"Why build a space station? Since the beginning of the Space Age the stations that have flown have fallen short of the ideals of space advocates and science fiction writers, who foresaw orbiting hubs of transportation and commerce--the giant spinning station from 2001: A Space Odyssey, complete with Pan Am shuttles and a Hilton hotel, being perhaps the best-known example. Instead, the space stations that have been built have been, at best, modest conglomerations of modules and solar arrays, serving as cramped homes for two or three people who spend much of their time simply keeping their station operating. The justification for such facilities has been rooted primarily in geopolitics--first Cold War competition, now international cooperation--coated with a thin veneer of science."
"Yet there is a far more important purpose for a space station, argues Robert Zimmerman in his book Leaving Earth. Space stations, he believes, are essential proving grounds for the eventual human exploration of the solar system. Space stations allow scientists to find out how people can handle extended periods of weightlessness, as well as how they can--or sometimes can't--get along with fellow crew members in cramped quarters. Stations also offer an opportunity to develop and test key technologies needed for interplanetary journeys, particularly life support systems, as well as test the resourcefulness of crews to carry out repairs in space. While politicians may have been motivated to fund space stations for foreign policy or other political reasons, the various space stations built and flown to date have gone a long ways towards achieving those exploration goals."
The full article is on the web: Review: Leaving Earth by Jeff Foust, The Space Review.
Moving the return vehicle puts it at risk, but not moving it could put it at risk, too. I'm thinking more of Mars, where you could move your return vehicle out of the way of bad weather, etc.
A robotic scout could go first and test difficult terrain to see if the base can handle it.
Cohen, Marc M. (2003 September). Mobile Lunar and Planetary Base Architectures (AIAA 2003-6280). AIAA Space 2003 Conference & Exposition, Long Beach, California, USA, 23-25 September 2003. Reston, Virginia, USA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Link to on-line order forms
Cohen, Marc M. (2004 February). "Mobile Lunar Base Concepts." In M. S. El-Genk (Ed.), Space Technology and Applications International Forum - STAIF 2004: Conference on Thermophysics in Microgravity; Conference on Commercial/Civil Next Generation Space Transportation; 21st Symposium on Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion; Conference on Human Space Exploration; 2nd Symposium on Space Colonization; 1st Symposium on New Frontiers and Future Concepts (p. 845-853). Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, 8-11 February 2004. College Park, Maryland, USA: American Institute of Physics. Link to on-line order forms
PIETT: Bounty hunters. We don't need that scum. FIRST CONTROLLER: Yes, sir. PIETT: Those Rebels won't escape us. . .. VADER:... there will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millennium Falcon. You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want them alive. No disintegrations. BOBA FETT: As you wish. -- Vader offers a prize, but that doesn't mean he calls off the Imperial Fleet (PIETT: "Alert all commands. Deploy the fleet."). He uses both to find the Millennium Falcon... -- VADER: We would be honored if you would join us.
The Wired article uses information from this Reuters article by Deborah Zabarenko.
Reuters: "Within hours of the first private flight to outer space on Monday, a NASA official said the agency might offer millions of dollars in prizes..." This is misleading. NASA's Centennial Challenges program has been in the planning stage for quite some time now.
My opinion on prizes: Prizes are great, but they should complement grants, not replace them. An analogy: If we want to catch Osama bin Laden, we should put a big bounty on him. But that doesn't mean we should call off the military and the CIA. We should post a big bounty AND fund the military and the CIA. Same thing with space: Put a big 'bounty' on space achievements, but fund NASA too.
Robert Zubrin recently had the idea of 'a competition open to all the different NASA centers and national laboratories and companies to see who could develop the most efficient Mars plan'.
Some people are seriously thinking of making 'backups' of civilization: "secure sanctuaries (think of the monasteries of the Middle Ages) that preserve and update copies of the vital records and articles needed for the conduct of our society". They would be placed all over Earth and eventually at locations in space. "In the event of a global catastrophe, the ARC facilities will be prepared to reintroduce lost technology, art, history, crops, livestock and, if necessary, even human beings to the Earth."
"Soviet defector Ken Alibek, who as Kanadjan Alibekov was a deputy director of Biopreparat, confirms that intercontinental ballistic missiles with warheads containing plague or anthrax were successfully developed and available for launch against North America."
Slashdot Mirror
"Why build a space station? Since the beginning of the Space Age the stations that have flown have fallen short of the ideals of space advocates and science fiction writers, who foresaw orbiting hubs of transportation and commerce--the giant spinning station from 2001: A Space Odyssey, complete with Pan Am shuttles and a Hilton hotel, being perhaps the best-known example. Instead, the space stations that have been built have been, at best, modest conglomerations of modules and solar arrays, serving as cramped homes for two or three people who spend much of their time simply keeping their station operating. The justification for such facilities has been rooted primarily in geopolitics--first Cold War competition, now international cooperation--coated with a thin veneer of science."
