[FPSPACE] ISS completion without thye Space Shuttle

[Jos Heyman]

Hi everybody

Recently the Russian Space Agency claimed that, after STS-114, the 
International Space Station can continue to operate until 2010. Presumably 
this will be with the help of (American?) funded Progress and Soyuz TMA 
vehicles until, in 2010 the planned Russian and European Space Agency crew 
transfer vehicles would take over the ISS ferry role.

Being faced with the potential possibility that the three remaining STS 
orbiters will be grounded forever and will be transferred to museums (can I 
hold up my hand for one in the proposed Perth, Western Australia science 
museum!!), it would be interesting to see how this course of action would 
affect the completion of ISS as planned.

Questions that come immediately to mind are whether the Japanese JEM module, 
the European Columbus module, the US Habitation Module and the associated 
nodes, including the Cupola, as well as some of the remaining truss 
sections, could be launched by Proton launch vehicles. And could these all 
be assembled by the restricted number of crew members that are allowed 
because of the use Soyuz TMA?

I intend to discuss this matter in a future issue of the News Bulletin of 
the Astronautical Society of Western Australia and would welcome 
contributions by members of this forum.

Thanks

Jos Heyman