Science fiction dream to come true by 2025?

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">Advertising pasted on the side of equipment (e.g., Habitat modules and rovers looking like a NASCAR car).</font>/i><br /><br />Here is a picture I found on dvorak.org/blog:<br /></i>

 

[halman]

RadarRedux,<br /><br />People keep forgetting that what NASA is supposed to do is develop new technologies to the point where the private sector can step in without being exposed to high levels of risk, or large amounts of investment without any certainty of return. Of course, this has yet to happen, unfortunately, even though that is exactly what the Space Transportation System was originally supposed to make possible. If a base on the Moon can support life for 180 days, it is advanced enough to develop into a permanent base without large amounts of additional spending, IF there is the infrastructure to haul mass to the Moon cheaply.<br /><br />The launch vehicle market has got to mature adequately to support such development, which seems unlikely if NASA is going to insist on keeping the launch business to itself. We are proposing developing two new launch vehicles to support returning to the Moon, at great expense, and requiring several years of design and testing, so that NASA can launch these missions in-house. How is this going to stimulate private investment into launch technology, or create demand for private launch capability?<br /><br />The United States government seems intent on preventing any agency besides NASA from having substantial launch capacity, while at the same time expecting the private sector to step up and take over development of space stations and Lunar bases. It is insisting that it must spend billions to develop a rocket which duplicates many existing launch systems, which are available for contract right now, as well as a new heavy lift launch vehicle based on an massive extension of the shuttle's Solid Rocket Booster. NASA wants to spend billions on building the means to get to the Moon, when there is a great deal of pressure on the budget overall.<br /><br />Instead of developing the Ares rockets, we could put that money into designing and building the hardware we want to use on the Moon, and hire the Russians to get us there. Our Evol <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>

 

[ldyaidan]

"The launch vehicle market has got to mature adequately " Agreed...but, even with the private sector coming into play, space travel will still be limited to those who are healthy enough to withstand the g-force, and re-entry stress. Space won't truly open up for the masses until we can get there without having to ignite tons of explosives under us to launch. But, I do believe we will get there eventually. It will just take longer for some of us than for othes.<br /><br />Rae

 

[Anonymous]

Well, never know but, NASA is dreaming for that.<br />Afterall what was that lunar achitecture programme competition for?<br />Planning! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font size="2"><p align="center"><br /><img id="a9529085-d63d-481e-9277-832ea5d58917" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/9/2/a9529085-d63d-481e-9277-832ea5d58917.Large.gif" alt="blog post photo" /><br /><font color="#339966">Oops! this is my alien friend.</font></p><p align="center"><font color="#ff6600">╬→Ť╠╣є ’ M€ ’<br />╬→ Ðôŵņ2Ëãřŧĥ ๑<br />╬→ ЙДm€ :Varsha<br /></font></p></font></strong> </div>

 

[silylene old]

Getting back to the original thread title: <font color="yellow">Science fiction dream to come true by 2025?</font> the SF dreams that are coming true appear to be:<br />1. The internet as a worldwide resource, reference, communication, leisure, business and political phenomena. I remember reading predictions about a internet-like future in SF books in the 60's through 80's. It is here, and it will become even more firmly established and interlocked into our culture. The internet of course was primarily enabled through another SF dream-come-true, powerful personal desktop computers.<br />2. Cellphones and wireless earpieces. Also predicted in SF books as far back as the 30's and 40s.<br />3. Medical imaging (MRI's, etc). These are starting to create a revolution in medicine. <br />4. Full fast gene sequencing and gene synthesis. Again, starting another revolution in medicine and anthropology - we will finally understand what makes us the way we are. And it is just beginning.<br />5. Sustained robotic exploration of space. Finally! With the four great orbital observatories, and the many spacecraft we now have at Mars, plus Cassini at Saturn (and demised Galileo at Jupiter), plus the newer missions underway or planned, we are just beginning to understand the universe we live in. Finally, finally!<br />6. Moon base? We will see.<br /><br />(somehow to me, the ISS isn't a dream come true. It is just too small, too limited, too few peopled, no one "lives" there, and it is too hard to get to. This wasn't my dream, or the dream of a space station I read in SF books as a boy!) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[holmec]

>Those of you who disparage private enterprise in the development of space need a thorough education in history, especially the history of the aircraft industry! <br /><<br /><br />Great post. Absolutely. Aviation started with private enterprise and it was not until WWI that governments even gave planes a chance. With WWII we saw unequivecally that the plane was the superior weapon delivery system. The Cold War gave us the Space Race and government hold on it. Mainly because of a conception that privateers could not get in to space. Now that's proven wrong, privateers will take over again.<br /><br />Why? Because its privateers that take over a territory and exploit it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[anoolios]

Why wait till 2025? Science fiction dreams are coming true every day in the realms of astronomy and unmanned spaceflight. It's a shame that those budgets are being raided in order to fuel the hubris and political pork barreling of human spaceflight.

 

[Anonymous]

Agar yaha mujhe koi samjh sakta hai to jarur likhe.<br />Aap samajh gaye na? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font size="2"><p align="center"><br /><img id="a9529085-d63d-481e-9277-832ea5d58917" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/9/2/a9529085-d63d-481e-9277-832ea5d58917.Large.gif" alt="blog post photo" /><br /><font color="#339966">Oops! this is my alien friend.</font></p><p align="center"><font color="#ff6600">╬→Ť╠╣є ’ M€ ’<br />╬→ Ðôŵņ2Ëãřŧĥ ๑<br />╬→ ЙДm€ :Varsha<br /></font></p></font></strong> </div>