Abandoned in Space
Competing for the future
The International Space Station program is weaved together by a set of political and financial agreements between fifteen nations. Together they form the 5 space agencies, whose ownership of the various components makes the ISS possible. The agreements determine who has the right to choose crew members, how they are utilized, and for crew rotation. Also, the responsibilities for resupply form a complex sometimes tenuous relationship.
The agencies must interact with each other on a daily basis to maintain station operations. Operations which range from traffic control, to use of space and crew time. In the spring of 2010, the International Space Station Program Managers from each of the five partner agencies met to develop long-term plans for the commercialization of space. It made for one of the more interesting aspects of membership. The agencies that rely on government funding were reluctant to cede control to the private sector.
The five partners, the Russian Federation (Roskosmos), the United States, Canada, Japan and the 11 member European Space Agency have kept the program on track since 1998. But since NASA's termination of the space shuttle program, Roskosmos has assumed more and more of the function of providing transport between earth and the ISS. Since 2005 NASA has purchased seats and capacity on Russian made Soyuz rockets. The emergency return modules, the ones that would be used to return to earth in an emergency are Soyuz.
But times were changing. Starting in 2017 more and more of the transport and resupply missions were being assumed by commercial endeavors like Space X and Orbital ATK. This also reduced the influence and dependency on Roskosmos, while NASA seemed to once again be gaining in influence. Soon the commercial endeavors would begin to send crews with no allegiance to any nation or national space agency. But for now, nationalism is still conspicuous. In fact, there are rumblings that once the current ISS agreement expires in 2024 the Russians would move to build their own space program without the western partners.
The next planned resupply mission is on schedule to launch in about 10 days. It will be operated by Orbital ATK. The main goal is to bring food, a fresh supply of water, some fresh charcoal canisters that can be used to help purify the air. Also aboard will be replacement batteries to back up the sensitive electronics aboard the ship. The resupply ship will also return to earth with used equipment and spent fuel canisters as well as worn out clothing, etc.
Resupply missions were always welcome as it brought to the crew a little bit of home. It was a sort of lifeline to earth. Melinda was looking forward to a new sleeping bag. The old one was several months old and getting a little “groady”.
The agencies must interact with each other on a daily basis to maintain station operations. Operations which range from traffic control, to use of space and crew time. In the spring of 2010, the International Space Station Program Managers from each of the five partner agencies met to develop long-term plans for the commercialization of space. It made for one of the more interesting aspects of membership. The agencies that rely on government funding were reluctant to cede control to the private sector.
The five partners, the Russian Federation (Roskosmos), the United States, Canada, Japan and the 11 member European Space Agency have kept the program on track since 1998. But since NASA's termination of the space shuttle program, Roskosmos has assumed more and more of the function of providing transport between earth and the ISS. Since 2005 NASA has purchased seats and capacity on Russian made Soyuz rockets. The emergency return modules, the ones that would be used to return to earth in an emergency are Soyuz.
But times were changing. Starting in 2017 more and more of the transport and resupply missions were being assumed by commercial endeavors like Space X and Orbital ATK. This also reduced the influence and dependency on Roskosmos, while NASA seemed to once again be gaining in influence. Soon the commercial endeavors would begin to send crews with no allegiance to any nation or national space agency. But for now, nationalism is still conspicuous. In fact, there are rumblings that once the current ISS agreement expires in 2024 the Russians would move to build their own space program without the western partners.
The next planned resupply mission is on schedule to launch in about 10 days. It will be operated by Orbital ATK. The main goal is to bring food, a fresh supply of water, some fresh charcoal canisters that can be used to help purify the air. Also aboard will be replacement batteries to back up the sensitive electronics aboard the ship. The resupply ship will also return to earth with used equipment and spent fuel canisters as well as worn out clothing, etc.
Resupply missions were always welcome as it brought to the crew a little bit of home. It was a sort of lifeline to earth. Melinda was looking forward to a new sleeping bag. The old one was several months old and getting a little “groady”.