Proposed Next-Generation Space Station

WallytheWalrus writes "This NewScientist.com article discusses the proposed next generation of telescopes and space stations. The concept presented with little fanfare by the NASA Exploration Team (NEXT) consists of placing a space station about 5/6ths of the way to the moon at one of a handful of local Lagrangian Points. This station would act as a springboard for constructing new telescopic mirrors, maintaining the telescopes that use them, and as a haven for future manned exploration missions. If only NEXT's budget was more than $4 million a year...."

Comments

We don't need another money pit.

[alchemist68]

The U.S., Russia, and other countries can't even complete and maintain the current Space Station on schedule, and it still isn't as functional as was orginally intended with the current time schedule. Though this makes for some cool Gee-whiz science and experience working in low/no gravaity environments, I don't foresee any nobel-prize winning science coming out of the International Space Station. We certainly don't need another one.

If NASA intends on building something useful, it should consider building a large space ship for touring the solar system for conducting long term research with a crew of about 100 people. For propulsion, it could probably use a very large array of solar panels and those non/asymmetrical capacitors that were recently patented by NASA. Heck, with the large electric field generated from the propulsion system, external radiation might not be the serious problem that it is currently on the International Space Station.

Re:Space Cowboys

[diverman]

What Dirty Harry's gay?? When did he come out exactly?

heheh.
-Alex

Re:Well...

[k4biR 5uxXoRs KoX]

why don't you biuld it in my fuckign pants? i would get more had that way. sucknut. fuck me. now! boooooooooooooooobieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! i heart fark.com . like ou. sucklikepussyassshit.