Okay just to add a couple of things.
First this is a summary of some of the issues for the ISS - it's exceeding it's original design life, and may last well into the 2020s so over two decades - so - that also gives an idea of what seems a long period of time for a space station to survive in space. Each time we learn more so a future space station could maybe last longer than the ISS. One of the issues with the ISS is that the solar panels are degrading rather faster than expected for instance, so is a question - does it run out of power first - or does it degrade to the extent that the on board systems are no longer adequate first.
Can the International Space Station Survive Until 2020?
We may not need to deorbit all the modules of the ISS. The Russians are more confident in the long term life of their modules than the US because of experience of MIR and have plans to recycle their modules from the ISS into a new space station - one based on a new design that makes it easier to replace individual components rather than de-orbit the whole thing when some of its modules reach the end of their design life.
Russia 'to save its ISS modules'
That's from 2009 though. I'm not sure what latest idea is - perhaps more relevant as a potential thing that could be done.
Same btw would also apply to any long term space habitat e.g. a lunar base - if it's going to be inhabited long term - you need to think about - what you do when the base reaches the end of its design life, say two or three decades after it's first construction or launch. You can't just de-orbit it and send up a new one as we do for a space station in LEO.
Do you just ship a new base from Earth and land it and move to it - or attempt to repair the old modules - or what happens?
No way you could build a new habitat using materials available on-site - you might think that was possible if you listen to space colonization advocates - but we are a long long way away from such technology at present. The new modules or repair materials would need to come from Earth. The regolith on the Moon can be used for shielding - the meters of shielding needed to protect from cosmic radiation - so that is a major weight saving - that you don't have to transport that from Earth. With the greenhouses - well I'm just not sure there - but it needs some pretty heavy duty strong transparent material able to withstand tons per square meter of outwards pressure for a spherical or hemispherical greenhouse or cylindrical with rounded ends (only plausible design for the Moon - almost equipotential surfaces) - so I'd be surprised if that could be made on the Moon and would probably need to be imported from Earth also.
Also - on food - then - yes many of the food items used by astronauts on the ISS would deteriorate if kept there for, say, a couple of years. Tinned food not so much - but it's rather heavy.
So - if you did want to keep significant amounts of food - e.g. to store entire food supplies for an interplanetary mission for duration of the mission of say a couple of years - then you'd need to take care to select food that would still be edible, and taste reasonably okay - after a couple of years of storage. Has been research into this, which foods last best - but can't find the article right now.
First this is a summary of some of the issues for the ISS - it's exceeding it's original design life, and may last well into the 2020s so over two decades - so - that also gives an idea of what seems a long period of time for a space station to survive in space. Each time we learn more so a future space station could maybe last longer than the ISS. One of the issues with the ISS is that the solar panels are degrading rather faster than expected for instance, so is a question - does it run out of power first - or does it degrade to the extent that the on board systems are no longer adequate first.
Can the International Space Station Survive Until 2020?
We may not need to deorbit all the modules of the ISS. The Russians are more confident in the long term life of their modules than the US because of experience of MIR and have plans to recycle their modules from the ISS into a new space station - one based on a new design that makes it easier to replace individual components rather than de-orbit the whole thing when some of its modules reach the end of their design life.
Russia 'to save its ISS modules'
That's from 2009 though. I'm not sure what latest idea is - perhaps more relevant as a potential thing that could be done.
Same btw would also apply to any long term space habitat e.g. a lunar base - if it's going to be inhabited long term - you need to think about - what you do when the base reaches the end of its design life, say two or three decades after it's first construction or launch. You can't just de-orbit it and send up a new one as we do for a space station in LEO.
Do you just ship a new base from Earth and land it and move to it - or attempt to repair the old modules - or what happens?
No way you could build a new habitat using materials available on-site - you might think that was possible if you listen to space colonization advocates - but we are a long long way away from such technology at present. The new modules or repair materials would need to come from Earth. The regolith on the Moon can be used for shielding - the meters of shielding needed to protect from cosmic radiation - so that is a major weight saving - that you don't have to transport that from Earth. With the greenhouses - well I'm just not sure there - but it needs some pretty heavy duty strong transparent material able to withstand tons per square meter of outwards pressure for a spherical or hemispherical greenhouse or cylindrical with rounded ends (only plausible design for the Moon - almost equipotential surfaces) - so I'd be surprised if that could be made on the Moon and would probably need to be imported from Earth also.
Also - on food - then - yes many of the food items used by astronauts on the ISS would deteriorate if kept there for, say, a couple of years. Tinned food not so much - but it's rather heavy.
So - if you did want to keep significant amounts of food - e.g. to store entire food supplies for an interplanetary mission for duration of the mission of say a couple of years - then you'd need to take care to select food that would still be edible, and taste reasonably okay - after a couple of years of storage. Has been research into this, which foods last best - but can't find the article right now.
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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