ISS doesn't have to be space junk?

We had a little discussion of this article over on the SSI maillist.
Here's my contribution:

I would make a far more modest proposal. Use ion engines to gradually
adjust the orbit of ISS to something a lot closer to equatorial orbit,
and then equip it as a fuel manufacturing and storage depot.

The Russians would object to this. The reason why ISS is in the
relatively high-inclination orbit it's in is because it's easier to
reach that orbit from the latitude of the launch site Russia uses. But
if the ISS were in an equatorial orbit, that would make it a better
launching point for expeditions to the moon (or GEO, or Lagrange points)
as it would eliminate a plane-change maneuver.

But stopping at LEO just to stop really makes no sense. It only makes
sense if we're gassing up there. I'd propose a system where water could
be delivered to ISS (it's safer, and requires smaller tanks). Power
from the solar cell array could be used to electrolysize the water to
hydrogen and oxygen. Some supplemental heat radiators could function in
a cooling and liquefaction system to make fuel and oxidizer which would
be stored in shaded and well-insulated tanks.

Vehicles bound for higher orbits, the moon, NEAs, or maybe even Mars
could dock at ISS with nearly empty tanks, refuel, and continue their
journey.

It's a bit tempting to propose parking the ISS at the Earth-moon L-1
point, to serve as both a way station to the Moon, and a staging point
for departures beyond. But the radiation problem negmarron_99 mentioned
would apply here. Manned stations at the L-1 point might have to wait
on use of space materials, so that radiation shields of suitable
thickness could be implemented in an economical fashion.

Regards,

Mike Combs