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I was just doing some research for work and stumbled upon some documents concerning the assembly of the Mir, which had all it's componet modules delivered to orbit by unmaned expendables and docked autonomously with the central node.
Why couldn't the remainder of the pressurized modules for the ISS be delivered to orbit by a Delta IV or Atlas V heavy configuration using a bus/upperstage of somesort and then docked. The crew on ISS could do the nessecary EVAs to hook up all the connections. I the remainder of the truss segements could be launched as well, but I would guess that these would have to be comletely manually removed from the upper stage and connected using the ISSs Canadarm II and EVAs. Each Delta and Atlas launch is the fraction of the cost a shuttle launch.
I don't think that we shold waste the billions on shuttle upgrades for a system that is fundmentally moribound with it's retirement date looming.
Personally I would say just scrap the ISS or sell to it comercial concerns but I relize that is not a politically viable solution and also would major egg on the collective face of NASA as it would be the end of essentially their entire main effort of the 80s and 90s.
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I would be thrilled to get rid of the ISS, but that isn't likly to happen, barring a Professor Bell "PlanBush conspiracy" to ditch it.
Unfortunatly all the parts remaining to be launched for the ISS are designed for Shuttle and Shuttle alone. They are also pretty heavy, and the Delta-IV HLV/Atlas-552 simply wouldn't be able to carry them AND the multi-ton maneuvering vehicle AND the modified payload faring structure. Shuttle has all that stuff built-in.
Also, there is no way to get large payloads into the ISS other than Shuttle, as only the MPLM container that it carries is big enough to accomodate large equipment. Since the MPLM port lacks docking hardware, there is no way to modify the ESA ATV or Japanese cargo carrier to dock with it. The ATV, Progress-B, et al. all dock to the small Russian Soyuz style ports.
And simply pulling the plug on the whole program would be politicly suisidal... laying off the Shuttle army and the ISS folks would not exactly go over well with the voters.
[i]"The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those that do not have it." - George Bernard Shaw[/i]
[i]The glass is at 50% of capacity[/i]
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