plans for the future of space travel- solid ideas, real applications
Hey All
I just wanted to put forth an open ended question and I was rather curious of the responses, we can move forward from there. A lot of what is being talked about on this site deals with the future of space travel. What are some of your plans for the future of space travel? manned or unmanned? What short term innovations do you see and how can we go about making them a reality? if we lay some solid, reachable goals we might be able to make them in the not too distant future. I encourage imagination and creativity. I cannot wait to see the responses :)
Jordan Brandes
ok i have many
but for getting this to be a common topic for the public and
industry
we need two seperate ways
industrial manufaturing for industry
inspiration for public
now on each subject i have many ideas
although getting nay of these into reality is hard
they both involve funding
so funding is neccisary
also
we need to find connections to the movie industry
and video game industry
(for public inspiration)
i have connections to industrial indusrty
but i need a solid plan to present them
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one kind word can warm 3 winter months
japanese proverb
Space travel is not much a good "term" to me.
To my mind, it can be
- Space exploration.
- Space Journey
- Space Tourism
"Must" be humaned. For I think, a robot can never replace a human being. Human being has the ability to do that, which is terminologically known as "thinking". I think, a machine however intelligent, is not capable of going beyond the designer/ programmer/ creator/ engineers state of mind/brain when the person created it.
Basically for any kinda business/job (not exploration). Transporting things/peoples around... Easily can go robotic.
Travel purpose. this can be automated/manual depending on the consumer requirements!
you also asked
What short term innovations do you see and how can we go about making them a reality? if we lay some solid, reachable goals we might be able to make them in the not too distant future. I encourage imagination and creativity.
With these words in mind, I venture to say, A BREAKTHROUGH PROPULSION, NO MORE CHEMICAL HYPER/SUPER-DUPER-SONIC things, something like using the beast in nuclear energy or using dark energy (I love that, 'coz that is available everywhere, how to get dat working is a separate story!) to push/pull the rocket/ship/vehicle is what I look for.
Excellent question Jordan...sorry it has taken me so long to reply to this.
I would hope many more people could post a reply here...I am also curious to see what you here in the forums think. Plus this goes along with our 50 year vision for space exploration.
So here is my response...
Currently I am working on the future of NASA's space program- the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). I enjoy my work and hope we can get everything working the way it should quickly so we can go to the moon, mars, and beyond.
We should go back to the moon, and we need to learn how to survive there first, before we can move onto other planets and eventually out of our solar system. Getting to the moon is relatively easy...sustaining life there with limited resources may prove more difficult. I would love to see us able to use the resources on the moon, or whatever planet we are on, to maybe create habitats or other structures (would we be able to make cement or something like it?). I have heard about the possibily of using the Helium 3 believed to be in the lunar regolith for energy generation (well for that we would need to perfect our fusion technology). Possibly getting water from the ice caps, or finding a new way to "make" water.
Propulsion is a biggie! We definetly need warp drive!! (haha, sorry the Trekkie in me is coming out). But seriously, we COULD have that technology someday, but we won't ever have it unless we take the baby steps necessary to acheive the small technological steps along the way. But seriously, even if for the short term, we develop a great single stage to orbit engine...just one engine that is able to have us take off like an airplane and then fly up into space would be kinda cool!
I think we will see a boom in commercial space transportation...we are only seeing the beginning with companies like Virgin Galactic and SpaceX. At first private space travel will be expensive...but in the not too distant future I could see it being rather affordable, and think it should be.
Whatever we do, the technology developed for space will surely benefit all of mankind!
I could go on and on...but I will stop my rant for now!
A great question, and one I frequently think about!
To start with, I agree with madman on your comments regarding a new energy source. Before one even considers the long term future of outer space travel, we definately must put more energy (tehe) into exploring non-chemical sources, simply because the further out we venture in space, the more energy we will require and it will become less and less viable to use and transport larger quantities of fuel. We know the energy from fussion is there, and once we have harnessed it the possibilities are endless!
As Kat said, space tourism is only just beginning, but will hopefully open up many more possibilities and puplic interest in space technology, prompting higher research and funding.
Even though space exploration is still in its infancy, I believe more biological experimentation needs to be taken out, detemining the introduction and maintanence of earth life in space, what the effect would be for very long term space habitiation on people, plants and animals, and what the effect the conditions would have on them.
Also, are any rules set out for the possibility that sooner or later we find extraterrestrial life? In terms of how we would react and study the scenario (I shall also refer to Star Trek [sorry!], which states the 'prime directive' to not directly interfere with any other life system)?
I do hope space travel becomes more affordable; I've heard that the predicted cost for a trip in 25 years will be about £25,000- affordable if I start saving now!:)
I think we should really think about this Idea for once don`t you.I strongly suggest we put forth something instead of just relating.Think of possibilities just don`t realate and say for no practicle reason.If you want to know I am only 14 and very inteligent.I want to be te next generatoin of thinking.I wish to do what Carl Sagan wanted to do make worlds of new kinds and yet not just make books of what should it be like and explane ,but also positively give real life simmualities to this asspect.If you like what I say please contact me at
zohnny@yahoo.com. ty
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Joined: 2007-01-30