Kim responded to an earlier comment of mine:
>>Imagine you've got a scientific lab on a Boeing 747 freighter. How many guys does it take to fly a Boeing 747
>>freigher? Answer: At least 3, viz. pilot, co-pilot and the cargo master/flight engineer. How many guys would that
>>leave to do science on our hypothetical Boeing 747 scientific station: Answer = 0. <<
>
>So, this hypothetical 747 lab wouldn't have the ability to support a research team? Or did you just omit them to
>simplify your argument?
I left out a key phrase thus rendering my argument unintelligable (typical of me). My opening sentence should have read:
"Imagine you've got a scientific lab limited to three people on a Boeing 747 freighter."
Despite my blunder, the point is obvious. You need more than three people to run a complex space station like ISS --and-- do scientific research.
Kim's come-back concerning limited crew size was the logical one: The current situation is political and will change with time.
My response is: If our government was serious about ISS then they would not be engaging in political games (like tiny crew size) but pursue an aggressive ramp up of ISS capability. The fact that they are doing political games indicates that ISS is perceived by the President and the majority of his advisors as a purely political exercise with no real scientific value.
Gary
Space/Science » in reply to Re: ISS
Bungled analogy