Can Anybody Explain Why We're In The Trash Hauling Business?!?!?

[Vin DSL]

$6 billion a year to haul trash from the International Space Station...

Orbiting Trash Truck: http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/main/index.html

I don't get it!

[Vin DSL]

Here's the dumpster: http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/wor...lm_module.html

[mattsiegman]

We do it because we're the only ones who can--because we're the only ones smart [stupid?] enough to build a shuttle.

[lokki]

it would be relatively cheap to send up some metal drums with 1-minute chemical motors attached, and send the waste to the sun. Just have to figure trajectory and timing which could be calculated relatively easily once the first one is done.

Sure, the barrels would never get there in our lifetimes, but as long as they are vaguely accurately placed, who cares? They wouldn't do anything but burn up. For that matter, the waste could be put fired at the atmosphere in low angle descent for the same effect.

[mattsiegman]

That would be cool... shooting stars--of trash

[Percipient]

It's likely the same mentality that determine what happened upon discovering a standard pen would not work in a zero g environment.

The US spent a million dollars redesigning the pen so it would write in a weightless environment.

The Russians used a #2 pencil.

[Vin DSL]

It's likely the same mentality that determine what happened upon discovering a standard pen would not work in a zero g environment.

The US spent a million dollars redesigning the pen so it would write in a weightless environment.

The Russians used a #2 pencil.

So 'they' say.

There's no doubt that NASA has spent billions of dollars, chasing chimeras, but that particular one is supposedly false...

http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

I wonder how much they've spent on other 'crap'?

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/tec..._wastenot.html

[lokki]

That's nothing, Vin. My management has been powered by pure **** for years.