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International Space Station Turns Two

Posted by michael on from the space-is-wide-and-good-friends-are-too-few dept.

RedWolves2 writes "Today is ISS's second anniversary of Operations. Two years ago today NASA astronaut Bill Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev first boarded the ISS. In two years the station has grown to more then 200,000 pounds and has had 112 visitors."

2 of 233 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Whats it for? by Pooua · · Score: 2, Flamebait
    I like to think of our space efforts, in general,

    It's good that you said in general, because Items 1 through 6 you listed are only true of *other* space projects, not the ISS.

    1) Research Investements It looks increasingly unlikely that any significant research will ever be performed on the ISS; extremely unlikely that $100 billion dollars-worth of research will be. What research is done probably could have been done more cheaply by other means.

    2) Engineering Investments

    OK, we have a works program, which is actually corporate welfare.

    3) Inspirational Exploration

    I think we need to get our inspiration along more practical lines.

    4) Inspirational Art

    5) Occasionally Profitable

    ISS is never going to be profitable.

    and for the space station in particular,

    6) The one place Americans have restrained themselves and not taken "unilateral action".

    That could be a reason that the project is such a gross waste of money, time and effort.

    --
    Taking stuff apart since 1969 (TM)
  2. Re:Yea.. by yddeh · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    How can you possibly claim that "destroying" (nice choice of word btw) socialism is the only way to stop terrorism?
    That is ridiculous.
    I worked for a long time with no health care, barely had enough money to get by, and had no problem with paying the taxes except that soooo much of it was going to making weapons.
    Public education in this country is terrible. Tons of people have no health care. Tons of people since Bush has become president (yeah yeah blame clinton again) have no jobs at all.
    I hate you right wingers that constantly vote for tax cuts and increased military spending when hard-working folks who weren't born into a well-to-do family struggle. YOU morons are the reason we're hated internationally. People overseas think we're ALL overweight, ignorant, overpaid yahoos with big time tunnel vision.
    Man, you really think socialism is the reason terrorism exists? I can't get over that.