NASA confirms permanent outpost between Earth and Mars
72 replies, posted
[QUOTE]The [I]Orlando Sentinel[/I] is [URL="http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-09-22/news/os-nasa-space-outpost-20120922_1_moon-rocks-space-launch-system-nasa-chief-charlie-bolden"]reporting[/URL] that NASA wants to build a space station about 277,000 miles from Earth, placing it well beyond the orbit of the Moon. Called the "Gateway Spacecraft," the outpost would support a small astronaut crew and serve as a staging area for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and potentially beyond.To save on costs, NASA is hoping to construct the spacecraft with parts left over from the[URL="http://io9.com/5946149/nasa-wants-to-build-a-permanent-outpost-beyond-the-moon#"]International Space Station[/URL], as well as [URL="http://io9.com/5946149/nasa-wants-to-build-a-permanent-outpost-beyond-the-moon#"]hardware[/URL] provided by Russia and Italy.
It would be positioned at the EML-2, or Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 2, a location about 38,000 miles from the moon. At this spot, the combined gravities of the Earth and moon create an equilibrium point, that would allow NASA engineers to position the spacecraft with a minimal amount of power required to keep it in place.
In terms of getting there, NASA is likely going to use the [URL="http://io9.com/5840466/nasa-has-unveiled-the-rocket-that-will-take-us-to-mars"]Orion-SLS rocket[/URL] currently under development. If all goes according to plan, the rocket will have its inaugural launch in 2017, with construction on the Gateway starting in 2019.
The [I]Sentinel[/I] is reporting that the concept has been under [URL="http://io9.com/5946149/nasa-wants-to-build-a-permanent-outpost-beyond-the-moon#"]study[/URL] for months, and that NASA Chief Charlie Bolden visited the White House earlier this month to make his pitch. It's not clear, however, how the proposal was received. It's thought that the budget of such a project could exceed billions of dollars.
But as NBC's Alan Boyle has [URL="http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/24/14072181-beyond-the-moon-base-stirs-up-buzz?lite"]noted[/URL], former astronaut Buzz Aldrin says this is an idea who's time has come:
[I]​Aldrin has long urged NASA to set up a similar "floating launching pad" at a different balance point between Earth and the Moon, called EML-1 or L1, and this weekend he said that platforms at L1 or L2, plus fueling depots for spaceships, would serve as appropriate "intermediate steps" for voyages to Mars and other worlds."It's part of my unified space vision," he told me during an international gathering of spacefliers and mission managers at Seattle's Museum of Flight.
Aldrin's vision calls for NASA to lead in the construction of the infrastructure needed for space transport beyond Earth orbit, while leaving the development of facilities on the Moon's surface to commercial ventures. A human-tended station at EML-1 or EML-2 could help direct the robotic construction of habitats and factories on the moon, to be occupied at a later time by humans.
"Those are steppingstones in confidence and training for interplanetary spacecraft," Aldrin said.
The eventual goal would be to have a human-tended station on the Martian moon Phobos, directing robots to build facilities for permanent residents on the Red Planet. And then? "We make a commitment to permanence," Aldrin explained. "It's like the Pilgrims on the Mayflower."[/I]
But as Boyle correctly concludes, the entire issue will ultimately come down to affordability. Seeing as NASA is already spending $18 billion on the Orion system, the federal government may be hard pressed to justify more spending during tough economic times — and as the private sector starts to make its mark in space.[/QUOTE]
[URL]http://io9.com/5946149/nasa-wants-to-build-a-permanent-outpost-beyond-the-moon[/URL]
MY DICK
oh shit this is for real
So they're actually going ahead with this? This isn't just "what we would like to do but can't ATM"? Because from the article, it sounds like they're trying to get the resources to do it in the first place.
[quote] Seeing as NASA is already spending $18 billion on the Orion system, the federal government may be hard pressed to justify more spending during tough economic times — and as the private sector starts to make its mark in space.[/quote]
But we're perfectly okay spending $600+ billion on the defense budget, right?
I bet it's gonna go horribly wrong and they're gonna make a horribly inaccurate movie about it and it'll get a ton of Oscars
[QUOTE=JeanLuc761;37808959]But we're perfectly okay spending $600+ billion on the defense budget, right?[/QUOTE]
1. Convince the government that aliens will attack
2. Space Travel!
[QUOTE=JeanLuc761;37808959]But we're perfectly okay spending $600+ billion on the defense budget, right?[/QUOTE]
Don't worry, someone'll find some valuable material on Mars, and everyone'll bum rush it.
[editline]Edited:[/editline]
I'm serious.
Wonder how big the crews will be. That's a whole new level of lonely.
[QUOTE=koeniginator;37808967]1. Convince the government that aliens will attack
2. Space Travel![/QUOTE]
false flag alien attack
fuel up the UFOs
Woah.
What a time to be alive!
