The idea of a visit to an asteroid on the flexible path was to develop the capability for a HUMAN MARS MISSION. That's where the real science everybody is desperate to gets their hands on is at.
Quote from: spectre9 on 06/06/2013 05:47 amThe idea of a visit to an asteroid on the flexible path was to develop the capability for a HUMAN MARS MISSION. That's where the real science everybody is desperate to gets their hands on is at. I quite understand your completely justified insistence that not only can there not be any *cough* real *cough* science practiced on Luna today, there could never be any of that there *cough* real *cough* science practiced on Luna ever.It's simply not there. That's why nobody's "desperate" to get their hands on it.
Quote from: JohnFornaro on 06/06/2013 01:38 pmQuote from: spectre9 on 06/06/2013 05:47 amThe idea of a visit to an asteroid on the flexible path was to develop the capability for a HUMAN MARS MISSION. That's where the real science everybody is desperate to gets their hands on is at. I quite understand your completely justified insistence that not only can there not be any *cough* real *cough* science practiced on Luna today, there could never be any of that there *cough* real *cough* science practiced on Luna ever.It's simply not there. That's why nobody's "desperate" to get their hands on it.I never said anything of the sort.There's plenty of science to be done on Luna. The far side and poles haven't been explored. The Lunar surface has been neglected even by unmanned missions. Can I interest you in another orbiter?
There is no economic gain in returning space minerals to the Earth.
Quote from: spectre9 on 06/08/2013 12:31 amThere is no economic gain in returning space minerals to the Earth.There is no economic gain in not returning space minerals to the Earth.
Space minerals should be for space colonies.
Currently there is only one space outpost. It's a science station and it's easily catered for from Earth based expendable cargo vehicles*
If people can settle Antarctica they'll do that first. It would be helpful to the colonization of space if that was prevented from happening
There's plenty of science to be done on Luna. The far side and poles haven't been explored. The Lunar surface has been neglected even by unmanned missions.
1) There's the crux of so many critics on asteroid retrieval. The Planetary Society, for example, won't lobby for the mission out of fear the science budget could get harmed. Moon first, Mars first, etc all think there's a zero sum game of dollars and "the heist" is the enemy.2) If NASA wants to succeed in convincing these partisans to support asteroid retrieval, then the paradigm needs to shift. ...3) ... The NASA budget will grow again if the American people and their Representatives see a return on investment.
Quote from: spectre9 on 06/06/2013 05:47 amThe idea of a visit to an asteroid on the flexible path was to develop the capability for a HUMAN MARS MISSION. That's where the real science everybody is desperate to gets their hands on is at.Real science lolI can't justify why I wrote that, it's all real science.Maybe "new science" is a more apt description.Thanks John. I'm going to stop using that term. ...
QuoteIf people can settle Antarctica they'll do that first. It would be helpful to the colonization of space if that was prevented from happening We've been over this a dozen times.. the governments of the world actively prevent people from settling Antarctica.
Quote from: QuantumG on 06/08/2013 01:36 amQuoteIf people can settle Antarctica they'll do that first. It would be helpful to the colonization of space if that was prevented from happening We've been over this a dozen times.. the governments of the world actively prevent people from settling Antarctica.Exactly... this is the problem with the analogy (most economic activities are also prohibited there).All other landmasses of the Earth are already settled, interest in getting fossil fuels out of the Arctic Ocean is growing... Antarctica is unique because of the regulatory environment.(Which is why stuff like the Outer Space Treaty was a bad idea... nations should be allowed to claim celestial bodies, IMO.)
SEP spacecraft is to be sized for Atlas 551 (17995kg). 12000kg of Xenon.
Quote from: spectre9 on 06/02/2013 01:16 pmSEP spacecraft is to be sized for Atlas 551 (17995kg). 12000kg of Xenon.Yikes, tight margins? Not sure, but 12000kg of Xenon plus the solar arrays, engines, and structure is going to be hard to fit on an Atlas 551 no?
I don't see this happening before 2025, by which time we may already have done em-2 thru em-5.
http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2013/06/21/Minutes-NAC_Science_April_18-19-130620b-SIGNED.pdfNASA Advisory Council Science Committee Meeting, April 18-19, 2013<much snippage>Mr. Gerstenmaier reviewed the interplanetary trajectory of the planned mission; 12 metric tons of xenon (Hall thruster) will be used to test its capability in terms of duration and impulse. Reaching the object will take 1.84 years and the traverse back to Earth 2.99 years.<snip>Responding to a suggestion to use a 2021 cruise mission for the mission, Mr. Gerstenmaier commented that the object cannot be obtained any sooner than 2024. However, HEOMD should be ready to launch to it by 2021. There is a calendar disconnect - this is a feasibility study only, not a mission design.<much more snippage>
the House is trying to cut all funding.