Lunar Base and Gas Stations in Space by 2020

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For some years now, Virgin Galactic and others have been promising us joyrides into outer space. Sometimes, though, we all tend to miss the obvious. Let’s say you need to go from point A to point B on earth. Depending on the distance, terrain, weather and other considerations, you can drive or take a flight or go by ship or train. All these modes of transport have means of refuelling at regular intervals. But what happens when you’re flying in space? As of now, there are no refuelling stations in space. And that’s exactly what the Shackleton Energy Company (SEC) plans to establish and operate in the next ten years- by 2020, according to the company’s plans.

This is some very exciting stuff, I wanted to share this with everyone. I searched and could not find this anywhere. Sorry for the limited entry on my part but I am in a rush. Let me know what you think.

Originally posted by rcanem
This is some very exciting stuff, I wanted to share this with everyone. I searched and could not find this anywhere.

Although refuelling has been mentioned before, this particular company seems to be a new player.
The article says this company doesnt actually have any money, its all just a nice idea at this stage and personally I dont think it will ever happen.

At the time of writing, $4050 has been raised.

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by rcanem
This is some very exciting stuff, I wanted to share this with everyone. I searched and could not find this anywhere.

Although refuelling has been mentioned before, this particular company seems to be a new player.
The article says this company doesnt actually have any money, its all just a nice idea at this stage and personally I dont think it will ever happen.

At the time of writing, $4050 has been raised.

edit on 12-12-2011 by alfa1 because: (no reason given)

Well I wouldn't say it would never happen, but I would say that saying that refueling stations and lunar bases will most likely not be established for a few more decades.

The thing that got me was that they have already set a deadline. I believe that commercialization of space travel may well be the push that we need to get us in space full time. Who knows where it may lead. I just hope that we don't have to wait 60 more years to see it.

Well I have $4,050 that says privatization of space lacks the throwaway funds to support any ideas of doing anything more than launching communications satellites, mostly to LEO. Space exploration beyond earth orbit doesn't generate revenue and no private group can just throw away $2.5 billion to send a rover to Mars and support the mission life, for instance. Sorry to say but there is no profit in space exploration beyond earth orbit to speak of.

reply to post by Illustronic

Sorry to say but there is no profit in space exploration beyond earth orbit to speak of.

Yet. Eventually, when the world economy awakes from its long slumber, the Moon will be a sufficiently tempting tourist goal to make cis-lunar infrastructure profitable... but I agree it won't be happening by 2020.

reply to post by DJW001


Until you find an asteroid made of diamond or gold. Then it makes sense.

Propellant depots are long overdue, and the next logical step necessary for affordable and effective space exploration. That said, I really dont think this company has the capital, know-how and experience to make it happen.

United Launch Alliance is my bet.

they should use stratolauncher

but lunar base is long overdue we should have had a settlement over there with hotels and bussiness and mines

reply to post by HossBog


Not picking on you Boss I just have a problem with transferring weight in spacecrafts. I know we want better technology and usually the fuel for rockets are most of a spacecraft's weight, but you also need cargo capabilities to first get an infrastructure in place to mine, and second to have ability to launch cargo from whatever, an asteroid would be the easiest escape velocity to reach but one is not considering the landing problems let alone the fuel required to achieve orbit around a relatively small mass, I put fuel as a distant 4th place in what's holding back space 'bases'.

Consider first a cubic foot, you know like a small cooler you take to the park, if solid diamond would weigh 219 pounds, about an average astronaut naked. A cubic foot of gold weighs in at 1,205 pounds, more than what the Apollos brought back in moon rock/dust in 6 trips, (just for comparison), and they left the cameras and other equipment behind to save weight.

A trip to space to bring back cubic feet of somehow mined minerals needs much more than fuel. The cost would be greater than getting it from earth, for a foreseeable, well, very long time. No manned craft has left earth orbit since 1972, or has flown faster since 1969. It must not be worth it!

It would be interesting to find out how much money it cost to process and fill the main external fuel tank of the Space Shuttle, it's not cheap to produce liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, especially way over 1.5 million pounds of it.

reply to post by Illustronic

it's not cheap to produce liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, especially way over 1.5 million pounds of it.

I believe the cost of propellant is negligible. Human resources are the most exensive part.

Just a thought here, but all initial investments are basically a huge risk no matter what. If a company could set up a lunar base that could produce fuel, that would open a lot of doors in space exploration. You would concievably have trouble keeping up with demand should a boom occur, which could net billions of dollars for the company. They just have to ask themselves is the risk worth the possible payoffs. I am an optomistic dreamer and would love to see it happen, but I am also a realist and have my doubts that it would in my lifetime.

Industrialisation of space seems like the next logical step, to me atleast.

Once big corporations see a profit in getting to some place in space, then they would invest heavily in developing more efficient space vehicles.

We can't rely on our individual governments to advance space technologies, but corporations do things in the interest of profit. Which could be beneficial for the rest of human kind.