gentoobro on Nostr: The reason they're going to scrap it soon, as far as I understand, is more related to ...

The reason they're going to scrap it soon, as far as I understand, is more related to physics than politics. Radiation damages metal, and the 90 minute heating and cooling cycles introduce metal fatigue, and some other similar "shit just wears out *being* in space" effects. It might last longer, but safety margins are high in space. (Or are supposed to be.)

The reason they don't just launch a whole new station in advance is politics and incompetency. China just whipped up a station and put it up there no muss no fuss. Musk would already have one if his goals were that low. Russia claims they're going to launch a new one, but don't hold your breath. They'll probably just tag along with China.