Theoretically, NASA and its collaborators could raise the ISS to an orbit at which it would leave Earth’s atmosphere entirely. But lofting so much mass so high would be extremely expensive.
If Elon Musk were to purchase the International Space Station from NASA, could Elon Musk use the I.S.S. as a test bed for mounting engine systems to a station that greatly boost the altitude and overall lifespan of a station by being able to lift the station into higher orbit with specially made modules developed by either Blue Origin or Space X, maybe both could collaborate on the station engine lifted into space by the others reusable rocket.
While the station is being lifted into a higher orbit, Musk and Bezos could rent out the modules for other countries to come and explore the I.S.S. themselves or to run experiments on manufacturing processes such as using molten metal to create a tool, a simple hammer, in the weightlessness of low orbit. How can the data be used to develop orbit-specific stations that would produce common everyday tools, such as wrenches, and hammers, sockets and rackets, putting American innovation at the forefront of tomorrow. What new materials could be created in orbit-specific stations? Are materials created in LEO and OS (orbit specific) more durable? Continued low gravity 3D printing experiments to determine if a 3D printed sphere placed around a station could be used to create an artificial environment that would allow people to live on the inside of the sphere without wearing spacesuits.
The roofing for each shell layer would thin aluminum panels that would be spot welded together and then tig welded in space. The first section of roofing would be supported by a post bolted to the structural support beams either brought to space from Earth or manufactured in space. 3D mud is then layered to fill in the paneling. Structural support pegs of aluminum would be placed in the mud at different depths to create a more structurally secure bond between roofing section added and filled in with a 3D printer.
Ahh, I see the ridiculous ideas don’t stop at ruining EvE.
Maybe look into why no space agency on Earth is planning on supporting it after 2030, and the only people currently taking crew up there is going to stop doing that in 2028?
There are some problems money cannot fix. Thermal stress fractures from 500 degree temperature fluxuations is not something that can be repaired in zero gravity vaccuum.
They don’t seem to have trouble spending huge amounts of money at government level when they want to.
NASA doesn’t own the space station so it couldn’t sell it to anyone.
He’s too busy trying to get his Starship to fly.
They can rent nothing on the ISS, they own nothing of that station, and other countries have already come and explored the station and worked in it.
As of 30 May 2023, 269 people from 21 countries had visited the space station, many of them multiple times. The United States sent 163 people, Russia sent 57, 11 were Japanese, nine were Canadian, five were Italian, four were French, four were German, two from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and one each from Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Israel, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Have a nice day.
Elon Musk could introduce EV cars and manufacturing into each of the nations that contributed to ISS. In return, Elon Musk could purchase the ISS and run further tests on systems slated for his grand Mars plan.
The Moon is the real goal though. Always has been.
One of those nations is the big bad election-meddling Russia ran by someone they call “Hitler”. If Musk opens an EV manufacturing plant there the western media will have his head on a platter.
And I seriously doubt that Mr.Musk wants to buy a 25yo space station that is due to be decommissioned and destroyed in 5 to 6 years. The life expectancy of the ISS was 20 to 25 years.
Musk’s Mars plan is still a dream now. His Starship hasn’t completed one flight yet without hiccups and until they figure out how to deal with the radioactivity in space no one is going to Mars besides androids.
Ore-rich Asteroids are quickly changing their minds as they’re realizing how much money they can make mining them versus landing on the moon and having a human presence there.
That’s not what they say and they fully intend to commit to it.
It would be a good option but can the moneymonsters wait 'til then? There isn’t going to be a Moon base for at least a decade unless there’s a miracle at SpaceX.
Edit: I believe that the Chinese will have a Moon base up there first. I’m sure they’re eyeing those money-making asteroids too, and so do the Japanese.
It’s a horrible option for a launch point. An orbital station that doesn’t have to contend with lunar gravity and lunar treaties is a far better option in almost every category.
I think both are viable options, and launching mining robots from Earth is also an option they are looking at while they wait for a Moon base or orbital station.
An orbital station ready to launch spaceships to the outer solar system would take decades to build. It took 20 years to get the ISS ready.
Building and launching from the moon would also take decades and both options are problematic and potentially deadly.
Getting an asteroid back to Earth is the easy part. It’s called physics, and we already have a firm enough grasp on it to do this. Maybe if you read books without pictures and more than 8 words on a page, you’d know this.
First off it isn’t “the Jupiter belt”, it’s an asteroid belt. The asteroid belt is a region of space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most of the asteroids in our Solar System are found orbiting the Sun.
So before you call people “trolls” you might want to have your facts straight about the topic you yourself opened.
Second, are there any specific reasons why it is the “best” option or are you blindly shooting your mouth off in the hopes that something sticks?
This subject is obviously too advanced for your intellect, sir. Should’ve posted about crayons and kites.
Another area the aging I.S.S. station could be used for is to test, upgrade and then test again, systems that could be used during emergency situation where a station in orbit around Jupiter is sent into a higher orbit around Jupiter to keep the station from crashing into asteroids orbiting Jupiter.
