NASA and the Private Sector - Page 135

On September 19 2017 00:58 ZerOCoolSC2 wrote:
That movie was actually based on a true story.

On a side note, if SETI does find something, what's worst case scenario? Mars Attacks or Invasion of the Body Snatchers?

On September 19 2017 00:58 ZerOCoolSC2 wrote:
That movie was actually based on a true story.

On a side note, if SETI does find something, what's worst case scenario? Mars Attacks or Invasion of the Body Snatchers?

On September 19 2017 01:58 Gorsameth wrote:

The worst case when we encounter alien life?
Independence day without the aliens using Mac with open ports or waiting days before shooting.

A civilization capable of crossing the stars to get to us in a timely fashion is going to be so far beyond our technology that we will be powerless to stop them and they will utterly destroy us without concern.

On September 19 2017 03:03 Simberto wrote:
Depends on the calculations. The classic Fermi calculations rather suggest that we should have already met someone else.

President Trump, early in his Administration, has an opportunity to take a “giant leap for mankind” with a simple executive action –- save the International Space Station (“ISS”).

Every generation or so, a US President has this chance of moving humankind further off-planet and into space. Kennedy challenged NASA and American industry to successfully conduct a Moon Landing in the 60’s; Reagan transferred the role of commercial space transportation from NASA to the private sector in the 80’s.

Today, President Trump, by saving the ISS from de-orbiting in 2024, sets the stage for humankind’s movement out of earth orbit, to our nearest neighbor –- the Moon. This single act of vision and international leadership would provide a significant stimulus to a new generation of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs, with measurable, direct, and indirect economic benefits to the US economy.

America — and the world — is engaged in a conversation about the future possibilities of living “Off-Planet” – whether it be the Moon, Mars or beyond. And a “New Space Generation” of visionaries and commercial risk takers are considering the practical, social and economic challenges to work, produce, and live off-planet. This generation is young, multi-national, creative, opportunistic, technically skilled, and realistic about the challenges and risks that lay ahead in pursuing opportunities “out there”, beyond Earth’s orbit.

The tools for their success for off-planet ventures, development, and settlement are already close at hand — reusable rockets for transportation & supply; lasers for deep space communications; new forms of habitation as staging for longer term settlement; advanced robotics for tasks deemed unsafe or too costly for humans to perform.

Private capital, sensing new market opportunities, appears eager to pursue space-based business models to support human expansion, such as deep space transportation, Off-Planet habitation, manufacturing, and production of food and minerals on the Moon, and possibly asteroids. What these risk takers need is a stable platform from which to stage their initial efforts. The ISS could be that platform, but no longer in Earth orbit.

Instead, the ISS could be re-purposed and re-deployed from its current low earth orbit, to an orbit around the Moon. This one step would provide a significant critical, stable infrastructure for human expansion onto the lunar surface.

Divesting the ownership of the ISS in favor of the private sector just makes good economic and public policy sense. Why throw the ISS away, when it could be offered to the international private sector for use as a lunar-staging infrastructure?

New space pioneers will need a safe harbor which would provide the stability of safety and security, particularly in times of trouble. The ISS could be such a safe harbor, orbiting around the Moon, and readily accessible from the lunar surface – providing security, stability, and a transition point between the Earth and the Moon for bi-directional commerce, communications, and safety.

We know the ISS requires periodic “nudging” by visiting re-supply ships, such as SpaceX, Soyuz, and Antares – previously the Space Shuttle – to re-position it into its preferred low Earth orbit. As these supply ships often conduct this maneuver whilst docked with the ISS, the nudge does not appear to be a significantly risky maneuver.

So what does it take to turn a “nudge” into a trans-space journey to a lunar orbit? And, what does it take for the US Government, in cooperation with our international space partners, to transfer the ownership of the ISS to private sector ownership? We will only get these answers if the President challenges all of us to find them in the context of the highest and best use of the ISS.

On September 19 2017 02:52 thePunGun wrote:
I'm pretty convinced, that our universe has spawned and will continue to spawn many advanced alien civilizations. But I don't think humanity will be lucky enough to ever encounter one of them face to face.
Sadly the small fraction of spacetime we can call "human existence" is just far too tiny in comparison to the vastness of the universe ...as much as I wanna believe we're not alone, all the evidence/calculations (and my Magic-8-Ball ) say "Don't count on it".
Being a realist sucks, I'd rather be a dreamer.....

On September 19 2017 04:21 LegalLord wrote:
Sound policy if we come in contact with extraterrestrials visiting us is to kill them all and loot their technology.

On September 19 2017 04:20 ZerOCoolSC2 wrote:

We have water and precious metals that can be used. We also have a breathable atmosphere for oxygen dependent organisms that can be changed to suit whatever need may arise. We have a lot of things that may be of use to another civ.

As to why they aren't contacting us as of yet, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe they've come already and are seeing what we do with what they've given us, or if we have the capacity to join them eventually.