Privatizing Space Travel.

[seaborn]

I just finished a book called Deception Point. The plot involved NASA. The book played on the premise that private industry could perform space missions for a much lower cost and that NASA would undercut the private companys even if NASA would would lose money. NASA states that if the private sector ever took over exploring space we would have hotels on the moon etc.<br /><br />Well I personally am a big NASA supporter, but to tell you the truth.... If the Private sector was let loose on space we would advance a whole lot faster because the profits would push for advancement. Imagine if the computer industry was a government program. Everytime intel tryed to sell chips to someone, Nasa steps in, undercuts the bid and gets the business. With Nasa being government supported, they can even do this at a loss. If this were the case we'd still be using i386's. <br /><br />Curious to what others think the future is for space exploration?

 

[vogon13]

Have always been struck at how closely effect of earth's gravity and atmospheric density is matched by maximum strength of materials and energy released by chemical reactions powering rocket engine. I can imagine world with chemicals that have ISPs of 800, and worlds with gravity of .82 earth. One little detail of physical world changed and space program gets greatly easier. If aluminum was strongest possible metal, how would a civilization build a spacecraft? One small change and it isn't even remotely possible. It's just amazing how task is almost completely in balance with capabilities as set by physical parameters of universe. This all boils down to: With everything the way it is, engineering is always going to be tricky and expensive. Cost of failures is always going to be staggering. Orion concept, by utilizing nuke impulse engine, (nuclear instead of chemical reaction) drastically shifts balance in our favor. Early Orion spaceship designs included barber chair because lofting cost so low! Big problem with Orion was scaling it small enough to be useful (radiation and fireball engulfment of vehicle at launch were some other show stoppers). A small Orion ship might weigh 4000 tons and be built more like submarine than aircraft. This thread is not appropriate for big Orion debate (I am not advocting it here and now) but mankind has been working on humans in rockets since early sixties, and big game changing discoveries are not likely at this point. Big breakthrough most likely will involve something we haven't even imagined yet (most likely not in field of administration or technical management). That's why we're here at (drum roll, please) SDC. <br /><br /><br /><br />Engage!<br />J. L. Picard <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[wvbraun]

"It's just amazing how task is almost completely in balance with capabilities as set by physical parameters of universe."<br /><br />I've wondered about that, too. It almost seems like a test, doesn't it? Are you apes clever enough to make it into space? You bet.

 

[wvbraun]

"Curious to what others think the future is for space exploration?"<br /><br />The private sector will definitely take over some day. It's already happening. Google "X-Prize", "SpaceX", "Scaled Composites", "Virgin Galactic",....