DARPA Plans To Build A U.S. Military Space Base To Stave Off Intergalactic Threats

a reply to: lostbook

It is. Asteroids and comets are intergalactic threats. They need a way to identify them sooner, track them better, and be able to move assets out of the way faster. Same with debris in orbit.

originally posted by: Mandroid7
Is this the space race time loop from the sixties? These guys need some new material.

We need a private space program.

We shouldn't give our lives (tax) to our gov so they can spread the slavery virus known as government to every habitable corner of the universe.

Space exploration is awesome, but the $$ doesn't make sense. Sounds like another grift.


To seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Or reality...

To build this thing and get to Mars before Musk owns it, because we are control freaks.

It is not private that is an issue. We need more players racing to space so the Gov can't delay us getting off Earth.

a reply to: lostbook

We already have this. That's just the publicity budget.

hmm sounds like a budget for a event or publicity such as competition about building a space shipyard with the technology we have today. Although i do suspect we already have technology to get to space without fossilized fuel. Guess its somewhat top secret or suppressed to public views.

but then i noticed some saying the most interesting question in this thread.. "why now?" and Darpa sends a public article about it. So what is it that DARPA knows what we don't?

a reply to: Viperion

DARPA is known as the bat sh!t agency as its job is to see if those stupid ideas can work, its job is to see if the idea has any viability for the military mainly but also if it'll help in the civilian world then great. They have a lot of failures but given they only spend bird food its not too bad.

FTA: "The first goal isn’t building the ship itself, but rather developing the technology to survive in the extremely inhospitable environment that is deep space."

16 mil in seed money to develop the technology to survive in the inhospitable environment of deep space is not the same as develop the technology to build the Enterprise. DARPA is justly famous for backing ideas that bear some juicy fruit. In the process some lemons are discovered, but overall DARPA is responsible for many more engineering marvels.

a reply to: caterpillage

That depends.

If he said there would be no death star built,

it is definitely being built.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: lostbook

It is. Asteroids and comets are intergalactic threats. They need a way to identify them sooner, track them better, and be able to move assets out of the way faster. Same with debris in orbit.

I suppose. I know that you're very knowledgeable in these areas. I just have a feeling that it goes much deeper than what's being said....it usually does.

I mean, why build a Spaceship just to travel to another world where the military can set up a base for the purpose of monitoring Asteroids and Comets?

originally posted by: Enderdog


a reply to: lostbook

We already have this. That's just the publicity budget.

Already have the base or the starship?

Sounds like a military base in near space.

Perfect...

Has anybody considered the"Threat"could be meteors or asteroids?Alien war?lol

Total BS!! That's my opinion.

It's either they want to build a weapons system to dominate the space around planet earth before someone else does it first. (Which makes sense from a military perspective but is also scary for everyone on earth at the same time.)

Or

It's a way for them to funnel money into something like hookers and beer and bonuses for themselves.

Because if there was a intergalactic thread that is already known they'd already have this out there. Besides that nobody is building an Enterprise with Station for 16 million. Just getting a bullet train build in California is costing over 60 billion. 16 million won't even pay for the blueprints on a space station.

Correction. The bullet train is now up to 98 billion!!!! WTF!!!! Someone needs to be shot for this.....But that's another topic.

a reply to: lostbook

DARPA didn't talk about building a spaceship though. The article you posted did, but the article released by DARPA only talked about a command and control system for real time adjustments. I looked through the entire PDF that was linked in the OP article, and it didn't mention a spaceship there either. Whoever wrote the article and saw where they said "enterprise software" and assumed Enterprise spaceship.

Specifically, Hallmark-ST seeks to design, develop, and maintain a state-of-the-art enterprise software architecture that would be flexible, scalable, secure, and capable of supporting tools and data from diverse sources. The architecture would need to support the ability to model current and future space situational awareness and command and control tools, capabilities, subsystems, and systems, as well as external capabilities and interfaces to support air, cyber, land, and maritime environments.

The enterprise architecture would be the backbone of a long-term testbed, the Hallmark Space Evaluation and Analysis Capability (SEAC), anticipated to be located in Northern Virginia. SEAC would provide for the effective development, integration, modeling and simulation, and realistic testing of software and decision-support processes relevant to space command and control. It would also eventually contribute to the rapid integration of technology into future space enterprise command and control systems. Furthermore, Hallmark personnel at SEAC would be integral to the actual integration of external space command and control tools, capabilities, and data, as well as execution of a number of anticipated tests and scenario-based exercises.

www.darpa.mil...

The only spacecraft DARPA is working on is the XS-1, which is essentially a bigger version of the X-37B, that wouldn't require a rocket to assist it getting to the edge of space, where it would launch a payload into orbit.

