International Space Station to be retired in 2031

[Thrift Store Scott]

pRICE cUBE wrote:
Seems like an waste to let but all burn. Couldn’t a private enterprise take it over and utilize it? Can it be pushed further back up? Is it too old to maintain?

Going by how far computer technology has progressed in the past 30 years (speed, memory volume, and component size) along with normal wear and tear on the station's non-computer systems and structure, I'm guessing at minimum it would need to be almost completely gutted and refurbished. Also I'd imagine engineers have learned a lot from the space station through continuous use and there are several things they'd do very differently now if starting from scratch.

I think the current space station would serve as a great staging area/temporary housing for astronauts building a new and better space station incorporating lessons learned over the last 30 years.