ISS is a problem that will solve itself. It's showing its age, and Russia and US are in no position right now to work together on extending it.
It's slated for demolition in 2031. Maybe we'd save money by ending it sooner, but given the sunk costs and lack of replacement, we might as well use it.
True. My thinking is to sell it for $1 to someone who could make good use of it.
It has many things that work, and it seems we could build on it and throw the old parts away as they age. Keeping it as is until 2031 means keeping everything running in top notch condition and then throwing it away, which seems dumb. Obviously keeping astronauts on something that is not full working order is even dumber though. That’s why I like the idea of selling it and throwing out parts as they age, but building onto it as well.
It's slated for demolition in 2031. Maybe we'd save money by ending it sooner, but given the sunk costs and lack of replacement, we might as well use it.