Nautilus-X: the Space Station With Rockets

Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday February 22, 2011 @08:24AM from the out-for-a-cruise dept.

astroengine writes "So we have a space station, now what? We've heard some rather outlandish ideas, but this is one concept a research group in NASA is taking seriously. By retrofitting the ISS with rockets, Nautilus-X will act as an interplanetary space station of sorts, including room for 6 astronauts, an artificial gravity ring, inflatable habitats and docking for exploration spaceships. When can we take a luxury cruise to Mars? 2020 by the project's estimate. It all sounds very 2001, but the projected costs of retrofitting the space station seem a little on the low side."

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Read the article. by qbasicjedi · 2011-02-22 08:46 · Score: 0, Redundant

The Nautliux-X design doesn't propose fitting "the" space station with a rocket and sending it to other planets, it proposes building "a" space station with rockets and sending it to other planets. The idea is to use a modular design like the ISS that is built in orbit and use it as the vehicle for interplanetary missions. The modular design cuts costs and enables NASA to customize the design for different missions.