--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the International Space Station is…" description: "\"When the International Space Station is finally launched, it will be fitted with special nickel-hydrogen batteries weighing a total of several tons, wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/charles-platt-20450_batteries_when-the-international-space-station-is_3130905.jpg" --- # When the International Space Station is finally launched… ![“When the International Space Station is finally launched, it will be fitted with special nickel-hydrogen batteries weighing a total of several tons, with a lifetime of just five years, requiring spares to be brought up from Earth at literally astronomical expense.” quote by Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/charles-platt-20450_batteries_when-the-international-space-station-is_3130905.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/charles-platt-20450_batteries_when-the-international-space-station-is_3130905.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/charles-platt-20450_batteries_when-the-international-space-station-is_3130905.jpg) > “When the International Space Station is finally launched, it will be fitted with special nickel-hydrogen batteries weighing a total of several tons, with a lifetime of just five years, requiring spares to be brought up from Earth at literally astronomical expense.” [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The ISS will use massive nickel‑hydrogen batteries that last only five years, making replacement costly and logistically demanding. **In simple terms:** ISS batteries are heavy, short‑lived, and expensive to replace. Key Takeaway Plan for sustainable power solutions. Themes space engineering budget logistics Mood concerned analytical Type technical strategic When to use this quote - space station design - budget reviews - technology procurement Key Concepts battery technology life‑cycle cost mission planning Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives could extend battery life? - How can we reduce launch costs for spares? A Different Perspective Reliance on heavy, short‑life batteries limits long‑term mission flexibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Batteries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/batteries/) [Brought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brought/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Expense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expense/) [Finally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finally/) [Fitted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitted/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [Hydrogen Batteries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hydrogen-batteries-5537240/) [International](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international/) [International Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international-space-312388/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Literally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literally/) [Nickel Hydrogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nickel-hydrogen-5537242/) [Requiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requiring/) [Several](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/several/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Space station](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-station/) [Spares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spares/) [Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special/) [Station](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/station/) [Tons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tons/) [Tons Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tons-lifetime-5537241/) [Total](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/total/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Weighing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weighing/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [At 3-D Imax theaters, audiences have shown they are willing to pay a premium to wear headgear fitted with liquid-crystal lenses synchronized via infrared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/at-3-d-imax-theaters-audiences-have-shown-they-are-willing-to-pay-a/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [If you're a believer, God is not a thought-experiment requiring a special sub-creation to be tried out in. 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You have to own your thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-porter/you-can-t-ever-put-yourself-in-a-position-where-someone-is-requiring/) [Billy Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-porter/) > [Our TotalGuide Solution can operate on a wide range of the installed base of legacy set-top boxes without requiring material changes to the underlying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-amoroso/our-totalguide-solution-can-operate-on-a-wide-range-of-the-installed/) [Alfred Amoroso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-amoroso/) > [We love a tale of heroes and villains and conflicts requiring a neat resolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/we-love-a-tale-of-heroes-and-villains-and-conflicts-requiring-a-neat/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [And in terms of their crown jewel legislative achievement: who knew that when asked, 'will government impose a new federal mandate requiring middle class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/artur-davis/and-in-terms-of-their-crown-jewel-legislative-achievement-who-knew/) [Artur Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/artur-davis/) > [The U.S. fiscal union has worked, in no small part, by enabling subsidies to the Mississippis without requiring the approval of the Minnesotas. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austan-goolsbee/the-u-s-fiscal-union-has-worked-in-no-small-part-by-enabling/) [Austan Goolsbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austan-goolsbee/) > [New situations requiring closer contact with the rabbit had been gradually introduced and the degree to which these situations were avoided, tolerated, or welcomed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-jones/new-situations-requiring-closer-contact-with-the-rabbit-had-been/) [Mary C. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-c-jones/) > [I came rather late to film. I've done an awful lot of theater before - before I discovered the camera, you know, seeing everything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-came-rather-late-to-film-i-ve-done-an-awful-lot-of-theater-before/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## More by Charles Platt > [When you shop online, wouldn't you like to sample the bouquet of wines, the aroma of cigars, or the subtle fragrance of flowers before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/when-you-shop-online-wouldn-t-you-like-to-sample-the-bouquet-of-wines/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [Scaremongering is an age-old political ritual. 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Their prototype used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/the-idea-of-an-e-book-has-been-around-since-the-late-1970s-when/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [“Teachers don't just teach; they can be vital personalities who help young people to mature, to understand the world, and to understand themselves. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/teachers-don-t-just-teach-they-can-be-vital-personalities-who-help/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [If the 20th century taught us anything, it is to be cautious about the work impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/if-the-20th-century-taught-us-anything-it-is-to-be-cautious-about-the/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [The blunt tools of legislation or union power can force a corporation to pay higher wages, but if employees don't create an equal amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/the-blunt-tools-of-legislation-or-union-power-can-force-a-corporation/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [In Finland in the winter, when the sky is totally choked with clouds, the country becomes one big sensory deprivation tank.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/in-finland-in-the-winter-when-the-sky-is-totally-choked-with-clouds/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [Even if major funding is obtained for cold fusion, conceivably the phenomenon could suffer from problems as intractable as those of hot fusion. