When will the International Space Station complete construction? What problems might NASA face completing it?
Station completion is tied to shuttle availability since there isn’t any other launch vehicle that will lift the heaviest sections like the lab modules and the truss pieces. So, by definition, it should be done by 2010 when the shuttles are scheduled to stop flying. We’ll see if shuttles stick to the schedule planned, and whether the Europeans come up with as-yet-unconsidered uses for their ATV. A fall-back may be Ares V, though that won’t be available for some years yet. Problems? The obvious one is slippage in the shuttle schedule or (God forbid) another accident. All of the remaining Station components are built and ready to fly. It’s just a matter of getting them into orbit. Funding is not likely to be the issue that some contend. The ISS program exists and has a fair amount of momentum. Congress is very unlikely to stop that. And – Mark K. if you’re going to copy stuff verbatim out of Wikipedia, at least credit the source, huh?
