Isn't it a little early to start arguing about how and when to close the International Space Station down? After all, it's not even completely built yet.
Apparently not, according to this article from AFP. According to the piece, NASA is telling its partners it has no plans for "utilization and exploitation" of the international venture after 2015, just five years after it becomes fully operational.
That's apparently worrying folks in Europe and Russia, who think that too much money and time has been put into constructing the ISS to abandon it so early. With NASA contributing 70 percent of the funds, a decline in US participation would be devastating for the project.
European Space Agency head Jean-Jacques Dordain told reporters this week that the ESA can't step in to fill NASA's shoes. From the AFP:
The problem, argues the AFP article, is that the Russians and Europeans view the ISS primarily as a science lab, while the U.S. views it as a
"platform for space exploration," which will have been superseded by
2015.
With NASA's budget strained by plans for maned Moon missions, a long list of scientific goals, and even manned Mars exploration, it's no wonder that the ISS's projected annual $2.3 billion cost to the U.S. is seen as a considerable burden. But it would be a shame to lose the station so soon -- if the U.S. drops its funding, maybe Russia can step in with some of those petrodollars instead.
Space station partners bicker over closure date [AFP]
(Image: International Space Station. Credit: NASA)
