XPost: misc.misc   
   From: jeff.findley@ugs.nojunk.com   
      
    wrote in message   
   news:1102947469.283431.146290@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...   
   >   
   > Kent Paul Dolan wrote:   
   > > But, is it strong enough to survive being shoved?   
   >   
   > The ISS is regularly shoved by its own rockets, the shuttle, and   
   > resupply vessels.   
      
   Tiny little "shoves" to boost its orbit by a few miles.  I have a gut   
   feeling that "shoves" of this magnitude would take a *long* time to get ISS   
   to Mars.  Also, you want to get through those pesky van-Allen radidation   
   belts in a reasonable time, or else it does nasty things to electronics   
   (like solar arrays) and to the people inside.  You'd have to "do the math"   
   to see how long it would take and whether or not the radiation exposure   
   would be acceptable.   
      
   > But by the time you get done modifying the ISS for long-term missions   
   > as you propose, you might as well just build a new vehicle using the   
   > same technology as the ISS. Then you can have a younger vehicle   
   > purpose-built for the mission.   
      
   This is definitely true.   
      
   Jeff   
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