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NASA 'Moving On' From Low-Earth Orbit (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader writes: NASA has issued a warning to private space companies: the agency is moving on from its focus on low-Earth orbit. William Gerstenmaier, chief of human spaceflight, said, "We're going to get out of ISS as quickly as we can. Whether it gets filled in by the private sector or not, NASA's vision is we're trying to move out." This leaves a void for the private companies building rockets to supply the ISS. "NASA says it would like to see the private space industry "take over" low-Earth orbit, although it acknowledges that any successor space station or orbiting module will be far smaller than the $140 billion space station, a collaboration between 15 countries. The message from NASA to the US industry is simple: we're serious about the commercialization of low-Earth orbit, we have this marvelous facility available with unique capabilities, and we want you to use the heck out of it."
"Also zero gravity ball bearings"
This particular pile of dung has been repeated since the 1960s. It made no sense then, it makes no sense today. We are already able to make atomically perfect spheres right here on Earth. Oops, so sorry, technology got better and we don't need your antique space dreams.
"art"
You're shitting me?
"biology research in 30 categories"
See above. Technology gets better, we don't need your space fantasies anymore.
" preparing to exploit asteroids"
Beyond delusional.
"crystal growth"
May I point out we are perfectly able to not only make atomically perfect speres right here already, but IC fabs are doing just fine, thanks.
The rest of your list sounds like a Tim & Eric sketch.
"This is the list of the things I like, IN SPACE!!"
Your sad devotion to ancient space religions is as tragic as it is hilarious.
Yeah, because absolutely no good has come from NASA, ever. Absolutely no materials science or technology that allows for more efficient food production to "feed the children". Definitely not things like weather satellites or GPS - those are complete boondoggles that have absolutely no effect on modern agriculture.
People like you would still have us using oxen to plow fields, and then bitch that so many still go hungry.
Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
Fiber isn't that useful on a boat in the middle of the ocean.