The fact is, that NASA can not afford to do prolonged bases. We have already seen the damage that CONgress can do to us over and over and over. Back in the mid 90's, the republicans destroyed NASA's ability to go BEO. Then they gutted them again in 2001. Likewise, they are doing everything possible to gut private space now, to push their SLS. Sadly, CONgress members like Hatch, Coffman, Wolfe, Shelby, Hutchinson, Nelson, etc. are fighting to destroy private space while continuing the funding of SLS until 2020, along with having Russia do our launches for another 10 years.
What is needed is for Bolden/Obama to get funding for private space for the next 3 years. That should include enough to fund 3 human launchers along with getting bigelow aerospace going. Once this has happened for the next 3 years, then it will be impossible for those people to stop private space.
What is so odd about this, is that America is within several years of turning space from a cost center into being not just taxable, but the next internet boom. Yet, certain members of CONgress wants NASA to be a jobs programs, rather than developed of America's space and aeronautics systems.
Older folks tend to run one password and login across all of their systems. As such, if you can pull it off the screen, then you can go after other systems.
In addition, like many other baby boomers and before, they have lots of money tied up in their retirement funds and in stocks. The last thing that they need is a cracker on their system obtaining that information. Considering that my parents/in-laws are in their 70's, I DO worry about their system security. I talked my dad into switching off windows to Linux for his bank accounts (and he does it on a DVD boot so that there is zero chance of a root). The hard one is convincing my in-law to drop their windows and go with say Mac or Linux. I even preferred the iphone for them just for security reasons, though they really like the size of the galaxy (hard to blame; nice phone).
Seriously, we end up with some in our orbit that are 10 meters. Why not work on moving it into a stable orbit, or out of orbit? We have some nice small asteroids that are ideal to practice on. Lets start using them.
How did you get that I was suggesting trading freedom for security? What I suggested was a SEPARATE market place in which all the apps are vetted. My parents and in-laws are in their 70's. They would gladly pay a small amount of money for security. However, none of them wanted a small iphone. That is a killer on their eyes. That is why they all bought the samsung Galaxy S2. Good phone. I still like my Motorola.
I did not say that it was for me. I said that I wanted this for my parents and in-laws. They are in their 70's. And the ipod would not work for them. All of them got the samsung Galaxy S II because of the screen size as well as the voice.
It makes sense for google to offer up a different market that is secured, while allowing me to run appbrain.
It would actually be better if they would create a secured server in which only vetted apps are in it. My parents and in-laws are now on Android, and I worry about their downloading apps. Basically, it would be better for them to pay $.99-5 / app KNOWING that it is safe, rather than have access to so many apps of which a small number of them are insecure.
Come on. Who should have control of these (and.gov)? I think that we all knew that this was the case.
The problem becomes if we ever think that we own any of the national levels other than.US. Likewise, I would think that the same is true of other alphabets.
Sadly, I can see this coming that some idiot will scream that we do.
Now, the question is, who owns the new ones coming up?
Seriously, I remember it. The costs back then would double your phone price. But the real issue is that did not have that many businesses or services on it. The reason why the net was so valuable in the early 90's is because it BBSs, and web pages just starting at the right time. Finally, there were MANY companies pushing the internet. Large numbers of ISP's cropped up overnight advertising it. They also provided many local services. ATT did a few lame ads and then died on it.
Seriously, NSA, DOD, CIA, etc should be paying motorola/Google to build these SECURELY in the USA. Having this produced in China is NOT how you get secured communications.
This is going to be the SpaceX Red Dragon mission. The idea is to send a dragon space craft that lands on mars. It will have drilling capabilities and loads of science capabilities. I am not certain of the power, if it will be nuke or just solar. However, keep in mind that 3/4 of B is a fraction of the typical mars missions. In fact, this will be launched with the Falcon Heavy. As such, it will have room for a number of small sats that can be dropped off at Mars. Oddly, we might even be able to put the Mars Telcom system up there on the same mission. One major sat with laser to earth, etc, with a number of nanosats that act as relays between the surface and other sats back to the main sat.
The problem is his motivation and the way that he went about procuring these. First off, it appears that he was mad at the US and wanted to get back at us. And then he was hacking into systems, and sending information covertly. Had it gone to the national press and all of the sensitive data kept back, but the issues like the killing exposed, then I would have less issues with this.
Seriously, the NAT GAS act will spend 5B over 5 years for NEW commercial vehicles to switch to natural gas. Why? Because it builds up the manufacturing infrastructure. Many of the semi's get 5-8 miles to the gallon. If they get new vehicles to switch to Natural gas, then it will make a massive impact on imports as well as re-fueling stations. In particular, we will see truck stops pick up natural gas refueling to supply those vehicles. That will lead to more natural gas cars.
