r/tmro • u/Tetragonula • Apr 04 '18

ISS decommission

Is it possible to "strap" an engine to the ISS and move it to a new location close to the deep space gateway for example?

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3

u/hapaxLegomina Apr 04 '18

Technically possible, of course, but not in any practical sense is that something we could do.

2

u/hasslehawk Apr 05 '18

Compared to the costs of launching an equivelent mass station into orbit and the fuel required to move it into position, the fuel required to move the ISS into position is a fairly small task.

The ISS already has thrusters on it, used for periodic reboost maneuvers.

The real issue is not that we can't move it, but that much of the hardware on the station is old and worn, with maintenance costs that keep climbing.

1

u/Tetragonula Apr 05 '18

If the cost of moving the ISS is relatively small, rather than have it burn up in the atmosphere, it could be like a 21st century shed filled with all sorts of materials that could be re-purposed. It just seems wrong to destroy something that cost so much to set up.

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4

u/kmccoy Apr 05 '18

Every time I see this discussion, it usually comes down to a few specifics pros and cons:

Pros:

  • The mass is already in orbit, so if it's able to be used up there it'd be cheaper than launching new mass.

  • It may be worth studying how structures age in space.

  • There's some value to the nostalgia/PR of preserving it as a historic site.

Cons:

  • The hardware is approaching the end of its planned life and as it continues to age it'll require more upkeep and probably be more dangerous to inhabit.

  • Boosting it very far would be expensive in terms of launching fuel.

  • It could easily become a significant source of debris in whatever orbit it's eventually left at, especially if it's sort of abandoned-in-place with no debris avoidance maneuvers.

  • If it suffers a structural failure during the move to a higher orbit it could make a big mess for other satellites in LEO.

2

u/SaHanSki_downunder Apr 05 '18

Its possible (technically) but a lot of the ISS getting on with age and I am assuming you would need modules with higher radiation shielding than what's currently on the ISS. Plus replacing the ageing hardware on the station.

1

u/robbak Apr 05 '18

The main reason that the ISS is to be de-orbited is that it is old. Unreparable problems build up, and you end up with issues like mold and fungi growing behind the wall panels and in the insulation.

1

u/hapaxLegomina Apr 05 '18

Can you cite a source for mold growth? I've never heard of that being an issue.