I think that we need to build a ship to place satellites into orbit around planets in our solar system. I think the second version of this ship should use what was learned to place satellites in orbit around planets in other solar systems.
We also need to create a process to create these satellites in volume with reduced prices. We need to use all learned in the past and apply the best of all satellite technologies to these in a standardized method. We need to make these cheap to manufacture so that we can make multiple satellites for each planet in the solar system. We can then improve upon this version and create a network in neighboring solar systems. There is around 60 - 90 planets that have been counted. Some are still getting verified and some counts are of the same planets so that is a wide range but the point is there are a lot out there. We have 12 planets in our solar system so 3 satellites per planet would be version 1 of the network. We can test the first three in earth orbit. Then after the use and testing of the 33 that would get applied to the rest of our solar system we can design the next version for extra-solar system placement. So with 60 x 3 that means 180 satellites which if semi-mass produced can be significantly more inexpensive and also assist other markets. This network of satellites would allow huge amounts of data and a wealth of information about the earths surroundings to be available to scientists.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Time is a factor!!!!!!
My mind has been going 100 miles an hour thinking about the new craft being built for mars. I think it is a big accomplishment to land on Mars. Even bigger to make it back home. So I started to wonder how long that trip would take. On Google I found a college website University of Texas at Austin it appears to have done the math to determine days to get there, amount of days stayed until optimal time to leave and the travel time getting back. They say 260 days to get there, 460 days there and another 260 days to get back. That is based on certain alignments of the planets. So do the math and that is 980 days gone or another way 2 years and 250 days. I don't think that's too bad, yet Mars is the closest planet. So its gonna be a long time before we get any further than mars with current technology.
A different Space Ship
We need to develop a craft for purely space travel!
One that is intended to travel only in a light gravity environment meaning that it never needs to land it is a ship built to permanently exist in space. A very large ship. One that is larger than the shuttle. One that has enough space to allow long term exploration and deployment of communications/observation probes. I want this ship to be used to place satellites with visual and audio communications in our solar system.
This ship would be the first phase in development of a new class of ships. The second phase would involve placing these satellites in other solar systems and utilizing what was learned in phase 1. This costs money but with current technology the government can do this. If these ships operate remotely we can minimize the costs and complexity of life support systems and the space needed for human space flight. These would be automated science ships tasked with deploying our probes and creating a network in space.
1. Assembly needs to be in a zero gravity environment.
2. We need to assemble this ship in components.
By assembling this in zero gravity we can take advantage of existing and proven heavy lift technologies. This will allow us to build a ship that doesn't have to be capable of breaking out of earths gravity.
By us building this ship in components we can make it larger. We can lift and assemble the frame. We can lift and attach the shell. We can lift and install segment by segment. We can lift dozens of components to the ship. This ship would allow us to test many new experimental systems combined with proven systems for long range space flight of large vessels. Eventually the technologies used can be applied to future human space flight ships.
One that is intended to travel only in a light gravity environment meaning that it never needs to land it is a ship built to permanently exist in space. A very large ship. One that is larger than the shuttle. One that has enough space to allow long term exploration and deployment of communications/observation probes. I want this ship to be used to place satellites with visual and audio communications in our solar system.
This ship would be the first phase in development of a new class of ships. The second phase would involve placing these satellites in other solar systems and utilizing what was learned in phase 1. This costs money but with current technology the government can do this. If these ships operate remotely we can minimize the costs and complexity of life support systems and the space needed for human space flight. These would be automated science ships tasked with deploying our probes and creating a network in space.
1. Assembly needs to be in a zero gravity environment.
2. We need to assemble this ship in components.
By assembling this in zero gravity we can take advantage of existing and proven heavy lift technologies. This will allow us to build a ship that doesn't have to be capable of breaking out of earths gravity.
By us building this ship in components we can make it larger. We can lift and assemble the frame. We can lift and attach the shell. We can lift and install segment by segment. We can lift dozens of components to the ship. This ship would allow us to test many new experimental systems combined with proven systems for long range space flight of large vessels. Eventually the technologies used can be applied to future human space flight ships.
Lockheed Martin wins contract to build Mars lander
So Slashdot had a post..........and I started to think.
"Lockheed Martin has won a contract to build the Orion crew exploration vehicle that will eventually take humans to the moon and then on to Mars. This vehicle will hopefully also replace the aging space shuttle fleet. According to NASA the vehicle will have manned missions by 2014 and moon missions by no later by 2020."
I think this is great, but I think it sucks too. When i grew up (Born 1980) I went to space camp twice, met an astronaut and stayed aware of many happenings in the space industry. I never really took into account while learning all these things and the time line they happened in. There was so much learning that took place. Then everything slowed! Apollo was ANNOUNCED May 25, 1961 and it went to the moon on July 20, 1969. 8 Years, Which is Impressive. Dec 07-19, 1972 was the last Apollo mission. In 11 years we went to the moon learned a lot and then went to the next vehicle. We got the space shuttle fleet! Columbia was the first Space Shuttle to fly into Earth orbit in 1981. Which was 9 years after the last Apollo flight....Lame. Today the Space Shuttle is still the latest and greatest 25 years after its first flight.......VERY Lame.
WTF!!
