What happens if the space station falls?
What happens if the space station falls?
If NASA were to completely abandon the space station and make no attempt whatsoever to maintain it, the engines would eventually run out of fuel or suffer some kind of mechanical failure. Its orbit would decay—that’s a space-y way of saying the station would get closer and closer to Earth—until it came crashing down.
What are the pros and cons of the ISS?
Table 1 Advantages and disadvantages of space exploration
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Positive life changes to humankind | Not reducing poverty in underdeveloped countries |
| Finding essential minerals in space | Space travelling costs |
| Finding other living species in space | Risk to astronauts |
| Challenge of adventure |
Will the ISS fall back to earth?
The ISS doesn’t fall to Earth because it is moving forward at exactly the right speed that when combined with the rate it is falling, due to gravity, produces a curved path that matches the curvature of the Earth.
What are disadvantages of the ISS?
There are other disadvantages of being too low. It means more time in Earth’s shadow, which reduces the amount of sunlight received by the solar panels and increases the size of storage batteries. Low orbiting altitude also causes more degradation of the structure by corrosive monatomic oxygen.
What are the disadvantages of a space station?
Disadvantages of Space Travel
- Space travel implies significant air pollution.
- Particle pollution can be a problem.
- Space exploration implies high levels of waste.
- Space exploration is quite costly.
- Many missions may not yield any results.
- Space travel can be dangerous.
- Space exploration is time-consuming.
How does the international space station affect me?
The ISS not only serves as a testing ground and stepping stone for future human space exploration, it also enables technological and scientific advances that provide substantial benefits for humanity back on Earth.