Next for Human Spaceflight

[Justin]

Hello Everyone,

Since I was a about 13 I have always been extremely into the space program and followed it very closely. I went to space camp when I was in 8th grade and had the dream of being an astronaut and one day going to mars. Yesterday was a hard day for me and a terrible tragedy for the nation and of course we think of the families and the astronauts. I think that the families have given us an encouraging message in that to not return to human spaceflight as a nation would be a far greater tragedy. Thus brings up this poll, what should be do next??

I'm curious to see people's thoughts on what our next solution for space flight should be.

Thanks,

Justin

"We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them this morning as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God."

[Rob Colatutto]

its time for a new craft, not because of the accidents but because the shuttles are old, and with modern technology they can make a better craft that can hold more cargo or whatever they wanted to make, make work on the space station easier or whatever you wanted to tailor it to

[Harrison]

I would love to see a new craft....but unless some SERIOUS money goes NASA's way (and they're in the middle of budjet cuts) I doubt it will happen.

I expect that once they figure out why the Columbia was destroyed, they'll do some retrofitting on the remaining 3, and thats what they'll use.

[Moshingkow]

The old methods of launching into space like an airplane or rocket are going to be a thing of the past within the next 5-20 years. I think that this tragedy will spark more interest in the space program (unfortunately it couldnt be something happier). The next types of spacecraft will involve some new technology. There are ideas like using a microwave gun from space to create thermal currents around a circular craft, raising it vertically at low speeds, or a giant space elevator created out of raw material mined from an asteroid.

[Ian W.]

space elevators seem to be my choice.

why? it's simple, while a high cost to build, low cost to operate (compared to the STS). plus, it opens up space to the average person. sure, it's a lot slower, but you can send up a lot heavier stuff and a lot more stuff at once. anyway i look at it, a win-win situation. the technology is almost here, we're just waiting for someone to implement it now i think.

[Clark Gilbert]

I bet they will just keep the ones they have and build a new one at the same time. They will also find out what happened, and if something needs to be enhanced or fixed they will do it. All of this will be done by July so they can go back up to the International Space Station.

[PsiMatt]

I personally would like to see either a ressurection of the VentureStar, or an incarnation of a Mass Driver, such as that proposed in "The Millennial Project: Colonizing the Galaxy in Eight Easy Steps."

I have a dream of going to Mars, and I feel that humanity must take this loss as something to spur them on to greater and better things, for if they do not, then thos who have died to pave the way for space exploration and expansion have died in vain

[imjustmatthew]

Originally posted by Ian W.
space elevators seem to be my choice.

why? it's simple, while a high cost to build, low cost to operate (compared to the STS). plus, it opens up space to the average person. sure, it's a lot slower, but you can send up a lot heavier stuff and a lot more stuff at once. anyway i look at it, a win-win situation. the technology is almost here, we're just waiting for someone to implement it now i think.

There are still serveral major technological hurdles with space "elevators" the biggest is structural strength, low earth orbit is 150-300 miles above earth's surface, that's awefully high for any kind of structure. Another problem is orbits, even if you can raise an object up to orbital altitude, its still not in orbit. An object must still be accelerated to be in orbit. The other major hurdle is weather conditions. Its been theorized that helium ballons could be used to hold a tower up, but weather conditions would bend and twist the tower, eventually snapping it in half. The forces of wind are so great that skyscrappers are actually designed to bend at specially designed rocker beams so they can absorb the force and oscillate with the wind.

While a space elevator might be cool, I don't think it would really be feasible.

[Jeff_Rice]

You guys need to be up on your reading.

The only thing that would be strong enough to make a space elevator feasible is diamond. Unless jupiter transmutes into lucifer, it is highly unlikely we will be able to get enough diamond to make one. I'm sure someone will get the reference.

[Adam Y.]

Hmmm can't we reproduce diamonds in the laboratory??

[Ian W.]

uh, i believe space elevators can be made out of carbon nanotubes, or some form of carbon like that. it's not diamond, but close. we can make that artificially now (it is rather expensive though).

as to the structure twisting in the wind, do you know how a space elevator works? a long ribbon of carbon nanotubes is stretched into the upper atmosphere, and is attached to a satellite. then, at the bottom, you attach modules, which crawl up the ribbon on electrically powered motors. get to the top, use earth's spin to fly away. or, have a spaceport at the top, which allows you to transfer to a deep-space ship (one which would be assembled in space, and never go far into a planet's atmosphere).

i believe the technology is there, it's just rather expensive at the moment.

[WakeZero]

If I could go up in space tomorrow in a shuttle, I would... and I wouldn't waste a second to think about it. The last human life to die in our space program was in 1987, that is 16 years ago! Seems safe enough for me...

On a similar note, we have never lost any life outside of our own atmosphere. At least the seven astronauts who died, did so here on Earth

Lets remember those astronauts as what they were: explorers. No explorer would want their death to end the human spirit of exploration... at least I wouldn't.

[rbayer]

NASA has been pondering replacing the shuttles for years now, and a while ago said they would reach a decision by 2005. My guess is that they will simply fast-track the process now.

[MRL180YTL2002]

The shuttles were supposed to last 100 missions. Columbia was on her 28th. The demands of the ISS are going to ensure that Atlantis, Endeavour, and Discovery will recieve the modifications to prevent what happened to Columbia from happening again. Simultaneously, NASA needs funding to continue work on a replacement. That program got its budget axed big time because of budget reasons. NASA officials also said that the budget cuts may affect safety issues. But you have to remmeber once the tiles are gone, the metals and composites behind it won't last every long. It comes down to time.

[Joe Matt]

I love the romance and intrigue of Space. I'm planning on going to Walt Disney World durring the opening of Mission:Space. My opinion about the space progaram is as follows: Space is going to be the final destination. We need to find out more. Spin-offs from the program have created new technologies that are indespensible to lots of people. Many space grade materials are helping save lives and reduce prices of goods.

Now to the next human spaceflight: Go for using the current Shuttles FOR NOW. But get Boeing to start to develop new long range, high capacity, almost 100% resuable space plane. Something that can launch using little fuel and then land safely. My ideas: compressed air. If you've been on Hypersonic XLC you know in 1.8 seconds the 3 ton train can go 80 mph. If you compress it enough, you can get something in space, then you can use boosters to excellerate the plane into space.