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| NASA-ESA Cooperation Post International Space Station | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 5 2015, 08:37 AM (97 Views) | |
| Vonar Roberts | May 5 2015, 08:37 AM Post #1 |
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Charles F. Bolden NASA Administrator ESA-NASA joint Moon cooperation With the International Space Station winding down, and in its final years with a planned decommissioning of the orbital laboratory in 2024 I would like to open discussions with our friends in the European Space Agency for a potential future program to replace the International Space Station. While NASA currently has its sites set on landing a man on a Asteroid and eventually Mars we believe that with international cooperation we could also support a manned space program to the Moon. Such a program would be a useful one that would provide both NASA and the European Space Agency with considerable experience in deep space operations, and would pave the way for future manned exploration of the solar system. Proposed Program goals: - Establish a Orbital Space Station around the Moon Similar in concept to the Skylab space station this orbital space station would be a wet workshop based out of the Earth Departure stage and a additional segment of the Space Launch System upper stage. It would be able to support up to 4 spacecraft as well as 2 reusable lunar lander's with a maximum crew size of 7. The station would be serviced by improved versions of existing spacecraft that currently service the International Space Station, and a pair of reusable lunar lander's could provide us with a considerable amount of exploration flexibility on the surface of the Moon. - Build a Moon outpost This Lunar outpost could be gradually built up with non-reusable Lunar lander's and cargo lander's serving as the initial habitable modules on the surface. We could also include prefabricated modules, and use the outpost to test larger scale 3d printing technologies as well as micro industry technologies then what is currently possible on board the international space station. - Establish a permanent human presence By late 2030 the program would aim to have a permanent human presence on the Moon, and we would be able to evaluate the impact of human long term exposure to low gravity as well as continue research into micro gravity conditions. Some elements of the Moon program would also be supportive of NASA's goals to explore deep space, and the Moon could serve as a practical testing ground for mission critical equipment as well as cutting edge hardware. |
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| Litos | May 6 2015, 08:22 AM Post #2 |
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Itō Hirobumi
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Johann-Dietrich Wörner Chairman of the German Aerospace Center We applaud the Untied States' decision to re-enter the space race and will do what we can to help our allies achieve their goals. that said, the dire financial suasion of much of Europe will require a special approach to partnership, the idea of which we are all in favor of. However, to work out the details, we do not believe that the countries of this union are presently capable of using the old methods to compete with space rivals. So far, ESA activities have been limited to probing remote regions and gathering information. We suggest, given the vast multiplication of private space capabilities and technologies, that, to save resources, private companies be part of this partnership, and further request for cost reasons some way of acquiring technology from the Apollo programs, perhaps in exchange for suitable concessions in return, so that our countries may afford the burden of helping to fund at least half of the costs of the Moon operation. Our branch would like to shift attention as well to Mars, which the Chinese space program has cited as an objective. Development and probing of the red planet is the new frontier in the space race, which we hope will be considered in the final draft of plans. Once again, thank you for bringing up this matter - a renewed penetration into space is an exciting prospect for all our agencies. |
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| Vonar Roberts | May 6 2015, 10:09 AM Post #3 |
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Charles F. Bolden NASA Administrator Indeed. NASA's primary focus is on landing a man on Mars by the late 2030's, however that doesn't mean that we should ignore our own doorstep which China is aggressively pursuing, and it is our hope that establishing a lunar exploration program will bolster our manned deep space experience and enable us to test hardware that will eventually be used on Mars. We believe that a initial program can be established using existing hardware as between the Dragon v2, CST-100 spacecraft, Dragon Extended, Cygnus Extended and the Automated Transfer Vehicle we should be able to support a manned orbital space station based off of either a wet or dry workshop concept using the upper-stage hydrogen fuel tank from the Space Launch System (SLS). Much like how the original Skylab was built from the fuel tanks of the Saturn S-IVB upper stage as a base for lunar exploration for around $2.5-$5 Billion USD. The station itself would not be anywhere nearly as expensive as the International Space Station was. The new station would have enough docking ports for 4 spacecraft and two lander's, and would be capable of supporting a crew for 90 day's without life support or food deliveries allowing for a continued presence in Lunar orbit and access to the surface. If the members of the European space agency are supportive of our proposal I would propose that at the very least the reusable lunar lander's be designed and built by the European Space Agency as well as the cargo lander, and a manned version of the ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle. There also exists the possibility to push forward in other fields, and some kind of Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle or Space tug could allow for our smaller rockets to deposit payloads in Low Earth Orbit, where they would be picked up by the tug and ferried to the Moon or elsewhere. Perhaps the most efficient design would be powered by a Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) engine. Work on such a spacecraft could be split with NASA providing the engine and the ESA providing the spacecraft itself. For the more permanent base I propose that we focus on the following areas
The base itself could be powered relatively easily by solar power, and the existence of water ice and other resources on the lunar surface offers a opportunity to test isru technologies that would pave the way towards a manned mission to Mars. Commercial opportunities also exist to experiment with early mining techniques in low gravity environments as well as medical research. Establishing a manned international lunar base would cost about $35-$50 billion USD, with an additional price tag of $7.35-$9 billion per year to keep the base operating. The base would open up new doorways for both commercial interests and publicly funded space programs to conduct exciting research in low gravity environments, and would enable us to built real experience in the exploration of deep space before we make the big leap forward to Mars. Edited by Vonar Roberts, May 6 2015, 04:20 PM.
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| Litos | May 15 2015, 06:57 AM Post #4 |
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Itō Hirobumi
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Johann-Dietrich Wörner Chairman of the German Aerospace Center We agree with the massive economic and research benefits the base could have, and believe the price accordingly to be manageable. We would like to shave costs where possible and increase economic utility. One suggestion we have is the inclusion of water as part of the insulation on the walls, which is marginally riskier than using heavy metals and traditional insulation but is a more economic way of keeping out radiation. Furthermore, we suggest this base be strictly on the light side of the moon to minimize radiation exposure. Germany itself is willing to put up over $5 billion on this project and we hope it will invigorate discovery and hopes for the future. Space stimulus is already one of the most cost-cutting and efficient means of investment. |
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| Vonar Roberts | Jun 8 2015, 09:27 PM Post #5 |
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Charles F. Bolden NASA Administrator Mr Wörner, Both are reasonable suggestions, ideally the US budget for the Moon base will be $9-$14 Billion USD a year during development with the budget for the Moon base rising to meat the targets as we phase out the International Space Station who's current operating costs stand at $2.9 billion sometime in the 2025 time-frame. It is our belief that Congress will be approving of the base due to the obvious value added spin-off's for research as well as the opportunities to develop commercial solutions for manned near-Earth spaceflight which will also spur the development of commercially viable near-earth projects. |
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| Litos | Jun 9 2015, 01:14 AM Post #6 |
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Itō Hirobumi
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Reinhard Silberberg Permanent Representative to the EU In our union we will propose this matter for discussion for cooperation and ask for contribution to a project that will not only inspire and proejct hope in science, but will magnify confidence in the EU and USA. |
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| Vonar Roberts | Jul 9 2015, 09:11 PM Post #7 |
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Charles F. Bolden NASA Administrator Mr Silberberg, A few months have gone by since we last brought this matter up. I wonder how far the debate has proceeded to in the European Union on this matter? |
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| Litos | Jul 9 2015, 09:17 PM Post #8 |
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Itō Hirobumi
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Reinhard Silberberg Permanent Representative to the EU We are currently focused on economic issues and progress as always is slow moving, but we will press this forward as a question of stimulus pending the fiscal report of this year, which may show massive inflation depending on the size of issues. |
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