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| Moon-to-Mars Commission Recommends Major Changes at NASA | |
| 2004-06-14 | |
The nine-member commission, headed by former U.S. Air Force Secretary Edward (Pete) Aldridge, said if those goals are to be met, the nation needs to commit to space exploration for the long haul, and that the private sector must be given a much larger role in the U.S. space program. âThe Commission believes that commercialization of space should become the primary focus of the vision, and that the creation of a space-based industry will be one of the principal benefits of this journey,â the report states. âToday an independent space industry does not really exist. Instead, we have various government funded space programs and their vendors. Over the next several decades -- if the exploration vision is implemented to encourage this -- an entirely new set of businesses can emerge that will seek profit in space.â While a mission to mars sounds highly inspirational, orbiting laboratories and a lunar base are of much greater priority. Microgravity materials science research has the potential to yield fabulous new alloys and other compounds impossible to obtain in terran facilities. A mars mission would have to overcome gigantic issues involving radiation shielding, extended duration closed-cycle life support and other human factors problems. In light of Chinaâs determination to expand its aerospace program, the United States needs to renew its commitment regarding space flight. The solutions presented by international consortium participation are of limited use as future defense applications increasingly will rely upon LEO (low earth orbit) and other space based platforms. Novel solutions like tethered "reel-down" packages and long flight time ultralight laser and solar powered vehicles pose interesting alternatives, but space is the place and our defense capabilities should not be shackled to foreign interests. Recent funding and delivery problems with Russian modules for the ISS have made this abundantly clear. | |
| Posted by:Zenster |
| #14 Happy Birth Sequence Atomic Conspiracy! Let's get the hell out of low earth orbit. :) |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-06-14 7:23:34 PM |
| #13 Hey - Happy B-Day AC! There will be on helluva big candle for you then! |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2004-06-14 6:06:23 PM |
| #12 #4 Currently you can't build anything in any quantity ... Au contraire, electrophoresis of special pharmaceuticals worth hundred or thousands of dollars per gram could easily be performed in a small orbital laboratory. I bet Intel and IBM wouldn't mind having the cleanest clean room available. Unless we have a space elevator, don't bet on any orbiting silicon foundries too soon. The immense launch cost for a fab line would outweigh the short pumpdown times. Contamination issues would still be a problem, especially lattice damage and soft errors due to hard radiation. Here is a primer on orbital fabrication processes. As I mention in the OP, there are certain alloys and other materials that will only form in microgravity conditions. The problem is that current materials available do not have the requisite structure and high enough quality to attain predicted performance levels. To improve their quality, materials can be grown as crystalline thin films in a vacuum chamber - but this technique, known as epitaxy, is limited by vacuum conditions in Earth-based chambers. A key to improving semiconductor materials, therefore, is to improve the vacuum environment for thin film growth. That is the purpose of the Wake Shield Facility (WSF) program being conducted by the Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center (SVEC) of the University of Houston, one of NASA's Centers for the Commercial Development of Space, in cooperation with a consortium of industrial partners led by Space Industries, Inc. (Sll), Houston, Texas. The aim of the program is to demonstrate that low Earth orbit (LEO) offers an "ultravacuum" for growing electronics materials of significantly higher quality than can be produced on Earth, and that these materials can be processed in situ, pointing the way toward future orbital manufacturing facilities producing increasingly sophisticated materials. A good example of such materials is REAL (Rare Earth ALuminum oxide) glass. Produced under levitation conditions in terran laboratories, an orbital facility could crank out this material in bulk. It's application in fiber-optic communications and laser optics are more than a little promising. Weber said that the new glass is currently being put through its paces for applications in high-density lasers and low-cost, compact broadband devices. Such fabrication methods fall under the aegis of "containerless" processing. The absence of containment in the form of a crucible during the melt and solidification phase avoids contamination and other eutectic related processing issues. Rest assured that I am vigorously cheering on Scaled Composities as they begin to open space for commercial purposes. Privatization of orbital ventures and facilities are a top priority for America to retain its technological pre-eminence. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-14 3:04:30 PM |
| #11 I am hopeful for SC too. But for awhile big space is going to require big government so lets do big science even though it cost big bucks. :) More bigger telescopes! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-06-14 1:31:33 PM |
| #10 Sam, June 21st is my birthday (55, yikes!) and I used to live right down the road from Burt and the SC facility, so I am really pulling for the big one to come off as expected. Burt Rutan and SC have what is probably the most remarkable record in the history of aviation, a string of unbroken successes and spectacular innovations without a single fatality. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-06-14 1:12:39 PM |
| #9 damn - lost my ID again. Anonymous5211 = Yosemite Sam |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2004-06-14 11:33:06 AM |
| #8 Space is and will be a big BUST as long as its open only to governments. Thats why I have a lot of interest in Scaled Composits. Its the first private space flight scheduled to take place June21. The "space race" is dead. Now its time to let business in to really get it moving. |
| Posted by: Anonymous5211 2004-06-14 11:27:14 AM |
| #7 If there is a sudden chip shortage I expect Intel and IBM to divy right up and commence cranking out the purest of chip sets. I'll bet they make a fortune doing it. :) Mean while back at the ranch efficiencies of scale are more likely to reduce cost. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-06-14 11:04:09 AM |
| #6 I bet Intel and IBM wouldn't mind having the cleanest clean room available. I bet microgravity would remove the imperfections in the wafers and give better yields all around. That's not even counting the pharmacuticals and metallurgical companies. How much would they bet? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-06-14 11:01:06 AM |
| #5 My point being the Government monopoly has been unhelpful. I think the current plan is heading in the right direction. |
| Posted by: Ruprecht 2004-06-14 10:57:18 AM |
| #4 Currently you can't build anything in any quantity, we've never really gotten passed the testing stage. That's why its a bust so far. If someone put up a spacestation/business park that companies could attach their own modules to I think you'd see massive growth in space industry. I bet Intel and IBM wouldn't mind having the cleanest clean room available. I bet microgravity would remove the imperfections in the wafers and give better yields all around. That's not even counting the pharmacuticals and metallurgical companies. And don't forget to put the small hotel on the end of the business park to pick up some of the tourist dollars. |
| Posted by: Ruprecht 2004-06-14 10:56:38 AM |
| #3 We are in 100 percent agreement Phil B. But don't try to sell it with zero gravity cancer cures or alloys from the far side. Sell it as pure basic science and exploration and adventure. I'll sign off on that in a heart beat. Lets put a 350 inch telescope on the lunar surface starting tomorrow. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-06-14 10:26:49 AM |
| #2 Shipman, I have an killer product requiring micro-gravity and need somewhere to test it. Any suggestions? Sorry to pick on you. While I am in favor of space exploration, I think trying to justify it through economic spinoffs is very questionable. Its like scientific research. It develops knowledge and that is its justification. The economic benefits will result, but there is no direct linkage and the relationship is complex. |
| Posted by: Phil B 2004-06-14 9:44:10 AM |
| #1 I'm still awaiting microgravity made anything. It's pretty much a bust so far. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-06-14 7:15:28 AM |