New Mars Forums

No Green Light for Hubble Rescue 
http://www.wired.com/news/space/0,2697, … _tophead_6

Not really a change but only no cash funds have been put forth yet and a critical design review is 9 to 12 months away.

No need to land on the ground to create a place to live on venus. Create a balloon system and energy transfer exchanger from the heat of the atmosphere to create electricity to keep it flying non stop. Collect gasses from atmosphere for breathing and for water. Basically a floating atmospheric base. The same could work I think for an airplane like system as well.

Addition resources on Dexter

Hubble: Robot to the rescue?
NASA moves forward with a plan to service the Hubble Space Telescope without the space shuttle.

http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=2377

India's space agency
http://www.isro.org/

See the other topic for other details on solar sails.

Japan launches Solar Sail
at last someone did it!

I had remembered seeing an article earlier this year about one of the European launchers having foam problems as well. It was on there Ariane 5 rocket. So the shuttle ET tank is not the only place that has had this happen.

http://www.spacedaily.com/2004/04022712 … spbqj.html

As far as the weight of the mars habitat and such, switching to lighter alloys where ever possible in the construction is definitely the way to go.

All the more reason to make a repair shop module, to store all the shuttle RCC panels and equipment for doing a real repair to either the shuttle or Iss. Throw in a few of the ceramic TPS tiles as well. Not to mention some sheet metal, drills and other needed tools to patch a hole.

More like the apollo approach from specification per section to design within criteria.

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/spa … /S3g1h.jpg

I hope we never get a hole in the station. If we can not fix one in the shuttle. How can we hope or expect Nasa to do anything but not be able to do it elsewhere.

As noted by the most recent Hubble component failure Hubble Program is Reshuffling Observation Requests Following Failure of primary spectrograph. This is to be expected but if the time line for the planned rescue is not moved up to compensate for failures soon. There may be nothing left to save.

http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow....124.xml

So far I believe the only vegitable growth experiment has been done with a variety of snow peas on the ISS. Does anyone know of any others that have been tried?

Recently we have heard of plans by many nations after the announcement of the Presidential vision. From this Nation and others of already in the works probes, explorers and of manned flight as well not only into orbit for the first time but more aggressive plans to land man again on the Moon. There have also been the statement to go beyond an to explore Mars someday.

It was not to long ago that many would have thought that a manned flight from China was impossible. Or that developing nations of india would even have a space program.

Gone are the days when the big two some of the Russian space agency and Nasa being the only games in town.

Space is not easy and not only is it filled with risk but it directly influenced by politics and of policies when it comes to funding.

Bowing to the later is India which is to Rethink Plans to Send Man to Moon. Indian Space Research Organization Reconsiders Its Plan to Send Man to Moon by 2015.
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040812_927.html

On the note of China Calls For Cooperation With US, Japan In Space Program. This is a very good thing in that it will defuse the military tension of a new space race.

Snipet:
"A top Chinese space official said China is willing to cooperate with the United States and Japan in space programs on exploration and finding resources.
During a briefing on China's geospace exploration program in cooperation with Europe, Sun Laiyan, director of the China National Space Administration, said China hopes to cooperate with nations who have space exploration programs."

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-04zx.html

As you all are aware of it is time to change How Nasa does space and at what cost. We are all involved in such conversations daily here on these forums and on many others. Talking to space friends near and far on how to achieve the goal of not only going to the Moon but as well to Mars.

Lets all keep it up, we are being heard.