The objective of the Experimental Spaceplane XS-1 program is to demonstrate the technology needed to fabricate and fly a reusable aircraft to the edge of space. The XS-1 will be capable of deploying a small expendable upper stage to launch a 3,000-pound spacecraft to earth orbit at a cost of $5M, ten times less than today’s launch systems. A key program objective is to fly 10 times in 10 days to demonstrate “aircraft-like” operability, cost efficiency and reliability. Key anticipated characteristics of the XS-1 aircraft include a physical size and dry weight typical of today’s business jets.

www.darpa.mil...

a reply to: lostbook


I really get tired of trying to show you folks that Reagan's Space Defense Initiative, so-called "Star Wars" program was the effective start of our Space Force and was officially laid out and implemented as to its mission. The stated goal was to control all space out to and including the Moon's orbit. I have no doubt that with the aid of triangle-type craft that goal has been met years ago.


The Space Treaty that the major nations have signed decades ago to not militarize space is a total sham, worthless, intended to appease the "peaceniks."

Okay. I will relent and post again the book that explains how the US Space Force will be/was created and its goal of the domination of space by the US. The book is "Military Space Forces: The Next 50 years," commissioned by the US Congress (for their own dummies) and written by John M. Collins. Printed under the watchful eye of the Air Force Association and and US Army Book Association and printed by Pergamon-Brassey's International Defense Publishers, Inc.,1989, ISBN 0-08-037432-8. I have a copy of that book.

It is time to stop denying ignorance about what we do in space and accept that we are well on a new path of technological developments that puts us head to head with the big boys in the galaxy. Some are bullies.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: lostbook

Unless its made of adamantium or has some form of Star Trek type shields i dont see the thing lasting very long against an enemy of the extraterrestrial variety. Point of fact it would probably be there first target. LoL

.

That what I was thinking. In fact, a Borg Cube could merely flush it's collective toilet next to the platform and obliterate the thing.

a reply to: lostbook

With a budget that small, they may as well launch a bloody Happy Meal and a KFC variety combo to space, for all the use it will be.

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: lostbook

I really get tired of trying to show you folks that Reagan's Space Defense Initiative, so-called "Star Wars" program was the effective start of our Space Force and was officially laid out and implemented as to its mission. The stated goal was to control all space out to and including the Moon's orbit. I have no doubt that with the aid of triangle-type craft that goal has been met years ago.

The Space Treaty that the major nations have signed decades ago to not militarize space is a total sham, worthless, intended to appease the "peaceniks."

Okay. I will relent and post again the book that explains how the US Space Force will be/was created and its goal of the domination of space by the US. The book is "Military Space Forces: The Next 50 years," commissioned by the US Congress (for their own dummies) and written by John M. Collins. Printed under the watchful eye of the Air Force Association and and US Army Book Association and printed by Pergamon-Brassey's International Defense Publishers, Inc.,1989, ISBN 0-08-037432-8. I have a copy of that book.

It is time to stop denying ignorance about what we do in space and accept that we are well on a new path of technological developments that puts us head to head with the big boys in the galaxy. Some are bullies.

Thanks for this. I've heard of the Secret Space program. Supposedly run by the Navy, correct? But they deal with technology(ies) that we'll probably never see in the public sector.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: lostbook

DARPA didn't talk about building a spaceship though. The article you posted did, but the article released by DARPA only talked about a command and control system for real time adjustments. I looked through the entire PDF that was linked in the OP article, and it didn't mention a spaceship there either. Whoever wrote the article and saw where they said "enterprise software" and assumed Enterprise spaceship.

Specifically, Hallmark-ST seeks to design, develop, and maintain a state-of-the-art enterprise software architecture that would be flexible, scalable, secure, and capable of supporting tools and data from diverse sources. The architecture would need to support the ability to model current and future space situational awareness and command and control tools, capabilities, subsystems, and systems, as well as external capabilities and interfaces to support air, cyber, land, and maritime environments.

The enterprise architecture would be the backbone of a long-term testbed, the Hallmark Space Evaluation and Analysis Capability (SEAC), anticipated to be located in Northern Virginia. SEAC would provide for the effective development, integration, modeling and simulation, and realistic testing of software and decision-support processes relevant to space command and control. It would also eventually contribute to the rapid integration of technology into future space enterprise command and control systems. Furthermore, Hallmark personnel at SEAC would be integral to the actual integration of external space command and control tools, capabilities, and data, as well as execution of a number of anticipated tests and scenario-based exercises.

www.darpa.mil...

The only spacecraft DARPA is working on is the XS-1, which is essentially a bigger version of the X-37B, that wouldn't require a rocket to assist it getting to the edge of space, where it would launch a payload into orbit.

The objective of the Experimental Spaceplane XS-1 program is to demonstrate the technology needed to fabricate and fly a reusable aircraft to the edge of space. The XS-1 will be capable of deploying a small expendable upper stage to launch a 3,000-pound spacecraft to earth orbit at a cost of $5M, ten times less than today’s launch systems. A key program objective is to fly 10 times in 10 days to demonstrate “aircraft-like” operability, cost efficiency and reliability. Key anticipated characteristics of the XS-1 aircraft include a physical size and dry weight typical of today’s business jets.

www.darpa.mil...

Thanks for clarifying. I didn't catch that...

This means one thing for certain.

There already is one.