On January 01 2011 09:03 t3hwUn wrote: I'd rather see our tax dollars spent elsewhere. The Private sector takes care of things and is the most efficient model to do so. Unfortunately that's not the majority view or at least it isn't portrayed as such.
This is wrong. A entity in the private sector has a profit motive in order to receive any sort of investment. This means that anything that is at all risky (like trying to go to mars or set up a moon colony) will not be done by the private sector as there are easier and better ways to make money. There is also no evidence that private sector performs more efficiently than the government.
On January 01 2011 09:03 t3hwUn wrote: I'd rather see our tax dollars spent elsewhere. The Private sector takes care of things and is the most efficient model to do so. Unfortunately that's not the majority view or at least it isn't portrayed as such.
Private sector does only what's profitable in the short term.
Projects with longer term benefits such as space exploration and fundamental space research have to be supported by taxes and donations, otherwise nobody would do it and would be stuck on this planet forever having to deal with diminishing resources.
Hawthorne, CA / Ramat-Gan, Israel, January 28, 2013 -- Today, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Space Communication Ltd. (Spacecom) announced an agreement to launch Spacecom's AMOS-6 satellite on SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Falcon 9 will insert the communications satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), further enhancing Spacecom's existing satellite fleet.
The AMOS-6 agreement is the latest in a series of wins for SpaceX. The company closed out 2012 having signed 14 launch contracts -- maintaining the company's position as the world's fastest growing launch services provider.
"This last year has been one of great success and tremendous growth," said Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX. "Spacecom was one of our earliest supporters -- SpaceX is proud to be their partner and we look forward to launching their AMOS 6 satellite."
The AMOS-6 satellite, to be built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), will provide communication services including direct satellite home internet for Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. AMOS-6 will replace AMOS-2, which is expected to end its service in 2016.
"We are excited to partner with SpaceX and its tremendous team. AMOS-6 will be larger and stronger than AMOS-2 and AMOS-3 combined, and signals a new age for Spacecom," commented David Pollack, president and CEO of Spacecom. "As we establish our position as a global satellite operator providing more services and capacity, AMOS-6 will be a key element of our business strategy and future."
The AMOS-6 mission is targeting a 2015 launch from Cape Canaveral, FL.
An asteroid, which is half the size of a football field and will fly past the Earth on Friday, contains metal and fuel worth up to $195 billion, says asteroid miner Deep Space Industries.
Asteroid DA14 will fly as close as 27,680 km to the earth, within the orbit of some satellites.
Scientists say the asteroid will not hit us.
Deep Space Industries estimates the asteroid is a valuable piece of rock:
According to DSI experts, if 2012 DA14 contains 5% recoverable water, that alone – in space as rocket fuel – might be worth as much as $65 billion. If 10% of its mass is easily recovered iron, nickel and other metals, that could be worth – in space as building material – an additional $130 billion.
If the advent of reusable launch vehicles causes future prices to fall to 20% of today's levels, an asteroid the size of 2012 DA14 would still be worth $39 billion, and the cost of launching hardware to retrieve and process it would be much lower.
Deep Space Industries rolled out its plans for asteroid mining in January.
It plans to send a fleet of asteroid-prospecting spacecraft, called FireFlies, out into the solar system to hunt for resources. The company says that the FireFlies mass about 55 lbs. (25 kg) and will first be launched in 2015 on journeys of two to six months and will lay the groundwork for potential space mining operations in the 2020 time frame.
An asteroid, which is half the size of a football field and will fly past the Earth on Friday, contains metal and fuel worth up to $195 billion, says asteroid miner Deep Space Industries.
Asteroid DA14 will fly as close as 27,680 km to the earth, within the orbit of some satellites.
Scientists say the asteroid will not hit us.
Deep Space Industries estimates the asteroid is a valuable piece of rock:
According to DSI experts, if 2012 DA14 contains 5% recoverable water, that alone – in space as rocket fuel – might be worth as much as $65 billion. If 10% of its mass is easily recovered iron, nickel and other metals, that could be worth – in space as building material – an additional $130 billion.
If the advent of reusable launch vehicles causes future prices to fall to 20% of today's levels, an asteroid the size of 2012 DA14 would still be worth $39 billion, and the cost of launching hardware to retrieve and process it would be much lower.
Deep Space Industries rolled out its plans for asteroid mining in January.
It plans to send a fleet of asteroid-prospecting spacecraft, called FireFlies, out into the solar system to hunt for resources. The company says that the FireFlies mass about 55 lbs. (25 kg) and will first be launched in 2015 on journeys of two to six months and will lay the groundwork for potential space mining operations in the 2020 time frame.
So THAT'S what they mean when they talk about space resources being valuable. They're comparing the cost of launching the material from Earth. It has more to do with creating the basis for a new sector of the economy, and not finding that value within our current economy. Took me too long to see that.
