News New ISS in the making

[Col_Klonk]

http://tass.ru/en/science/866011

 

[Star Voyager]

I wonder if this is just a continuation of OPSEK?

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I thought the same thing. Their Node module has been pushed back (again) in the launch manifest. From what I understand, it'll form the only permanent structure for the next gen station.

 

[boogabooga]

A BRICS space station?

U.S. has other "plans." Perhaps ESA will participate, though.

 

[Lisias]

A BRICS space station?

Unlikely. RICS at best.

Brazil will be struggling for the next decade and a half, we will be happy if we would be able to pave our interstate highways.

 

[Unstung]

Unlikely. RICS at best.

South Africa's nascent space program doesn't mention human spaceflight. It's more like RIC.

 

[Kyle]

I could see a joint ESA/RSA post-ISS space station, but I don't think we'll ever again (not for many years at least) see a NASA involved space station construction project in Low-Earth Orbit.

 

[boogabooga]

Unlikely. RICS at best.

Brazil will be struggling for the next decade and a half, we will be happy if we would be able to pave our interstate highways.

Isn't that sort of thing precisely what the BRICS Development Bank is supposed to address, and why there is even a concept of BRICS?

I'm sure it's not outside the realm of possibility to send someone to Star City to be trained by the Russians. It's not as if you have to develop your own independent capability.

 

[Urwumpe]

I could see a joint ESA/RSA post-ISS space station, but I don't think we'll ever again (not for many years at least) see a NASA involved space station construction project in Low-Earth Orbit.

I doubt it. If there is an international space station, there will be a US involvement. Maybe a minimal one compared to the 74% of the ISS costs, but I doubt they will not try to have a plan B to long-distance exploration.

The long-distance exploration program is so fragile in political terms, that it is easy to kill it in 2-3 fiscal years.

 

[Fabri91]

The solution seems to be tied in international agreements and just make it too embarassing to pull out.

 

[Col_Klonk]

South Africa's nascent space program doesn't mention human spaceflight. It's more like RIC.

:facepalm: We have a space program !! :rofl:
They were talking about send a spy box into orbit on a Russian rocket.. but that reeked of corruption and fraud.
Whenever this lot come up with wild stories, you must look where the money's going...

 

[Urwumpe]

:facepalm: We have a space program !! :rofl:

Well, you had a nuclear weapon program once as well.

 

[Col_Klonk]

Well, you had a nuclear weapon program once as well.

A different an more efficient government (as bad as they were )

 

[Urwumpe]

A different an more efficient government (as bad as they were )

Well, more efficient is easy if the current government is on permament vacation. :lol:

But still: South Africa is a pretty large country with a very large potential. It sure can have a space program, even a manned one, with a cooperation with another spaceflight agency of course. Or by making private spaceflight possible. Denel shows that it is possible to produce quality parts in South Africa (despite it being a very inefficient state owned company). And Overberg would be a useful launch site.

 

[boogabooga]

Well, South Africa produced Elon Musk, after all.

Has to be some spacy-ness in there somewhere...

 

[Col_Klonk]

Well, more efficient is easy if the current government is on permament vacation. :lol:

That's only scratching the surface

But still: South Africa is a pretty large country with a very large potential. It sure can have a space program, even a manned one, with a cooperation with another spaceflight agency of course. Or by making private spaceflight possible. Denel shows that it is possible to produce quality parts in South Africa (despite it being a very inefficient state owned company). And Overberg would be a useful launch site.

Agreed..
Overberg is still classified as a launch site, if I'm not mistaken... missile testing range when Denel made things that go bang..

Most people who have left here have done well overseas... That's the mark of a deteriorating country... why waste one's life putting up with the b/s.

Musk left ZA for the land of opportunity.. and has done well for himself.
I can't help feeling he's overstepped the mark with his latest adventure.. but it looks like he's making cronies in the right places, so they might 'float' him/SpaceX

 

[Lisias]

Isn't that sort of thing precisely what the BRICS Development Bank is supposed to address, and why there is even a concept of BRICS?

I'm sure it's not outside the realm of possibility to send someone to Star City to be trained by the Russians. It's not as if you have to develop your own independent capability.

In exchange for what?

International relationships are not that different from personal relationships - you must give something back.

For the next 15 years (perhaps more), we will be rebuilding our economy and paying public debts at the same time (more than 110 Billion Reais by now, about 26 or 27 Billion USD). It's unlikely that the next (probable) Right Wing government would be willing to use natural resources (probably the only interesting thing we have to give) in order to get some of us on this. In the short run, they would probably choose to use them to keep funding our Antarctic facilities.

Historically, we have been proven unable to give any technical help, and since the Alcantara accident, our space efforts and facilities are for rent and USA is our main (perhaps sole) client - and I don't think our Space Agency administrators would risk pissing them off (assuming that they would present objection to such collaboration - perhaps not).

 

[Urwumpe]

Overberg is still classified as a launch site, if I'm not mistaken... missile testing range when Denel made things that go bang..

Not just they. Germany is also testing every little toy there that should go bang. AFAIR for example the German test campaign on comparing ER-Standard missiles used on German ships with a Simulink simulator model also took place in Overberg.