NASA's challenges

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mystex

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If you've read the articles on space.com you've probably read about the centineal challenges. What do you all think of them and the impact they might have on fueling commercial space growth?
 
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qso1

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If the "X" prize is any indication, Centennial Challenges is the way to go. In a way, its almost as though NASA has finally given up on such concepts as CATS and second generation SSTO or 2STO shuttles that theoretically would have made CATS possible. NASA is finally doing its part to get private industry involved.<br /><br />Looks like its private industries turn to bat. <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>
 
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mystex

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You would certainly hope that NASA has learned a thing or two from the X Prize. DARPA seemed to have picked up on the idea. It is sad that more governement and business organizations don't realise the untapped inovative potential of the american public. Some of NASA's challenges such as the new space gloves seem to be almost within the realm of possiblities for the average person.
 
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qso1

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Thats for sure, as it now appears private industry is the last hope to gain inexpensive access to LEO for our generation. <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>
 
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mystex

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It frustrates me to know that the government is effectively holding the keys to space and won't let us up there. They should in effect be pushing NASA to embrace the private sector and focus more on getting us up there than on theoretical science right now. If we could just get cheap access to space and an infrastructure built up NASA could do all the theoretical science it wanted and do it with an established infrastructure on hand to assist them.
 
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qso1

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This is one reason we need the Burt Rutans of the world. But Government holding us back is only part of the problem. The other part is that Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is so difficult to reach. Burt Rutan/Richard Branson will hopefully soon be able to get you to the edge of space at around 1/6th the velocity required to achieve orbit. To reach orbit requires almost 50 times the energy than just suborbital. This due to the type of ascent profile required for orbital insertion.<br /><br />If these obstacles are overcome, and if there is an incentive such as space tourism, private industry will overcome them. Once overcome, you are right, NASA can buy seats on Virgin Galactic orbital flights to do science.<br /><br />One reason science is the focus of Government run spaceflight is that they believe they have to justify human spaceflight on the basis of scientific research. Otherwise, lawmakers and taxpayers will complain as they did in the Apollo days when they questioned the political motivation for the moon race. <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>
 
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mystex

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Amazing isn't it that we as a civiliazation are so lacking in vision taht we depend on a few to justify our development?
 
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