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India and NASA to Explore Moon Together
hotsauce writes "NASA administrator Griffin on a visit to Indian space facilities in Bangalore has signed an agreement to explore the moon with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). This agreement will see NASA instruments on a 2008 Indian moon mission, and further cooperation is being explored. An Indian paper has a different take on the visit. Interesting answer by Griffin on NASA outsourcing to ISRO."
If the goal is "on the cheap", there are much better solutions.
;)
1) Put off the landing date to give tech a chance to advance further; there are a number of interesting techs on the horizon.
2a) Cancel the CEV; launch astronauts on Shenzhou and Soyuz.
OR
2b) Finish the CEV, but with a disposable or minimally reusable design, launched atop an EELV to reduce development costs.
3) Complete the DART program to eliminate the need for shuttle-delivered ISS components.
4) Reduce manned spaceflight.
5) Funnel the savings into many launch cost-reduction programs at once. Possibilities:
5a) Scramjets
5b) HEDM fuels (cubane compounds, nitrogen rings, solid ozone grains, etc)
5c) Cryogenic solids/hybrids
5d) OTRAG-style vehicles
5e) Nuclear thermal propulsion
5f) Materials tech (cheaper superalloy production methods, cheaper/stronger carbon structures, better linings, etc; especially important for reusables)
5g) General engine tech (there's always exotic engines like aerospikes, but I was thinking more along the lines of flometrics-style pumps, simpler turbopump designs, better self-contained hydraulics, better sensors, etc)
6) Also funnel the savings into in-space cost reduction tech:
6a) In-space assembly.
6b) Tether reboost
6c) Magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters and associated high energy density nuclear power plants
6d) Orbital tugs (rocket powered or ion powered)
6e) Solar power tech (to reduce mass and increase power)
6f) Exotic propulsion methods - antimatter-catalyzed microfission/microfusion, nuclear saltwater rockets, etc.
6g) Lots of other miscellaneous craft tech that I don't want to have to take the time to enumerate.
Only after several generations of the smaller projects and one or two generations of the larger projects do you actually work on a vehicle that you plan to use as a workhorse and take a moonshot. By cutting back on the big capital expenses (the manned exploration program), you free up funds to take several technological routes at once, so you can pick the winner.
India has been courted by Presidents of both parties in America, and counts a full 1/3 of Congress in the India Caucus. That speaks volumes for how important India is to our American interests. Then there's the obvious close ties India has to Europe, and especially Britain. American foreign policy interests are also greatly helped by a country that is the world's largest democracy in a rather un-democratic neighborhood, and has very good relations with Israel, also in a neighborhood where Israel has few friends.
The cold war relations between America and India were truly a mistake, and a lost opportunities for both our countries, and I'm glad to see the US finally form the strong bonds with a country that will necessarily be one of the most important in the world in the coming years.
Years of propping up dictators in Africa and Pakistan have done us no good, and have only bred festering flash-points. It's time we gave some serious thought to a relataionship that has and will continue to produce excellent dividends for both parties.
I know you think they're all the same, but you're just displaying your typical Western ignorance, as are the moderators that modded you funny.
Typical Western ignorance?!?!?!!?
As you type your screed on a digital computer, and send it over the internet with satellite linkups.
I'll say one thing: At least Western ignorance is rather inventive.
Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.