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/even-if-major-funding-is-obtained-for-cold-fusion-conceivably-the/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [Automakers have been unable to build a viable electric car, mainly because batteries don't allow enough range, are too costly, and take too long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/automakers-have-been-unable-to-build-a-viable-electric-car-mainly/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [“Any man who’s got a big hoard has the right to be first in line, the way I see it. He’s earned it see.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/any-man-who-s-got-a-big-hoard-has-the-right-to-be-first-in-line-the/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [Everyone knows that the broadband era will breed a new generation of online services, but this is only half of the story. Like any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/everyone-knows-that-the-broadband-era-will-breed-a-new-generation-of/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [A future at Wal-Mart may sound a less-than-stellar prospect, but it's a whole lot better than no future at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/a-future-at-wal-mart-may-sound-a-less-than-stellar-prospect-but-it-s/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [If low-temperature fusion does exist and can be perfected, power generation could be decentralized. Each home could heat itself and produce its own electricity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/if-low-temperature-fusion-does-exist-and-can-be-perfected-power/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [Unsurprisingly, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) - once a luxury for room-sized computer installations - is now a standard item both in home offices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/unsurprisingly-an-uninterruptible-power-supply-ups-once-a-luxury-for/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) [Explore all 31 Charles Platt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) ## More Batteries quotes > [I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-manning/i-once-bought-my-kids-a-set-of-batteries-for-christmas-with-a-note-on/) [Bernard Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-manning/) > [I know that spinning sets me in a trance; it soothes me and charges my batteries at the same time. When times are tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-zimmermann/i-know-that-spinning-sets-me-in-a-trance-it-soothes-me-and-charges-my/) [Elizabeth Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-zimmermann/) > [People are not like batteries - Dont plug them in, use them up and then throw them out. ~Jordan Blake Michiels~](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-blake-michiels/people-are-not-like-batteries-dont-plug-them-in-use-them-up-and-then/) [Jordan Blake Michiels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-blake-michiels/) > [As for the age of electronics, Selena, I really don't want to get personal with something that comes with a warning label and batteries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/as-for-the-age-of-electronics-selena-i-really-don-t-want-to-get/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I'm extremely happy the lithium-ion batteries helped communications around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-goodenough/i-m-extremely-happy-the-lithium-ion-batteries-helped-communications/) [John B. Goodenough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-goodenough/) > [Give children toys that are powered by their imagination, not by batteries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/give-children-toys-that-are-powered-by-their-imagination-not-by/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [What monstrous absurdities and paradoxes have resisted whole batteries of serious arguments, and then crumbled swiftly into dust before the ringing death-knell of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/what-monstrous-absurdities-and-paradoxes-have-resisted-whole/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [Without vision, even the most focused passion is a battery without a device.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-auletta/without-vision-even-the-most-focused-passion-is-a-battery-without-a/) [Ken Auletta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-auletta/) > [The International Cricket Calender shouldn't be so packed with action that it drives spectators away. Also there should be enough space between cricket events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachin-tendulkar/the-international-cricket-calender-shouldn-t-be-so-packed-with-action/) [Sachin Tendulkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachin-tendulkar/) > [I don't have a Facebook page. I don't use Twitter. I don't give anyone a lot to grab onto. Sometimes, I even take out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-suarez/i-don-t-have-a-facebook-page-i-don-t-use-twitter-i-don-t-give-anyone/) [Daniel Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-suarez/) > [That is one thing I've learned, that it is possible to really understand things at certain points, and not be able to retain them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/that-is-one-thing-i-ve-learned-that-it-is-possible-to-really/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [With a giant battery, we'd be able to address the problem of intermittency that prevents wind and solar from contributing to the grid in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sadoway/with-a-giant-battery-we-d-be-able-to-address-the-problem-of/) [Donald Sadoway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sadoway/) > [I ran. I ran until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I ran some more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/i-ran-i-ran-until-my-muscles-burned-and-my-veins-pumped-battery-acid/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Batteries are the most dramatic object. Other things stop working or they break, But Batteries... They Die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/batteries-are-the-most-dramatic-object-other-things-stop-working-or/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [Like silence after noise, or cool, clear water on a hot, stuffy day, Emptiness cleans out the messy mind and charges up the batteries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-hoff/like-silence-after-noise-or-cool-clear-water-on-a-hot-stuffy-day/) [Benjamin Hoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-hoff/) [Browse all 252 Batteries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/batteries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When the International Space Station is finally launched, it will be fitted with special nickel-hydrogen batteries weighing a total of several tons, with a lifetime of just five years, requiring spares to be brought up from Earth at literally astronomical expense.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Platt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/when-the-international-space-station-is-finally-launched-it-will-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Batteries" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/when-the-international-space-station-is-finally-launched-it-will-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/charles-platt-20450_batteries_when-the-international-space-station-is_3130905.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/charles-platt-20450_batteries_when-the-international-space-station-is_3130905.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/charles-platt-20450_batteries_when-the-international-space-station-is_3130905.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When the International Space Station is finally launched, it will be fitted with special nickel-hydrogen…” — Charles Platt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Platt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When the International Space Station is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/when-the-international-space-station-is-finally-launched-it-will-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/when-the-international-space-station-is-finally-launched-it-will-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```