Bold Question from Colony Worlds

[Boris_Badenov]

At the end of an article about Bigelows plan to put prefab bases on The Moon they had this to say;<br /><br /><font color="yellow">Note: If Bigelow is able to do this, would this put NASA's Vision for Space Exploration out of business, along with make the International Space Station irrelevant</font><br /><br /> Colony Worlds <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[owenander]

I think it would show the public that NASA and government regulation is bad because it slows everything down. Might result in lower budgets, which would be bad.

 

[qso1]

Boris1961:<br />Note: If Bigelow is able to do this, would this put NASA's Vision for Space Exploration out of business, along with make the International Space Station irrelevant<br /><br />Me:<br />If it happens and the key word is if. Now lets assume it happens pretty close to what Bigelow outlines. At that point, then over time, the VSE if it happens as advertised, will probably actually utilize some of Bigelows services but once Bigelows lunar plans are realized in this scenario. Then NASA will no longer be required for lunar base work. ISS will also phase out which it will do anyway.<br /><br />If it happens then of course, private industry will have done what NASA was unable to do. An indication of the development cycle that space exploration had to go through.<br /><br />1.<br />Start off as a government funded venture because it was too expensive for the private sector.<br /><br />2.<br />Tech advances, and in this case, declining budget support for NASA create an environment favorable for the private sector.<br /><br />3.<br />The private sector makes human spaceflight operational and the government pulls out of all but the regulational aspects of it.<br /><br />4.<br />Back to step 1 as NASA or an equivalent replacement continues because it is now focused on something still beyond the private sector...human Jovian exploration or interstellar travel for example...and back to step 2 as the cycle continues. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[docm]

Agreed to a point. You're ignoring the military aspect of spaceflight. IMO there is no doubt that there will be something akin to a "US Space Force" out there with several missions; keeping other nations activities 'honest', search & rescue (see "Event Horizon") etc. <br /><br />It would be nice if such an organization could be multi-national, but I don't see much future in that given current international politics. Having it under the UN certainly isn't an option given the fractious behavior you see every day at the Security Council <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[qso1]

Its true I left out the military aspect but as far as human spaceflight, so far there has been no real useful military purpose for human occupied space systems. The KH-9 and KH-11 satellites were being developed even as the cancelled Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) was being considerd. It was cancelled in part due to the KH-9 and 11 demonstrating that humans were not required to operate recon systems in space. Even when Reagans star wars was the talk of the town...I do not recall seeing much in the way of human tended systems except in cases where Russians were shown cheaply and easily disabling one of our satellites...and even that was an artist concept.<br /><br />Futurists and others have been saying humans in space by military forces every since both Dyna Soar and MOLs cancellations and so far, no visible sign of tangible plans to put humans into space by strictly military entities.<br /><br />I do agree that someday there will be somethin akin to a space force. But is that 1 year out, 20 years, 50 years or more? I also agree its not likely to be a multinational force for the reasons you cited. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[docm]

IMO once you have high traffic by multiple agencies at once there will be a need for some kind of force out there. They may have to serve multiple responsibilities from military to search & rescue to police. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[qso1]

I agree, but its just a matter of when. At the present time, nothing really warrants it but a decade from now, the scenario could change. Private industry could make access to low orbit economically attractive enough for the military to consider buying orbital vehicles from them. Then modifying them as required. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>