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Benford on Space Exploration

Posted by michael on from the outward-bound dept.

gid-goo writes "Gregory Benford looks at what we should do in the aftermath of the Columbia accident. Is the shuttle, or the International Space Station for that matter, useful? Or just payola to aerospace interests and a means for keeping Russian rocket scientists employed?" Benford's comments about the necessity of a closed biosphere and of some way for astronauts to stop muscle and bone loss are far more insightful than the usual discussions about where our space exploration priorities should lie.

2 of 383 comments (clear)

  1. tangent by zogger · · Score: 0, Redundant

    --just as a side issue, I think the tech already exists for a better shuttle-like design. The reason why it isn't being used is that it's a military secret used in whatever prototype or low production planes the air force has that have replaced the sr-71, like the reported aurora and brilliant buzzard alleged models.

  2. spaceplanes by zogger · · Score: 0, Redundant

    --I was aware of the various space plane designs. I was more thinking of the *alleged* advanced craft that are flying. I am really speculating now, no actual data of course, but the web has various references* that can be found. It could be that for the public & civilian spaceplane concepts they are limited in using only technology that is up to a certain publically acknowledged threshold of advancement, which would require them to re-invent the wheel in an inefficient (but still functional, obviously) manner in order to protect the better quality designs in the secret prototype craft.

    *google search, random selection reference url

    http://www.dreamlandresort.com/black_projects/gr oo m_projects.html

    remove slashdot-inserted space in "groom" part of url