"Yet there is a far more important purpose for a space station, argues Robert Zimmerman in his book Leaving Earth. Space stations, he believes, are essential proving grounds for the eventual human exploration of the solar system. Space stations allow scientists to find out how people can handle extended periods of weightlessness, as well as how they can--or sometimes can't--get along with fellow crew members in cramped quarters. Stations also offer an opportunity to develop and test key technologies needed for interplanetary journeys, particularly life support systems, as well as test the resourcefulness of crews to carry out repairs in space. While politicians may have been motivated to fund space stations for foreign policy or other political reasons, the various space stations built and flown to date have gone a long ways towards achieving those exploration goals."
The full article is on the web: Review: Leaving Earth by Jeff Foust, The Space Review.
Moving the return vehicle puts it at risk, but not moving it could put it at risk, too. I'm thinking more of Mars, where you could move your return vehicle out of the way of bad weather, etc.
A robotic scout could go first and test difficult terrain to see if the base can handle it.
I found these references at AeroSpace Architecture Publications:
Cohen, Marc M. (2003 September). Mobile Lunar and Planetary Base Architectures (AIAA 2003-6280). AIAA Space 2003 Conference & Exposition, Long Beach, California, USA, 23-25 September 2003. Reston, Virginia, USA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Link to on-line order forms
Cohen, Marc M. (2004 February). "Mobile Lunar Base Concepts." In M. S. El-Genk (Ed.), Space Technology and Applications International Forum - STAIF 2004: Conference on Thermophysics in Microgravity; Conference on Commercial/Civil Next Generation Space Transportation; 21st Symposium on Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion; Conference on Human Space Exploration; 2nd Symposium on Space Colonization; 1st Symposium on New Frontiers and Future Concepts (p. 845-853). Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, 8-11 February 2004. College Park, Maryland, USA: American Institute of Physics. Link to on-line order forms
PIETT: Bounty hunters. We don't need that scum. . ... there will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millennium Falcon. You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want them alive. No disintegrations.
FIRST CONTROLLER: Yes, sir.
PIETT: Those Rebels won't escape us.
. .
VADER:
BOBA FETT: As you wish.
--
Vader offers a prize, but that doesn't mean he calls off the Imperial Fleet (PIETT: "Alert all commands. Deploy the fleet."). He uses both to find the Millennium Falcon...
--
VADER: We would be honored if you would join us.
The Wired article uses information from this Reuters article by Deborah Zabarenko.
Reuters: "Within hours of the first private flight to outer space on Monday, a NASA official said the agency might offer millions of dollars in prizes..." This is misleading. NASA's Centennial Challenges program has been in the planning stage for quite some time now.
My opinion on prizes: Prizes are great, but they should complement grants, not replace them. An analogy: If we want to catch Osama bin Laden, we should put a big bounty on him. But that doesn't mean we should call off the military and the CIA. We should post a big bounty AND fund the military and the CIA. Same thing with space: Put a big 'bounty' on space achievements, but fund NASA too.
Inflatable space stations will go nicely with inflatable space ships:
Is air the answer to space?
"The commission also endorses NASA's plans to award large cash prizes to encourage technological innovation."
The inducement prize allows one-off profits.
Profit = Prize - Cost
The ANSARI X PRIZE and Centennial Challenges are the first steps.
Robert Zubrin recently had the idea of 'a competition open to all the different NASA centers and national laboratories and companies to see who could develop the most efficient Mars plan'.
Some people are seriously thinking of making 'backups' of civilization: "secure sanctuaries (think of the monasteries of the Middle Ages) that preserve and update copies of the vital records and articles needed for the conduct of our society". They would be placed all over Earth and eventually at locations in space. "In the event of a global catastrophe, the ARC facilities will be prepared to reintroduce lost technology, art, history, crops, livestock and, if necessary, even human beings to the Earth."
See Robert Shapiro and William E. Burrows
I'd be more worried about the password for this:
Biological Warfare and Bioterrorism in the Modern Era
Hopefully it will be like traditional museums, and lend items out for exhibitions around the world.
At least they can have a display about all the broken flying car promises.
The future ain't what it used to be. (Yogi Berra)
It never was... (SF author)
Wired News is covering this topic too: A Fiery Death for Dinosaurs?
I'm sure we'd all love to see Captain James Tiberius Kirk again, right?
Yeah, about as much as we'd all love to see 60s-style Apollo capsules again.