But all of this gets better. Multiple technology is being developed that converts coal to methane. These will allow for coal to compete directly against drilled natural gas. With the various technologies (electric cars, bio-fuels like Joules Unlimited, and now natural gas), America might no longer be importing oil within a decade. It is possible for us to no longer import oil except from out top 3 producers within 5 years, or less.
While I believe that Manning should be tried and executed, Assange is a different matter all together. He is not American and can not be tried for this. Fencing in stolen goods perhaps, but not for other matters.
Probably not. Many ppl in houston see the corporate HQ and think that is where the work is happening. It is not. It was outsourced. So, we pay a load of money to have NASA tech done out of the nation.
Getting the reactor into space is NOT a big deal. The issue with VASIMR is that you need LOADS of electricity. As such, it would weigh so much that VASIMR would not be able to push it around. And that is a reactor without ANY shielding. The issue is that the radiator to dump heat would weigh a great deal.
It is far more likely that we will send a team on a one-way mission to Mars and keep them there for 10-20 years, while we re-develop NERVA. NERVA makes far more sense for moving around the solar system then does a VASIMR/fission reactors.
I will say that VASIMR will make great sense once we do fusion that generates electricity directly (IOW, beta- emissions only).
This is not about creating an electric engine. It is about creating a TUG or Tractor that is electric powered. With such a device, it would be cheap to put a load into GEO or to EML1 cheaply.
it was never incorporated into a tug. It has always been part of sats. With this approach, you will have a sat that can plug into a tug. The tug can be chemical, electric, or nuke (or combinations thereof). By separating the engine/fuel from the payload, it will mean that all we have to do is put something into LEO and then use a tug to move items around. A cargo load or a sat, can be done via electric. A human load, might get chemical to move up and around quickly.
A better approach is the Electrodynamic tether. Basically, create a linear motor against the earth's mangnetic field. This can only be used in orbit, BUT, there would be no fuel.
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The fact is, that NASA can not afford to do prolonged bases. We have already seen the damage that CONgress can do to us over and over and over. Back in the mid 90's, the republicans destroyed NASA's ability to go BEO. Then they gutted them again in 2001. Likewise, they are doing everything possible to gut private space now, to push their SLS. Sadly, CONgress members like Hatch, Coffman, Wolfe, Shelby, Hutchinson, Nelson, etc. are fighting to destroy private space while continuing the funding of SLS until 2020, along with having Russia do our launches for another 10 years.
What is needed is for Bolden/Obama to get funding for private space for the next 3 years. That should include enough to fund 3 human launchers along with getting bigelow aerospace going. Once this has happened for the next 3 years, then it will be impossible for those people to stop private space.
What is so odd about this, is that America is within several years of turning space from a cost center into being not just taxable, but the next internet boom. Yet, certain members of CONgress wants NASA to be a jobs programs, rather than developed of America's space and aeronautics systems.
Older folks tend to run one password and login across all of their systems. As such, if you can pull it off the screen, then you can go after other systems. In addition, like many other baby boomers and before, they have lots of money tied up in their retirement funds and in stocks. The last thing that they need is a cracker on their system obtaining that information. Considering that my parents/in-laws are in their 70's, I DO worry about their system security. I talked my dad into switching off windows to Linux for his bank accounts (and he does it on a DVD boot so that there is zero chance of a root). The hard one is convincing my in-law to drop their windows and go with say Mac or Linux. I even preferred the iphone for them just for security reasons, though they really like the size of the galaxy (hard to blame; nice phone).
Seriously, we end up with some in our orbit that are 10 meters. Why not work on moving it into a stable orbit, or out of orbit? We have some nice small asteroids that are ideal to practice on. Lets start using them.
How did you get that I was suggesting trading freedom for security? What I suggested was a SEPARATE market place in which all the apps are vetted. My parents and in-laws are in their 70's. They would gladly pay a small amount of money for security. However, none of them wanted a small iphone. That is a killer on their eyes. That is why they all bought the samsung Galaxy S2. Good phone. I still like my Motorola.
I did not say that it was for me. I said that I wanted this for my parents and in-laws. They are in their 70's. And the ipod would not work for them. All of them got the samsung Galaxy S II because of the screen size as well as the voice. It makes sense for google to offer up a different market that is secured, while allowing me to run appbrain.
