When it first came out, the International Space Station (ISS) seemed like a marvel of humanity's collective technological advances and prowess. We were going to have a permanently manned station up in space. Furthermore, it was going to be the cooperative effort of numerous countries of the world.
It seemed like a win - win.
Now, a quarter of a century later, people are beginning to question it's usefulness.
Of course, it was not cheap to build, and it is not cheap to maintain, regardless of the fact that it should, at least theoretically, be a shared venture among the participating nations. So now, there is a question as to how much longer the ISS will continue to be around for.
Take a look at this article (see the link below) from the Guardian for a bit more detailed information on this story, to learn just how bad things have gotten, and how it only seems to make news headlines these days for negatives, such as when the toilets are not working.
‘It only makes the news when the toilets stop working’: has the 25-year-old International Space Station been a waste of space? by Robin McKie, Science editor for The Guardian, Sun 29 Oct 2023:
The ISS is destined to be sent spiralling into the Pacific Ocean in 2031, yet the controversy over the £120bn behemoth continues
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/29/international-space-station-25-years
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