It’s why I have been in favor of a practical phase-out of the International Space Station, replacing it with numerous Skylab-sized turnkey stations that may be specialized in configuration (i.e., research, manufacturing or tourist destination).
Is it better to undertake an occasional manned mission, at a cost of many billions of dollars, to explore asteroids, return to the Moon and journey to Mars, or should we stay close to the planet and exploit a region that so far has been only touched upon, despite the availability of the hugely expensive but sparsely manned international space station?
