DailyDirt: Space Exploration
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
Manned space exploration is in a bit of a funk these days, depending on how you look at it. Robots are doing a lot of heavy lifting, and the potential deaths of astronauts make governments wary of much risk-taking. Commercial ventures are starting to ramp up, but their missions aren’t quite as awe-inspiring as the former glory of NASA. Here are just some quick links on the future of space exploration.
- There’s some pessimism about the prospect of humans colonizing the rest of the solar system. That is, if you think a one-way (aka “suicidal”) mission to other destinations in the solar system is a “half-empty” strategy. [url]
- Some folks are pretending to go to Mars and have spent quite a bit of time doing it. Maybe there should be a reality TV show like this, called “Real World: Mars” — where seven fake astronauts have to live together, trapped in a simulated environment… [url]
- The National Security Space Strategy has been published by the Dept of Defense, and it seems that, as space exploration technologies have matured, the goals of space technology development have gotten more complex. Just getting to the moon (again) or to Mars or to an asteroid isn’t enough these days, there has to be a pretty clear return on the investment and the involvement of multiple entities that could potentially fund such ambitious ventures. [url]
- To discover more links on space exploration, check out what’s floating around in StumbleUpon universe. [url]
By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.
Filed Under: colonizing, mars, national security space strategy, solar system
Comments on “DailyDirt: Space Exploration”
Rockets and Robots
Apparently Finkel has decided that multiple trips carrying supplies to some form of staging facility in orbit is too hard to consider when determining the physical feasibility of spaceflight, as well as the possibility of utilizing a propulsive force other than the thrust from a combustion powered rocket. If only we had some sort of “space station” to use as a proxy for improving our ability to explore our solar system. I guess that is only something we could achieve by launching a whole science vessel at once on the top of a single huge rocket.
… and forget about getting ANY country to agree to working in a collaborative manor to do science in space. That’s just a waste of our precious land-based time and money. Besides, what has going into space EVER achieved for the rest of us?
/s
Fake, I tell you!!
Some folks are pretending to go to Mars and have spent quite a bit of time doing it…
Don’t believe it! Those aren’t pretend astronauts in a simulated environment, they’re actors dressed as pretend astronauts, in a studio mockup of a simulated environment! It’s all a fake!!!1!
Re: Fake, I tell you!!
Listen, the US government has had the technology for deep space travel since the 50’s. If you would just wake up and do a little research on area 51. They would let us know about it but don’t want the Commies stealing it. Damn Commies!
Re: Fake, I tell you!!
Sure, next you’ll be telling me that those people in the BioDome were doing it just for a movie…. hmm. What ever happened to Pauly Shore?