Guests: John Batchelor, Anatoly Zak, Dr. David Livingston. Topics: ISS leak in the ISS Zvezda Service Module plus the possible development of a Russian atomic space tug.
You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com. Remember, your Amazon Purchases Can Help Support The Space Show/OGLF (www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. Please note that audio and transition issues are a result of copying the John Batchelor broadcast & are not within my control as they originate in the Batchelor studio.
John Batchelor and I welcomed back Anatoly Zak of www.russianspaceweb.com to discuss the ISS leak in the Russian Zvezda Service Module plus the possible ten year development plan for an atomic space tug. We discussed the leak location, finding the leak using tea leaves, patching it with tape and more. Anatoly was asked why the leak was not being patched from the outside. He said not only was it hard to isolate outside but given the structure of the ISS, there is simply no outside access to the structure in the area of the leak. Anatoly also said that for now the leak was under control but if the leak or crack spread and got larger it is possible it could present a threat to the ISS. I asked Anatoly if the station was experiencing metal and structure fatigue given its ae and the number of years it has been on orbit. He thought that was possible but said there was as of yet no conclusive cause for the leak.
Our last topic was the news that Russia was going to develop a nuclear powered space tug. This would be a ten year future project. Being designed by the military, it would clearly be a military vehicle but it would also have civil space function as a tug for BLEO and deep space Russian missions. Anatoly mentioned a few examples such as missions to Europa and getting advanced powered equipment to a deep space location. He also talked about the different types and sizes of payloads that this new vehicle would be designed to handle.
Please post your comments/questions for this discussion on our blog for this show. You can email Mr. Batchelor or Anatoly Zak through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. Anatoly can also be reached through his website, www.russianspaceweb.com.
The Space Show
