Fly Through the International Space Station in Ultra HD
NASA has released this gloriously shot Ultra HD fly-through of the International Space Station, seen through the view of a fisheye lens.
Reminiscent of scenes from science fiction, but very much a part of the here and now, the latest ISS video is haunting in a certain way, which is seasonally appropriate at least. It also raises the question, and not for the first time, whether or not there is a workable option for ultimately preserving the Station as a living museum in orbit rather than splashing it into the Pacific a decade from now.
Perhaps far-fetched at the moment, one has to wonder based on the timelines offered by SpaceX and Blue Origin if the mid to late 2020’s will see a steadily increasing number of people, many of them tourists, heading into LEO. If that is the case, then looking back ten more years, this time from 2030’s, it would be a shame if the Station was thrown away only a few years before it could have been a unique piece of orbital history, kept safely in position by a radically lowered transportation and support infrastructure.
About the Author: Stewart Money
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Great article, Stewart!
My feelings exactly – a real shame to give up and let the ISS crash in 10 years. Good idea about turning it into a museum – AKA tourist destination. Given how much some people are willing to pay for just minutes of weightlessness, a museum could even be a money maker. Park a Bigelow Inflatable space habitat nearby decked out as an orbital hotel and a small shuttle and watch the space tourists line up.
My feelings exactly – a real shame to give up and let the ISS crash in 10 years. Good idea about turning it into a museum – AKA tourist destination. Given how much some people are willing to pay for just minutes of weightlessness, a museum could even be a money maker. Park a Bigelow Inflatable space habitat nearby decked out as an orbital hotel and a small shuttle and watch the space tourists line up.
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Reposted 11-06-16 0048 UTC
1st Post 11-05-16 1549 UTC