With the space station nearing completion, astronauts can trade hard hats for test tubes
By ERIC BERGER
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Sept. 21, 2009, 5:59AM
After 15 years of construction, narrow congressional votes, delays and, yes, cost overruns, the $100 billion international space station finally appears ready for prime time.
The orbiting station, which in size and scope far exceeds anything humans have ever put into space, recently has been on quite a roll.
In May the space station doubled its crew from three to six astronauts, and this summer two space shuttle missions delivered a new laboratory and critical scientific equipment.
Then, earlier this month, a panel appointed by President Barack Obama to study the future of human spaceflight gave the station high marks, recommending its life be extended until at least 2020 and full funding to reach its potential.
The station is now beginning to do just that, as astronauts use the ISS for its intended purpose as an outpost for scientific research in a weightless environment, and learning to live for long periods in space.
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