Re: starship-design: Mir being brought down?

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/17/00 7:00:01 PM, STAR1SHIP@aol.com writes:

>In a message dated 11/17/00 4:24:20 PM Pacific Standard Time, KellySt@aol.com
>
>writes:
>
>
>> In a message dated 11/17/00 3:53:39 PM, stk@sunherald.infi.net writes:
>> 
>> >Hello All:
>> >
>> >I heard that Mir is supposed to be 'brought down' (burned up in
>> >atmosphere) in or around February. The last I heard, the Russians were
>> >planning to renovate it and use it for a few more years. ??? Anyone
>know
>> >what caused them to change their minds? Or have I heard wrong?
>> >
>> >--Kyle R. Mcallister
>> 
>> 
>> You heard right.  Best guess they didn't want to say they might bring
>it 
>> down, for fear it would scare away investors.  But they didn't get any
>
>> anyway, so they can't afford to renovate and maintain it.
>> 
>> Kelly
>> 
>Duh!
>Pardon my igorance, but it would seem a simple solution to join MIR with
>our 
>station and when an old space shuttle is on it's last flight send two joining
>
>a empty shuttle and returning the crew on the second. Volume of space station
>
>is increased about 4 fold and maybe room for me. Cost per pound to earth
>
>orbit is a limiting factor so it would seem what goes up does not have
>to 
>come down.
>Tom

Except Mir is a peace of junk, and considered to hazardous.  Aside from the 
crash and fires, its corroding.  So they aren't sure how long the pressure 
vessel can hold up.  Also the systems inside are getting pretty bad.


What good does docking an old shuttle do?  They don't have much internal 
space, and their systems aren't designed for very long duration flights.

Kelly