Things don't look good for NASA when the opening sentence of a report outlining its future begins: "The US human spaceflight program appears to be on an unsustainable trajectory."
'[NASA] is perpetuating the perilous practice of pursuing goals that do not match allocated resources. Space operations are among the most complex and unforgiving pursuits ever undertaken by humans. It really is rocket science. Space operations become all the more difficult when means do not match aspirations," the report continued.
That was just the beginning of the Review of US Human Space Flight Plans Committee summary report which was handed to the White House today after months of expert review and testimony. A bleak report was expected by many observers but ultimately how its results are interpreted will determine the future of any manned space flights. Keep in mind too that NASA has spent almost $8 billion of a planned $40 billion to develop systems for a lunar return.
(barring, say massive deposits of gold on Mars, but that is not the case, so it's irrelevant)
Of course, that won't be in my lifetime, so the point is moot.
Quote(barring, say massive deposits of gold on Mars, but that is not the case, so it's irrelevant)
IIRC there's massive deposits of precious metals (platinum, gold, silver) in the Asteroid Belt.QuoteOf course, that won't be in my lifetime, so the point is moot.
If they end up getting Maglev Launch Assist (http://www.physorg.com/news91272157.html) technology to work as advertised within the next 20 years, it will happen well within your lifetime.
I saw a Computer Chronicles episode about a tech expo in Japan, in that expo there were working prototypes for maglev trains. When was this episode? 1985.Spoiler:[rant] WE'VE ****ING KNOWN ABOUT THIS STUFF FOR ****ING 25+ ****ING YEARS AND WE NEVER EVEN ****ING BOTHERED TO ****ING LOOK INTO THIS UNTIL A FEW ****ING YEARS AGO, IF WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN OFF OUR ASSES AND INVESTED IN THIS IN THE ****ING 80'S WE WOULD HAVE ****ING HAD IT BY NOW. If/when the US looses its edge in space we will have deserved for it to happen.[/rant]
Added spoiler tags because of lanauge. :p
If they end up getting Maglev Launch Assist (http://www.physorg.com/news91272157.html) technology to work as advertised within the next 20 years, it will happen well within your lifetime.
And about the space elevator. It need not have a building structure. Just a cable made out of very special and strong light metal that goes from the ground and is tethered to a space station and a propulsion system based on light energy from a device on the ground.
I remember reading about the concepts of using magnetic acceleration for space-flight when I was about 7-8 years old, so around 1979-1980. Admittedly, the idea then was to mine the moon, and use a magnetic coil to accelerate the goods back to close-Earth orbit, or even to the surface (though that thought scares me, it's kind of like firing a rail-gun at our own planet) thus removing half the transport requirements, but it's certainly been known as a possibility for around 3 decades.
We can't make the cable. It's not within our technological capabilities, plus a space elevator is inherently more dangerous and more expensive. Sure, the potential benefits are greater, but the potential benefits of tonnes of technology we don't have are huge. Imagine the potential benefit of fusion reactors or artifical gravity.
A skyramp could literally be started tomorrow if the money and political will was available. No new technology, just train tracks and rocket boosters (or even jet engines) and you get a SSTO reusable launch vehicle. Beautiful.
We can't make the cable. It's not within our technological capabilities, plus a space elevator is inherently more dangerous and more expensive. Sure, the potential benefits are greater, but the potential benefits of tonnes of technology we don't have are huge. Imagine the potential benefit of fusion reactors or artifical gravity.
We can't make the cable. It's not within our technological capabilities, plus a space elevator is inherently more dangerous and more expensive. Sure, the potential benefits are greater, but the potential benefits of tonnes of technology we don't have are huge. Imagine the potential benefit of fusion reactors or artifical gravity.
Are you calling these physicists and futurists wrong and saying you know more than them on that subject? I am more likely to believe them than others. Also, it said in 50 years. It is still being worked on and tested. Did you watch that video carefully?
I know they could be wrong since know one knows for sure, but they are the most likely to be right than any other people.
Well the navy has Railguns doesn't it. Can't they just make some rail-gun assisted launch platform. Mass Driver if you will (ala Gundam Seed).
I'm just waiting for the day you can buy "kit spaceships." Heck, look as Scaled Composite's SS1. The thing is basically skinned like a lightweight aircraft. Reentry is possible due to the ingenious "feather" system. And it's got a rocket that burns... I think it's a rubber-based fuel!Re-entry at SS1 is mainly possible due to the fact that it doesn't reach orbital velocity. The Shuttle, for example, returns into the atmosphere at about Mach 24. SS1 doesn't even get near that. It follows a ballistic trajectory, so its vertical speed when starting re-entry is exactly 0. The feathering just makes sure it doesn't speed up too much.
We can't make the cable. It's not within our technological capabilities, plus a space elevator is inherently more dangerous and more expensive. Sure, the potential benefits are greater, but the potential benefits of tonnes of technology we don't have are huge. Imagine the potential benefit of fusion reactors or artifical gravity.
Are you saying these physicists and futurists are wrong and saying you know more than them on that subject? I am more likely to believe them than others. Also, it said in 50 years. It is still being worked on and tested. Did you watch that video carefully?
I know they could be wrong since know one knows for sure, but they are the most likely to be right than any other people.
I'm just waiting for the day you can buy "kit spaceships." Heck, look as Scaled Composite's SS1. The thing is basically skinned like a lightweight aircraft. Reentry is possible due to the ingenious "feather" system. And it's got a rocket that burns... I think it's a rubber-based fuel!Re-entry at SS1 is mainly possible due to the fact that it doesn't reach orbital velocity. The Shuttle, for example, returns into the atmosphere at about Mach 24. SS1 doesn't even get near that. It follows a ballistic trajectory, so its vertical speed when starting re-entry is exactly 0. The feathering just makes sure it doesn't speed up too much.
And yes, it runs on rubber and laughing gas. It's a genious combination for what it's supposed to do, but I doubt it'll ever get you into orbit.