> We shouldn't keep unused things in orbit, because that's space junk. I could see the merit of this argument about a cookie-cutter telephony or Starlink satel

> We shouldn't keep unused things in orbit, because that's space junk. I could see the merit of this argument about a cookie-cutter telephony or Starlink satellite. ISS is a unique achievement of humanity though. It's a true artifact of early space age - the cost to boost it to a stable orbit and mothball it for future generations seems tiny compared to the amount of human capital already invested in it.