You must remember that a space station is not something like an Army fortification or a building which stands by itself or require very little maintenance, which could be done by a stationed unit.<p>* The ISS is actually falling back to earth and needs to be lifted from time to time. You need fuel for that.<p>* The personnel must be changed frequently (too much time in microgravity is harmful to the body). You need to take people in and out.<p>* The station itself is very little compared to a building. You can&#x27;t store years of supplies there, just 12 months or so. You need to send up supplies.<p>So, you must send fuel, people and supplies very often to the ISS. This is very very expensive.<p>So, it comes a time where you should consider shutting it down or keep using it.<p>Keep using it for what? That is the question.