It would actually be better if they would create a secured server in which only vetted apps are in it. My parents and in-laws are now on Android, and I worry about their downloading apps. Basically, it would be better for them to pay $.99-5 / app KNOWING that it is safe, rather than have access to so many apps of which a small number of them are insecure.
Come on. Who should have control of these (and .gov)? I think that we all knew that this was the case. .US. Likewise, I would think that the same is true of other alphabets.
The problem becomes if we ever think that we own any of the national levels other than
Sadly, I can see this coming that some idiot will scream that we do.
Now, the question is, who owns the new ones coming up?
Seriously, I remember it. The costs back then would double your phone price. But the real issue is that did not have that many businesses or services on it. The reason why the net was so valuable in the early 90's is because it BBSs, and web pages just starting at the right time.
Finally, there were MANY companies pushing the internet. Large numbers of ISP's cropped up overnight advertising it. They also provided many local services. ATT did a few lame ads and then died on it.
Seriously, NSA, DOD, CIA, etc should be paying motorola/Google to build these SECURELY in the USA. Having this produced in China is NOT how you get secured communications.
It could be used to deliver antibiotics directly into the bacteria. That would enable us to develop a new class of drugs.
until they gave out information on the Mexican drug lords.
This is going to be the SpaceX Red Dragon mission. The idea is to send a dragon space craft that lands on mars. It will have drilling capabilities and loads of science capabilities. I am not certain of the power, if it will be nuke or just solar. However, keep in mind that 3/4 of B is a fraction of the typical mars missions. In fact, this will be launched with the Falcon Heavy. As such, it will have room for a number of small sats that can be dropped off at Mars.
Oddly, we might even be able to put the Mars Telcom system up there on the same mission. One major sat with laser to earth, etc, with a number of nanosats that act as relays between the surface and other sats back to the main sat.
The problem is his motivation and the way that he went about procuring these. First off, it appears that he was mad at the US and wanted to get back at us. And then he was hacking into systems, and sending information covertly. Had it gone to the national press and all of the sensitive data kept back, but the issues like the killing exposed, then I would have less issues with this.
Seriously, the NAT GAS act will spend 5B over 5 years for NEW commercial vehicles to switch to natural gas. Why? Because it builds up the manufacturing infrastructure. Many of the semi's get 5-8 miles to the gallon. If they get new vehicles to switch to Natural gas, then it will make a massive impact on imports as well as re-fueling stations. In particular, we will see truck stops pick up natural gas refueling to supply those vehicles. That will lead to more natural gas cars.
But all of this gets better. Multiple technology is being developed that converts coal to methane. These will allow for coal to compete directly against drilled natural gas. With the various technologies (electric cars, bio-fuels like Joules Unlimited, and now natural gas), America might no longer be importing oil within a decade. It is possible for us to no longer import oil except from out top 3 producers within 5 years, or less.
While I believe that Manning should be tried and executed, Assange is a different matter all together. He is not American and can not be tried for this. Fencing in stolen goods perhaps, but not for other matters.
THis is nothing more than taking Motorola's idea one step further.
Here. and here.
Probably not. Many ppl in houston see the corporate HQ and think that is where the work is happening. It is not. It was outsourced. So, we pay a load of money to have NASA tech done out of the nation.
Getting the reactor into space is NOT a big deal. The issue with VASIMR is that you need LOADS of electricity. As such, it would weigh so much that VASIMR would not be able to push it around. And that is a reactor without ANY shielding. The issue is that the radiator to dump heat would weigh a great deal.
It is far more likely that we will send a team on a one-way mission to Mars and keep them there for 10-20 years, while we re-develop NERVA. NERVA makes far more sense for moving around the solar system then does a VASIMR/fission reactors.
I will say that VASIMR will make great sense once we do fusion that generates electricity directly (IOW, beta- emissions only).
This is not about creating an electric engine. It is about creating a TUG or Tractor that is electric powered. With such a device, it would be cheap to put a load into GEO or to EML1 cheaply.
Oh, so you live in Costa Rica?
it was never incorporated into a tug. It has always been part of sats. With this approach, you will have a sat that can plug into a tug. The tug can be chemical, electric, or nuke (or combinations thereof). By separating the engine/fuel from the payload, it will mean that all we have to do is put something into LEO and then use a tug to move items around. A cargo load or a sat, can be done via electric. A human load, might get chemical to move up and around quickly.
A better approach is the Electrodynamic tether. Basically, create a linear motor against the earth's mangnetic field. This can only be used in orbit, BUT, there would be no fuel.
With time, the dinosaurs might have evolved to create civilization.
Thats true. But do you have any proof that it is a bad idea or that the investors into Joule are idiots?