Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NASA Planning Lunar Mining Tests, Other New Tech

Posted by timothy on from the quick-look-busy dept.

FleaPlus writes "NASA has released the initial details on its ETDD (Enabling Technology Development and Demonstrations) program to 'develop and demonstrate the technologies needed to reduce cost and expand the capability of future space exploration activities.' The ETDD program is initially planning on funding small-scale demonstrations in five technology areas: in-situ resource utilization (with a robotic lunar resource extraction mission in 2015), high-power electric propulsion, autonomous precision landing (building on the success of the Lunar Lander Challenge), human-robotic collaboration (2011/2012), and fission power systems. More info on NASA's larger-scale Flagship Technology Demonstrations (FTD) program is expected in the coming month."

3 of 79 comments (clear)

  1. Misleading: nuclear is excluded by cjonslashdot · · Score: 5, Informative

    According to the RFI at http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=34056 nuclear propulsion is excluded unless it is used solely for heat generation or as a power source for electric propulsion. Thus, some of the most promising nuclear technologies for rocket propulsion such as micro pellet inertial confinement compression-induced fission are excluded.

    1. Re:Misleading: nuclear is excluded by SECProto · · Score: 3, Informative

      using nuclear as a electricity source for larger propulsion systems (ie, higher than the small ion drives currently using RTG) would be a huge step up. whenever they launch VASIMR to the station, it will only be able to fire for short bursts, because the huge solar arrays on the station cannot power it continuously. If a similar system used nuclear electricity to drive it, it could fire continuously and be a viable propulsion system.

      on the other hand, using "micro pellet inertial confinement compression-induced fission" would probably produce spectabulous Isp, but it would need years (decades? this is government after all..) of research before an actual construction proposal would arise. Far too distant to be a major selling point of any budget proposal.

  2. Re:Can't we do this for the coal mines? by FleaPlus · · Score: 3, Informative

    Also, I did a bit of searching, and it turns out that basic robots already exist for underground mining:

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12637032
    http://www.spacedaily.com/news/robot-00g.html