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Baddogma
reply to post by FatherStacks
Yeah, a space elevator would go a ways to further our space efforts. The biggest obstacle is getting out of the gravity well. The engineering of rockets is complex and costly ... having a cheap, effective way to get into orbit would hurry things along immeasurably and an elevator to an orbiting platform is feasible now with carbon fibers and other stronger materials.
How neat would a series of space elevators encircling the equator be?
FatherStacks
I really wish space tourism was at a stage where it was not only viable, but affordable. Some days I'd give a limb to jump off this stupid rock and get away from the madness.
Space exploration/tourism won't be mature, in my opinion, until someone has figured out how to bring back the goodies from space and make a fortune. Minerals, helium, habitable real estate...once profiting from those are figured out, that's when I'll be able to book a flight to Gliese 667Cc, at only 22.7 light years away.
A company founded by former NASA astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz has been developing a new rocket engine that draws upon electric power and magnetic fields to channel superheated plasma out the back. That stream of plasma generates steady, efficient thrust that uses low amounts of propellant and builds up speed over time.
"People have known for a long time, even back in the '50s, that electric propulsion would be needed for serious exploration of Mars," said Tim Glover, director of development at the Ad Astra Rocket Company.
lostbook
reply to post by FatherStacks
There has to be a complete overhaul of Math and the Sciences before we make that happen. I do hold out hope though. A trip to the system with the Gliese planets would be nice. Was it Gliese F or G that was said to be the most like Earth? I don't remember which one.
AzureSky
What would happen if we threw 50 billion dollars at them (^) or at companies similar to them. I think the economy would have to change drastically as well though. One can dream
lostbook
Here's the latest about Dreamchaser per Space.com
"A commercial spaceflight company will launch the first orbital test flight of its private space plane Dream Chaser in 2016, a unmanned debut mission to prove the spaceship is capable of flying astronauts on round-trip flights into space."
I seem to remember there were about 30 different private Space companies; I actually count 35 worldwide. Only two companies are listed as "operational" and that's SpaceX and Orbital Sciences, the rest, including Dream Chaser, are in various stages of testing or development.
What say you, ATS?
www.space.com..."