What branch of service would produce combat astronauts?

Navy/Marines... The question is answered in boot camp, not that one is tougher than any other, it's just the Navy and Marines have been preparing their ranks to serve in harsh and cramped environments for two plus centuries... Much like the scorpion said to the frog, "it's in my nature."

There is no "air" in which to force in space.

Depends:

If you're talking military ships, then it would the Navy because the command structure would be the same (IE Captain, XO, department heads, and CHEG).

If you're talking exploratory military force needing to land on the ground and secure some place, you might be looking at the Marines.

a reply to: cavtrooper7

The marines, as they are under the Dept. of the Navy. The USN runs any kind of space operations outside of low Earth orbit.

a reply to: chr0naut

Not entirely true. For landing on asteroids, planetoids, boarding ancient derelict ships...you'd want some muscle. Marines would be your guys ... probably from orphan families or who's families are all dead and have no real ties to anyone on Earth. There wouldn't be very many of them though.

Atomic Energy Commission
Hitler and his Cronies Had plans on creating a Super Race that would be Secretly developed, Not unlike the Clones from StarWars. Grown and developed independent of all other human Society, in order to perfectly imprint an Ideology and race specifically bred for space travel. After project Paperclip, the greatest minds came together and through Edmond Teller and the Atomic Energy Commission, Ultra Secret projects were created and Hidden, to All Eyes.

Only Those Eugenicists who Created this program are Aware of it...Antarctica is most likely where this is being hidden and developed, through several Generations. If NASA's Space Shuttle program appeared in 1981, this means that their conception would have been 10 to 15 years earlier, Just like the Stealth Fighter and So on, So you can only Imagine the progress of these Technologies in the year 2016

I'm suggesting that we've never stopped going to the moon and other places. Humanity must go to the Stars...Without the rest of us in knowledge of its existence. Its the only way it can be Successful

a reply to: Mirthful Me

My home was the back of a Bradley for 7 months I lived in the 'hell hole" behind the driver with 4 other people.
I think operating in a cramped space is not really a qualifier.

a reply to: cavtrooper7

You can pop a hatch on a Bradley and get out... Try that on a submarine...

a reply to: Mirthful Me

Exactly, and remember the USN also has experience with life support systems (oxygen scrubbers ect). Entering and exiting a submarine under water is a lot like using an air lock.

a reply to: cavtrooper7

If it were to go the way of how the AF was created... it would be AF airmen proving the concept, then once proven, a separation from the terrestrial AF affiliation, and a whole new branch of the US forces...


Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Cadets!!!!! FTW!

It's Marines, sort of. MARSOC gets to do external guard duty, recon and initial investigation.

If they ever find anything intelligent then you might need SEALs to shoot them up or capture a few.

a reply to: Bedlam

It even has MARS in the name!

I bet those Marines giggle like little girls when they get to play around in zero-G for the first time lol.

The Department of the Navy is in control of space forces. NASA uses members of every branch of the service though as do contract companies. But NASA is a government sponsored research company. The National Reconnisance Agency deals with satalites and space intelligence.

a reply to: texasyeti

Marines are part of the Dept of Navy they are the combat arms of the Navy. Plus Seals and other special forces.

www.nro.gov...

Were the original astronauts not brought in from the Air Force?
They would be doing what Air Force pilots do, just at a greater height above sea-level, and the necessary training would probably be similar.

a reply to: DISRAELI

Navy and AF both at first.

No such thing can ever exist, the space program is a hoax.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: chr0naut

Not entirely true. For landing on asteroids, planetoids, boarding ancient derelict ships...you'd want some muscle. Marines would be your guys ... probably from orphan families or who's families are all dead and have no real ties to anyone on Earth. There wouldn't be very many of them though.

Those are all low gravity situations. For muscle to be effective, it has to push against something.

Also, mass, in space, is a problem requiring more energy to overcome. For this reason, women would have a general advantage over men.

Since every single human being has ties to at least one person on Earth, your field of candidates is non-existent.

Not only that but prolonged spaceflight has proven to be detrimental to our bodies. 12 months in space and all those "space marines" who were at the peak of physical fitness would be so weak that they could not walk unassisted in Earth's gravity. A few more months and their bones would break under their own weight. We have the data from MIR and the ISS that proves this true and don't have any real long-term solution. Here's an article on it @ Space.com

I should also mention that the radiation dose that an astronaut would face would cause fatal cancer in about 5.5% of those exposed for less than a year.

a reply to: chr0naut

You are assuming that they will be spending most of their time in zero-g. You are also basing your assumptions on known science and technology in regards to muscle wasting and bone loss. This program would be at least 50+ years more advanced than anything NASA has.

NASA lets their astronauts piddle around in LEO doing redundant science experiments that the military has already done decades ago. The civilian world has to catch up to the MIC somehow.

There are children who never knew their parents, never knew any family members and would probably be glad to become "family" with a tight-knit secretive space organization.

Weaponry would be different in space, you wouldn't want to use gunpowder propelled projectiles...you might be able to get away with compressed air weaponry.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: chr0naut

You are assuming that they will be spending most of their time in zero-g. You are also basing your assumptions on known science and technology in regards to muscle wasting and bone loss. This program would be at least 50+ years more advanced than anything NASA has.

NASA lets their astronauts piddle around in LEO doing redundant science experiments that the military has already done decades ago. The civilian world has to catch up to the MIC somehow.

There are children who never knew their parents, never knew any family members and would probably be glad to become "family" with a tight-knit secretive space organization.

Weaponry would be different in space, you wouldn't want to use gunpowder propelled projectiles...you might be able to get away with compressed air weaponry.

That's just speculation. Equally valid is that they will all be genius teenage Japanese girls in school dresses with purple hair.