate as much electricity as would be needed to power 42 2,800 square foot homes.

"It is just a remarkable accomplishment for the NASA team, as well as for Boeing, which designed and built this integrated truss assembly," commented Dan Hartman, NASA's manager for the integration and operations of the space station.

[r-q-tek86]

ping to iss sighting opportunities

[SunkenCiv]

Spanning the length of a football field (including the end zones) and weighing approximately the same as a loaded space shuttle orbiter, the International Space Station's (ISS) integrated truss, or backbone, was completed in orbit this week after nine years of assembly. "We're the largest space structure in all of history and it is really amazing to be on-board," exclaimed ISS Expedition 18 commander Mike Fincke on the morning after the final piece of the truss was attached. The 356-foot, girder-like truss supports the station's living modules and laboratories, as well as eight 115-foot solar array wings that generate as much electricity as would be needed to power 42 2,800 square foot homes.

Now, by way of mischievous contrast let's check out this: [snip] Skylab was the first US space station and the world's first big space station. It was launched on May 14th, 1973 by a Saturn V Rocket... Structure Weight: 91 metric ton (100-ton); Height: 36 metres (118 feet); Diamater: 6.7 metres (22 feet); ...Orbital Mass: 77,088kg; Habitable Volume: 283 cubic metres (10,000 cubic feet) [end]

[jimtorr]

Sorry, but the ISS is not space station Freedom. It’s in a Russian orbit for crying out loud.

It's sorry that so many have forgotten or ignored why the ISS is in an orbit convenient for Russia. One of Russia's big contributions to the station is that they provide most of the consumable supplies, like food and oxygen. The craft that bring those supplies up also provide the periodic orbit boost the station requires.

[Moonman62]

Nobody’s forgotten anything. The Russians should not be allowed to touch our space station, and it should be in a lower inclination orbit. The Russians are testing our air defenses with their bombers, threatening to base bombers in Cuba, flying military jets over our navy, and knocking our satellites out of orbit. Fat lot of good all that touchy feely crap has done.

[equaviator]

“Sorry, but the ISS is not space station Freedom. It’s in a Russian orbit for crying out loud.”

Sorry, but there’s no cyring in the exploration of space. That’s the first community to orbit the earth. It’s a myth that the ISS is not a mobile platform........
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[Moonman62]

The money wasted on the ISS could much better be used on other projects for the exploration of space.

[equaviator]

And you’ve “been there, done that”?

[wastedyears]

Montrose - Space Station Number 5

Start, with the sun
And move on out
The future’s in the skies above
The heavens unfold
And a new star is born
Space and time makin’ love

Chorus:
Oh what a time we had
Living on the ground
I’ve moved to station #5
See you next time around,
Next time aournd

As far you want, as close as you need
It’s all in the mind, you know
This old world hasn’t really seen it’s day
It’s here, time to go

Chorus

Remember when it was so clear
We were young, but the memory still remains
To pick fruit from a tree
Fish from the seas
Now nothing’s left here, but the stains
Well I can’t cry no more
Can only be glad
There’s other places we can be
If the time suits you right
I’m leaving tonight
Come fly away
With me!
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Oh, yeah
Start, with the sun
And move on out
The future’s in the skies above
The heavens unfold
A new star is born
Space and time makin’ love
Chorus

[KevinDavis]

Like what???? More robotic missions???

[Vince Ferrer]

I have never been a big fan of the space station, but watching that video gives me new respect for those who planned the logistics of its assembly. A space station just can't be built any old way, it still needs to be controlled, and for it to be controllable in as any configurations as it has gone through takes a lot of planning and foresight.

For many years, the astronauts aboard the ISS were condemned to be mere housekeepers, without the time or equipment to perform and useful science or engineering tasks. Hopefully that has ended and we can get some return on the effort.

[anymouse]

I actually worked on the early design of the solar dynamic power modules back in 1988-89. Prototypes were actually built and tested. But it was determined that they didn't need all that power on then Space Station Freedom, so it was dropped from the program. What a shortsighted decision.

The “ball and truss” structure was also designed, built and tested on orbit in the space shuttle payload bay, but it too was dropped.

Both technologies should be restarted and used to create solar power satellites to beam power down to Earth. The technology is proven. The question is whether it would be cost effective. But that doesn't seem to be a barrier with the current Administration and Congress.

[anymouse]

I still wish they could have continued with funding for the inflatable TransHab

Actually I'm glad that NASA isn't funding Transhab. Rather that Bigelow Aerospace is not only funding Transhab inflatable space stations, they have actually flown in space 2 prototypes that have been functioning flawlessly for a couple of years now.

They also are working on flying a manned inflatable "space hotel" soon. All on private funds.