Send the ISS To the Moon
Straight from Slashdot: “Michael Benson is proposing that NASA send the ISS to the moon instead of leaving it in low earth orbit. (While we’re at it, we should re-brand it as the ‘International Space Ship.’) He points out that it’s already designed to be moved periodically to higher orbits so instead of just boosting it a few miles, strap on some ion engines and put it in orbit around the moon instead of the earth. That would provide an initial base for the astronauts going to the moon and give the ISS a purpose other than performing yet more studies on the effect of micro gravity on humans. Benson concludes: ‘Let’s begin the process of turning the ISS from an Earth-orbiting caterpillar into an interplanetary butterfly.’”
Oh there are a whole lot of problems with that. The main ones are around supply and logistics. Lunar orbit is simply too far for supply craft to make.
It may be possible in the future but not yet.
Slamlander
July 2, 2009 at 7:55 am
I think we should develop a space elevator, build a much larger structure than the ISS for long duration survival, even create a biosphere in space and take that to lunar orbit and allow that to lower payloads using the same tether technology used in the elevator. Of course you can’t go into synchronous orbit with the moon because it rotates once every 27 days. You could lower your craft which could decelerate itself like the apollo crafts did.
Alex
July 9, 2009 at 10:58 am