Quote:
Originally Posted by DJDD
but why the ISS at all, then?
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Oh I reckon there's tonnes more we can measure and learn from earth orbit observation. For instance, there may be a chance - very remote perhaps - that a sophisticated variant of Joseph Weber's 'Weber Bar', may be sensitive enough to detect gravity waves emitted from earth, while in orbit. Perhaps on Earth it's like trying to receive RF signals while standing right next to a TV broadcast antenna (The Weber Bar on Earth scenario); it's just getting swamped. In orbit, it may be sufficiently distant enough to detect earth quakes (small movements of great quantities of mass). The ISS, in comparison to Earth, is virtually massless.
You never know!
The biggest hurdle, in keeping the ISS operational, isn't the ISS. It's the payload to orbit dilemma. The Shuttle, as good as getting payloads to and from orbit as it is - is inherently dangerous and costly...a maintenance contractor's dream come true ($$$).