Civilians In Space
Mantrid
Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
in Discussions
SS1 (<a href='http://www.skyrocket.de/space/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc_lau/spaceshipone.htm' target='_blank'>Space Ship 1</a>) is set to launch in a few minutes.
Its an experimental vehicle designed to take civilians into space, bring them back, and be ready to launch again within one or two weeks. Needless to say, it was built in order to claim the "X-Prize" ($10 Mil for completing what's mentioned above).
Assuming its succesful, what do you think of this? In my opinion, this starts the true space-age, when independant groups sponsored by corporations begin building spacecraft.
Its an experimental vehicle designed to take civilians into space, bring them back, and be ready to launch again within one or two weeks. Needless to say, it was built in order to claim the "X-Prize" ($10 Mil for completing what's mentioned above).
Assuming its succesful, what do you think of this? In my opinion, this starts the true space-age, when independant groups sponsored by corporations begin building spacecraft.
Comments
Even so, the X-Prize is only $10 Mil, so it's pocket change when compared to launching spacecraft =\
This flight is to get Melville to 62.5 miles above the surface (which is the edge of space).
Later this year, they'll take three people to 100 miles.
Edit: Yay! Its airborne!
My personal opinion is that this won't be so revolutionary until there are actual interesting locations that such vehicles could carry private payers or their payload <i>to</i>. Don't get me wrong, I'm optimistic towards private space exploration in the long run, but it won't really pay until zero-G-factories have become necessary or interplanetary mining has become profitable.
I dunno, I'm a nerd, but to me the fact that this thing is about to make the cheapest high altitude flight ever is awesome. Both parts come back unharmed too, simple but cool technology.
Unless they develop near light-speed travel, interplanetary mining really isn't a very profitable thing. Its not exactly easy to haul tons of raw material into space.
Maybe for orbiting stations or surface colonies, but those wouldn't really be interplanetary then.
Unless they develop near light-speed travel, interplanetary mining really isn't a very profitable thing. Its not exactly easy to haul tons of raw material into space.
Maybe for orbiting stations or surface colonies, but those wouldn't really be interplanetary then. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
from the moon and back is about... what? A 5 day trip? So sure hauling ore is profitable. Maybe not on the scale fo Mars to Earth but from moons to mother planets, sure.
Edit: I've looked for a while, then i got bored...
The moon's crust is 10% of its total mass
There <i>May</i> be a molten Iron ore core, but the article said it was speculation, not a fact.
Simply take what you have here on earth in it's earlier stages (volcanism volcanism volcanism). Remove atmosphere, cook water out of rocks. Expose to solar radiation and vacuum for 3.5 Billion years. KABOOM. The moon.
Essentially it's made of the same stuff as the earth as it was once PART of the earth, so you've got a nice pastiche of Titanium, Aluminium etc and it has the advantage of having not been in an oxygen atmosphere to corrode it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
For now, 62 miles up is an interesting enough destination for about 99% of the population. Problem is, it wasn't cheap before rutan, and it still isn't cheap even after the record breaking (making?) flight. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->hmnmm... I'm gonna go see what the moon is made out of.
Edit: I've looked for a while, then i got bored...
The moon's crust is 10% of its total mass
There May be a molten Iron ore core, but the article said it was speculation, not a fact. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It's cheese, of course!
IIRC the particular thing they want to explore for and mine is helium 3
For now, 62 miles up is an interesting enough destination for about 99% of the population. Problem is, it wasn't cheap before rutan, and it still isn't cheap even after the record breaking (making?) flight. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
The problem with any kind of space mass-tourism is (aside from the costs) that it'd basically be a ride on the novelty, much in the same way people simply paid to ride a train (with no second thought about its destination) at first. Once that charm has worn off (and wear off it will), there needs to be some aim, maybe a touristic station along the lines of Gibsons Freeside, or the whole endeavour would just crumble down.
In the immediate future (10 years?) suborbital flights is probably the best civilians can hope for at the moment for a taste of space. It's not ideal, and it's expensive... but it's something. It gets the gears rolling. It'll never become cheaper if we never start. As it does become more common (and ideally more affordable), the next step would be inflatable habs can make space station "hotels" a reality for those weekend honeymoons (30-50 years from now?)... the specifics of something like this are more complex for safety and cost reasons, but no need to get into that just yet. These too would be very expensive, while short suborbital trips would be more affordable for the average person.
Ideally, while the civilian population is getting their novelty, the government will continue to refine it's moon/mars program.
That's my 50-80 year projection <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> Depressing I know, but it takes a painfully long time to get anything done anymore. I wish we could step foot on mars before I grow old, but even with bush's fasttrack plan to return to the moon (which ain't gonna happen probably) I'd be nearly 40 by the time they did <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Still on the reletively distant horizon is the commercialized space that you're talking about, where the return is finally greater than the inital investment. Not just mining and so on, but also advertisement. We can't predict much after this because once it starts getting profitable, there will be a massive technology boom IMO, and no one can be sure what developments will be made and which will fall on the wayside.
You're right though, without a plan the private space industry could fall through before it even really begins
*looks up to see the moon has been dyed to look like a giant pepsi logo* sheesh <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->