As the NASA-led International Space Station (ISS) approaches the end of its useful life, China wants to increase the size of its space station from three to six modules .
China shares ambitious plans to double its space station as the ISS approaches the end of its life cycle::undefined
Sadly enough, the international community is really good at infighting and wasting money, and really bad at coming up with a followup for the ISS :( So China, for all its flaws, will have the biggest functioning space station in LEO at some point. ISS operations have just been extended to 2034, but if we get a single micrometeorite hit in the wrong spot (e.g. Node 2), that’ll put an end to it.
Too many people think that when we spend money on space, that we are literally sending the money into orbit. Almost all of it is going back into the economy and keeping tons of businesses alive.
Sadly enough, the international community is really good at infighting and wasting money, and really bad at coming up with a followup for the ISS :( So China, for all its flaws, will have the biggest functioning space station in LEO at some point. ISS operations have just been extended to 2034, but if we get a single micrometeorite hit in the wrong spot (e.g. Node 2), that’ll put an end to it.
I wish the world was better at just giving a ton of money to science and space. It’s such an obvious use of money, if you ask me.
Especially since the future of humanity, given that we survive, is in space. There is a lot of potential for space-based infrastructure.
Too many people think that when we spend money on space, that we are literally sending the money into orbit. Almost all of it is going back into the economy and keeping tons of businesses alive.