Is the ISS Really Worth $100 Billion?

Ponca City writes "JR Minkel writes on Space.com that as NASA celebrates the 10th anniversary of astronauts living on the space station — and with construction essentially complete — the question remains: will the International Space Station ever really pay off scientifically? The space agency contends that the weightless environment provided by the station offers a unique way of unmasking processes of cell growth and chemistry that are hidden on Earth, but some critics don't see a zero gravity laboratory as filling a crucial scientific need. Gregory Petsko, a biochemist at Brandeis University, says the only basic science justification he has ever heard for the station is that protein molecules form superior crystals in the microgravity of space than they do on Earth and a best-case scenario, in terms of return on investment, would be if a space-grown crystal were used to design a blockbuster pharmaceutical drug that worked by precisely targeting one of those proteins. Naturally NASA sees things differently. 'I think those who are naysayers haven't given us a chance — haven't given us enough time to show what we can do. We're just now turning the path to be able to go full force on our science. In the past we had to fit it in around assembly, we didn't have the facilities available, and the crew was always busy.'"

Comments

Re:Look at it this way

[JorDan Clock]

Actually, $300 right now would make a huge difference in my life. I have a few debts from when I was unemployed and $300 would make the difference between always worrying about overdrafts and just being broke.

Re:Look at it this way

[SleazyRidr]

If you've got $300 to spend on a meal and you're in Houston. Check out Marks in Montrose. Dinner for 2 will set you back about $300, but it'll be fantastic. Hard to say that it's worth it, but it's the best meal I've ever had.