Were in a time similar to the Americans exploration west folks. It took them years to head west and set up an outpost, a trip which takes mere hours today. It's going to take us a few years to set up theses langrangian outposts. Perhaps one day a trip to a similar base will be as common as a bus ride to the airport.
[QUOTE=OvB;37809271]Wonder how big the crews will be. That's a whole new level of lonely.[/QUOTE]
Just one dude.
The only required qualifications are a neckbeard and a Facepunch account.
[QUOTE=Scar;37809335]Just one dude.
The only required qualifications are a neckbeard and a Facepunch account.[/QUOTE]
Waste removal Soyuz crafts full of dirty Kleenex, empty loition bottles and ramen noodle packages.
Between Earth and Mars sounds like it's literally in the middle. You guys don't know how many physics tests/questions I've failed because I interpret between as "center point".
nawww I want it to be ON the moon, not floating around
like
a house for astronauts permanently on the moon
[QUOTE=Swebonny;37809489]Between Earth and Mars sounds like it's literally in the middle. You guys don't know how many physics tests/questions I've failed because I interpret between as "center point".[/QUOTE]
[IMG]http://i.cubeupload.com/WwhTum.jpg[/IMG]
Anyways It technically is anyways since it's 200k miles from earth, far more than the ISS or any other Human space station. It'll pretty much be the furthest any MAN has gone.
That can really be the start of something. I mean, people are talking about how space station are going to be a thing in the future, but it's rather speculation. Just like people talk about androids being a big part of far-future life right now.
But this, this might be the start of something for real.
Wow, this is happening isnt it?
At first I was sad I was born late for the moon-landing. But who
knows, maybe the future has better things in store for me!
Oh boy, this is getting more interesting by the minute. Go NASA!
Nah-uh, don't count or Russian hardware anymore, at some point in time our rockets and satellites obtained a bad habit of ending up being more about below the sea level then above it.
[QUOTE=Milkdairy;37809591][IMG]http://i.cubeupload.com/WwhTum.jpg[/IMG]
Anyways It technically is anyways since it's 200k miles from earth, far more than the ISS or any other Human space station. It'll pretty much be the furthest any MAN has gone.[/QUOTE]
Yeah it's quite far out. The record is 248,655 miles during Apollo 13 when stuff broke.
They will bring alot of grey jumpsuits, blue toolboxes, green and blue hair dye, oh and to cut on the costs, they will replace the onship ai with a doorknob.
[QUOTE=JeanLuc761;37808959]But we're perfectly okay spending $600+ billion on the defense budget, right?[/QUOTE]
This to, but I wish everyone would stop targeting the defense budget and nothing else, close to $700 billion is wasted a year on healthcare with ridiculously high treatments, overtesting, processing claims, medical errors, unnecessary ER visits, and unsanitary hospitals.
Yet no one is acknowledging this as a huge problems either, or no one likes to discuss it for some reason. I'm not saying the defense budget should be that high, but there are other problems that waste massive amounts of money also that are overlooked.
[QUOTE=koeniginator;37808967]1. Convince the government that aliens will attack
2. Space Travel![/QUOTE]
3. Some probe/ship sent outside our system makes first contact
4. Aliens actually attack
5. Fuck
[QUOTE=Scar;37809319]What a time to be alive![/QUOTE]
But we're still going to miss the really insane shit that is invented in the next couple century's, and none of us will probably ever get to travel to mars. Maybe it'll be cheaper to fly to the moon in a couple decades, but nowhere near affordable for a middle-class citizen.
Only the wealthy and the people that partake in these missions will be able to go, while we watch it on a goddamn tv. Sucks for us.
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;37809888]This to, but I wish everyone would stop targeting the defense budget and nothing else, close to $700 billion is wasted a year on healthcare with ridiculously high treatments, overtesting, processing claims, medical errors, unnecessary ER visits, and unsanitary hospitals.
Yet no one is acknowledging this as a huge problems either, or no one likes to discuss it for some reason. I'm not saying the defense budget should be that high, but there are other problems that waste massive amounts of money also that are overlooked.[/QUOTE]
Because healthcare benefits people, shooting brown people doesn't.
[QUOTE]To save on costs, NASA is hoping to construct the spacecraft with parts left over from the International Space Station, as well as hardware provided by Russia and Italy.[/QUOTE]
Goddammit, we're at the cusp of revolutionary discoveries and technologies and the only thing keeping us back is highly inefficient distribution of resources and the paranoia of our entire species in letting down our guard towards one-another. Make love in space, not war on Earth! Space programs and sciences should, no, MUST be given priority in funding, dammit!
Constructing MY space stations out of left-over materials and spare parts? Fuck no you're not! FUNDFUNDFUND so specialized construction materials of the highest quality are available. So all the hardware is purpose-built with the success of the mission in mind.
.
.
.
If only it were that easy for Humanity to grow up :'c
Edit:
That station better have a massive observatory deck or something with lounge chairs, a bar, smooth jazz and giant windows...
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