McLean, VA – February 15 – Today’s impact in Russia and the near miss by asteroid 2012 DA14 should shock the world into creating a sentry line of spacecraft circling the Earth to intercept and evaluate incoming threats, Deep Space Industries proposed.
“The hundreds of people injured in northern Russia show it’s time to take action and no longer be passive about these threats,” said Rick Tumlinson, chairman of Deep Space Industries. Deep Space Industries proposes establishing several sentry lines encircling Earth with small spacecraft able to dart after intruders to get close-in photos and data as they pass. Over time additional spacecraft able to grab samples for analysis on Earth would join the sentry lines.
Not all asteroids are the same, and to be ready to deflect one that’s on a dangerous trajectory the world needs to know more about their structure and composition. Many may be solid but all photos so far have shown gravel and rock piles. A defense plan assuming the wrong type could make matters worse.
“Placing ten of our small FireFly spacecraft into position to intercept close encounters would take four years and less than $100 million,” said David Gump, CEO of Deep Space Industries. “This will help the world develop the understanding needed to block later threats.”
There are estimated to be more than 10,000 near Earth asteroids that could destroy a major city and a hundred that would end civilization. Near Earth asteroids are confirmed at a rate of more than 900 per year, but as yet little is known about their composition and structure.
“Observations by space telescopes like the Sentinel planned by the B612 Foundation and the smaller units offered by Planetary Resources should be supported,” Tumlinson said. “Astronomical observations are a good first step but at Deep Space we believe we need get up close and personal. Then when these objects are identified, we can launch one or more FireFlies to intercept them, and give us close-up images so that we understand what we are dealing with.”
Deep Space Industries is preparing the FireFly series to begin prospecting in 2015 for asteroids that are very small, five to seven meters in diameter. The same FireFly prospecting design would be used in the sentry line of asteroid interceptors.
Then in 2020, Deep Space will bring one of these tiny rocks back to a parking orbit near Earth to be harvested for its water, rocket fuel, and metals for in-space customers such as communications satellites that have run out of gas. The larger harvesting spacecraft might be the basis for interceptors that could nudge larger threats into trajectories that miss Earth. In the coming months Deep Space Industries will be offering plans to develop a coordinated low-cost commercial solution to setting up humanity’s first line of defense against asteroid threats.
“While our primary mission is the harvesting of asteroid resources, we believe that virtually the same effort and technology can be applied to removing this threat to our precious planet,” Tumlinson said.
The next private cargo mission to the International Space Station is slated to blast off March 1, NASA announced today (Feb. 14).
The unmanned Dragon capsule, built by California-based firm SpaceX, will launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 10:10 a.m. EST (1510 GMT) on March 1 and arrive at the orbiting lab a day later.
Dragon will carry about 1,200 pounds (544 kilograms) of supplies and scientific experiments to the station, NASA officials said. It will return to Earth on March 25, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California with about 2,300 pounds (1,043 kg) of experiment samples and equipment onboard.
WASHINGTON -- NASA has decided to spare its Space Launch System and Orion crew capsule from any direct consequences of budget sequestration this year, according to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Jr. Taking the cuts instead in the "exploration" part of NASA's budget would be commercial space companies trying to build spaceships to get American astronauts to the International Space Station. The Space Launch System (SLS) is NASA's name for a new booster being developed at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville for deep space missions and the Orion capsule that will ride on top of it.
Bolden detailed the agency's plans for life under sequestration cuts in letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md) dated Feb. 5. (Read Bolden's letter below). Mikulski released Bolden's letter Feb. 14, along with letters from other agency heads about the effects of of the mandatory budget cuts now scheduled to take effect March 1.
Bolden and NASA managers assume that NASA will continue operating the rest of this fiscal year under congressional Continuing Resolution (CR) spending levels now in place. Congress is funding NASA and other agencies under a CR, which freezes them at last year's spending levels, because it cannot agree on a new budget.
The Inspiration Mars Foundation, a newly formed nonprofit organization led by American space traveler and entrepreneur Dennis Tito, invites you to attend a press conference detailing its plans to take advantage of a unique window of opportunity to launch an historic journey to Mars and back in 501 days, starting in January 2018. This "Mission for America" will generate new knowledge, experience and momentum for the next great era of space exploration. It is intended to encourage all Americans to believe again, in doing the hard things that make our nation great, while inspiring youth through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and motivation.
The Inspiration Mars Foundation is committed to accelerating America's human exploration of space as a critical catalyst for future growth, national prosperity, new knowledge and global leadership.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket successfully executed a "static fire test" at around 1:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT) today (Feb. 25), igniting its engines for a few seconds but staying earthbound at its launchpad at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
"During the static fire test today, SpaceX engineers ran through all countdown processes as though it were launch day," company officials said in a statement. "All nine engines fired at full power for two seconds, while the Falcon 9 was held down to the pad. SpaceX will now conduct a thorough review of all data and continue preparations for Friday's targeted launch."
EPT