Growing up I saw NASA announcements of new vehicles..........they've never used one though.....again Lame. Here is another announcement of one that will happen in 2014. That'll make me 33 and I finally get to see a different kind of vehicle launched with slight increases in ability to heavy lift and manned crew capability. I watched the ISS get partially built and quickly slip behind schedule because of a crash and other issues.
Then there has been a glimmer of hope with the private sector. In the last couple years the private industry has created hope for the common man. I might get to go into space. There has been SpaceShip One which is awesome! Unfortunately this isn't an orbital vehicle. There is a chance that the next vehicle will be orbital and a partnership with Bigelow Aerospace building expandable space habitats will allow people to vacation in space.
So I ponder these developments and I ask for the ability to influence the proper people. I see the government and the private sector as having certain responsibilities.
The Government needs to dump money into pushing the limits.
The Private Sector needs to make it a business for normal consumers.
I want NASA, the ESA, and the Russian Federal Space Agency to push it and give technology to the private sector in a opensource manner. I think that the space community needs to develop a list of goals and step there way to Mars. Mars really isn't that great though who wants to live there and who wants to travel 4 years
First we need to finish the International Space Station. Not only do we need to finish this we need to put it into full gear. We need to see if we can improve it and make more space for equipment and people. We need to use it as a launching point for further travel. It needs to be considered the space hub of those agencies that have built it. Its something that can constantly be added to for increased capabilities.
Second we need to learn more by landing on the moon. Plus its an accomplishment that will possibly drive some more money towards the space industry. They talk about a base on the moon. But I still think that it would be heavily reliant on the Earth. This will hopefully help with our knowledge of creating an outpost that is self sustainable for long periods of time in harsh environments. There is a place on the moon that is in sunlight 100% of the time, which is ideally suited for a power station. This is another place for us to innovate and learn.
Third we need to make the jump to Mars. We need to use information gained from the moon habitat to build the Mars habitat. Which I would assume would be the moon base on steroids due to the length of stays and distance from earth. This would be so expensive though I really gotta wonder, why do it? Is there some other goal that we should be working to achieve? I really like the idea but I wonder what lies in the future. More specifically in the near future and what will I see in my lifetime.
"Lockheed Martin has won a contract to build the Orion crew exploration vehicle that will eventually take humans to the moon and then on to Mars. This vehicle will hopefully also replace the aging space shuttle fleet. According to NASA the vehicle will have manned missions by 2014 and moon missions by no later by 2020."
I think this is great, but I think it sucks too. When i grew up (Born 1980) I went to space camp twice, met an astronaut and stayed aware of many happenings in the space industry. I never really took into account while learning all these things and the time line they happened in. There was so much learning that took place. Then everything slowed! Apollo was ANNOUNCED May 25, 1961 and it went to the moon on July 20, 1969. 8 Years, Which is Impressive. Dec 07-19, 1972 was the last Apollo mission. In 11 years we went to the moon learned a lot and then went to the next vehicle. We got the space shuttle fleet! Columbia was the first Space Shuttle to fly into Earth orbit in 1981. Which was 9 years after the last Apollo flight....Lame. Today the Space Shuttle is still the latest and greatest 25 years after its first flight.......VERY Lame.
WTF!!
Growing up I saw NASA announcements of new vehicles..........they've never used one though.....again Lame. Here is another announcement of one that will happen in 2014. That'll make me 33 and I finally get to see a different kind of vehicle launched with slight increases in ability to heavy lift and manned crew capability. I watched the ISS get partially built and quickly slip behind schedule because of a crash and other issues.
Then there has been a glimmer of hope with the private sector. In the last couple years the private industry has created hope for the common man. I might get to go into space. There has been SpaceShip One which is awesome! Unfortunately this isn't an orbital vehicle. There is a chance that the next vehicle will be orbital and a partnership with Bigelow Aerospace building expandable space habitats will allow people to vacation in space.
So I ponder these developments and I ask for the ability to influence the proper people. I see the government and the private sector as having certain responsibilities.
The Government needs to dump money into pushing the limits.
The Private Sector needs to make it a business for normal consumers.
I want NASA, the ESA, and the Russian Federal Space Agency to push it and give technology to the private sector in a opensource manner. I think that the space community needs to develop a list of goals and step there way to Mars. Mars really isn't that great though who wants to live there and who wants to travel 4 years
First we need to finish the International Space Station. Not only do we need to finish this we need to put it into full gear. We need to see if we can improve it and make more space for equipment and people. We need to use it as a launching point for further travel. It needs to be considered the space hub of those agencies that have built it. Its something that can constantly be added to for increased capabilities.
Second we need to learn more by landing on the moon. Plus its an accomplishment that will possibly drive some more money towards the space industry. They talk about a base on the moon. But I still think that it would be heavily reliant on the Earth. This will hopefully help with our knowledge of creating an outpost that is self sustainable for long periods of time in harsh environments. There is a place on the moon that is in sunlight 100% of the time, which is ideally suited for a power station. This is another place for us to innovate and learn.
Third we need to make the jump to Mars. We need to use information gained from the moon habitat to build the Mars habitat. Which I would assume would be the moon base on steroids due to the length of stays and distance from earth. This would be so expensive though I really gotta wonder, why do it? Is there some other goal that we should be working to achieve? I really like the idea but I wonder what lies in the future. More specifically in the near future and what will I see in my lifetime.
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