XPost: misc.misc   
   From: jeff.findley@ugs.nojunk.com   
      
   "David Summers"  wrote in message   
   news:1103151430.447477.63110@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...   
   > Although as others have pointed out this wouldn't really work, I wonder   
   > if you could make use of the mass in orbit?  As you point out, mass in   
   > orbit is incredibly expensive.  Maybe we should launch a small machine   
   > shop, a machinist - and tell him to rip up ISS and build X...   
      
   Astronaut time is some of the most expensive time around.   
      
   Considering the amount of rework you'd have to do to ISS to use it for a   
   Mars vehicle, I'd think it would be cheaper to do the work on the ground.   
   The amount of equipment and consumables you'd have to send to ISS to support   
   this machine shop and machinist (over the many years it would take one   
   person to do the work) would be greater than the mass of the ISS.   
      
   Better to build it on the ground where it's cheaper to keep your workers   
   alive (you pay them a salary and they mostly take care of their own life   
   support needs).   
      
   Jeff   
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