Re: How many Shuttle flights planned?

On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 13:36:28 +0100, "MichaelJP" <mjp@xxxxxxx> wrote:

What's the plan for the ISS once its finished? Just keep cycling the crews
and set new endurance records?

Once ISS is fully operational (with more or less all the principal
parts in place) the Europeans and Japanese will probably begin a
variety of experiments in materials science, fluid physics, and
medicine using their Columbus and Kibo labs along with US facilities
in a barter arrangement. The U.S. has decided it will use ISS
primarily as a testbed (both of crew and machine) for future Moon/Mars
missions and has greatly curtailed ISS research in unrelated
scientific disciplines. The Oxygen Generator System launched by
STS-121 is a good example. The Russians have also scaled back their
plans for research on ISS, reducing their number of laboratories from
3 to 1, with no timetable when that one will be launched.

Brian
.

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