NASA announces plans for lunar base by 2020

[tk102]

Interesting news release from NASA yesterday --

 

In short, a lunar base near one of the poles of the moon is in the works to prepare astronauts for a trip to Mars.

NASA NEWS

 

Michael Braukus/Beth Dickey

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1979/2087

 

Kelly Humphries

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

 

 

Dec. 4, 2006

RELEASE: 06-361

 

NASA Unveils Global Exploration Strategy and Lunar Architecture

 

HOUSTON – NASA on Monday unveiled the initial elements of the Global Exploration Strategy and a proposed U.S. lunar architecture, two critical tools for achieving the nation's vision of returning humans to the moon.

 

NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale, who is guiding the long-term strategy development effort among 14 of the world's space agencies, said, "This strategy will enable interested nations to leverage their capabilities and financial and technical contributions, making optimum use of globally available knowledge and resources to help energize a coordinated effort that will propel us into this new age of discovery and exploration."

 

The Global Exploration Strategy focuses on two overarching issues: Why we are returning to the moon and what we plan to do when we get there. The strategy includes a comprehensive set of the reasons for embarking upon human and robotic exploration of the moon. NASA's proposed lunar architecture focuses on a third issue: How humans might accomplish the mission of exploring the moon.

 

In April 2006, NASA initiated development of the Global Exploration Strategy in order to meet a congressional mandate, as well as to accomplish goals outlined in the agency's strategic plan and the Vision for Space Exploration. The strategy is evolving from a lengthy dialogue among more than 1,000 individuals, including experts from NASA and 13 other space agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations and commercial interests. Experts from the Australian, Canadian, Chinese, European, French, German, British, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Russian, South Korean and Ukrainian space agencies participated.

 

NASA planners used the international group's deliberations as well as input from academia, private sector and private citizens as the basis for sketching a U.S. blueprint for a return to the moon. NASA's Lunar Architecture Team, chartered in May 2006, concluded that the most advantageous approach is to develop a solar-powered lunar base and to locate it near one of the poles of the moon. With such an outpost, NASA can learn to use the moon's natural resources to live off the land, make preparations for a journey to Mars, conduct a wide range of scientific investigations and encourage international participation.

 

"The architecture work has resulted in an understanding of what is required to implement and enable critical exploration objectives," said Doug Cooke, deputy associate administrator, Exploration Systems Directorate. "This is all important as we continue the process we have begun and better define the architecture and our various exploration roles in what is a very exciting future for the United States and the world."

 

As currently envisioned, an incremental buildup would begin with four-person crews making several seven-day visits to the moon until their power supplies, rovers and living quarters are operational. The first mission would begin by 2020. These would be followed by 180-day missions to prepare for journeys to Mars.

 

The proposed lunar architecture calls for robotic precursor missions designed to support the human mission. These precursors include landing site reconnaissance, natural resource assays and technology risk reduction for the human lander.

 

Moving into 2007, NASA will continue to refine its lunar architecture, maintaining the open dialogue initiated in 2006, to enhance further the Global Exploration Strategy. NASA's goal is to enable a sustainable space exploration effort in which participating organizations can achieve individual goals with mutually beneficial results.

 

Both the Global Exploration Strategy and NASA's lunar architecture will be discussed in depth at the second Space Exploration Conference, Dec. 4-6, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

 

But if there should ever come a time

When we're crowded up together, I'm

Sure we'll find some elbow room...up on the moon!

[Vaelastraz]

Interesting! While I doubt that humans will be able to travel to Mars any time soon, a base on the moon would certainly be possible.

[Prime]

Awesome. I hope things look like this:

 

[tk102]

"The architecture work has resulted in an understanding of what is required to implement and enable critical exploration objectives," said Doug Cooke, deputy associate administrator, Exploration Systems Directorate. "This is all important as we continue the process we have begun and better define the architecture and our various exploration roles in what is a very exciting future for the United States and the world. Plus, all the hot moon babes..."

Fixed

[Darth333]

Although I don't care for the "hot moon babes" (I'm way hotter than them anyway), the article was very interesting!

 

I guess this also means that we will start polluting the moon too

[tk102]

I guess this also means that we will start polluting the moon too

Eh, the moon could use more CO2 anyway.

 

 

Although I don't care for the "hot moon babes" (I'm way hotter than them anyway), the article was very interesting!

 

Huh? I thought you were a moon babe

[Ztalker]

Originally Posted by nasa.gov *snip*

Cool...finally they're realising those plans. If humanity is to survive, we have to colonise other planets anyways, so this'll be a good start

 

 

'Giant Lazer' on the moon ftw

[HerbieZ]

20 Years too late. If people stopped spending money on war we'd have that moonbase now. I WANT MY MOONBASE NOW!

[Pho3nix]

I doubt this will happen.

It just seems so far-fetched, but I guess technology is advancing fast nowadays

[Darth InSidious]

Has anyone stopped to consider the international implications etc?

 

Or is the US just going to do as it damn well pleases and hang everyone else?

[SilentScope001]

Has anyone stopped to consider the international implications etc?

 

Or is the US just going to do as it damn well pleases and hang everyone else?

 

Another article on The Moon Base:http://www.turnto10.com/technology/10460941/detail.html

 

After consulting more than 1,000 experts from 14 different countries, NASA decided on what deputy NASA chief Shana Dale called a "fundamental lunar approach" that is sharply different from its previous moon missions in nearly everything but the shape of the ship going there.

 

So the US did talk about international implications, by talking to other nations. I think somebody told me that the Moon is public property, so the Moon Base is basically going to be Internatioanl Territory.

 

There are three things I worry about on this Moon Base:

 

1) If Humanity surivies by colonizing other planets, then religion is going downhill. At least now, science has shown how the human race can die if we stick to Earth. But if we colonize other planets, if we advance in technology, then...how can humanity be killed off? Religion, in the Judeo-Christian sense, will be killed, as people will think that the human race is immortal.

 

2) We're going to strip-mine the moon! That will be good for the economy...but, well, erm...that's not good for the enviroment of the Moon. We already ruined the enviroment of Earth...why ruin the enviroment of other planets?

 

3) Only big corporations will get these minerals. Nobody like big corporations and making them wealthy. Sure, it has beniefts...but it also has costs, and all the beniefts will be centered around the wealthy. The poor will not get any of the cool uranium, helium, copper and whatever else the Moon has in store for us.

[stoffe]

Has anyone stopped to consider the international implications etc?

Or is the US just going to do as it damn well pleases and hang everyone else?

 

It will probably turn into an international group effort in the end to keep the costs down, since politicians are a rather untrustworthy lot when it comes to providing reliable funding for long-term projects.

 

But NASA is probably the only ones who can pull it off at the moment more or less on their own. The Russians probably have the technological know-how, but likely can't afford it. The Chinese don't have the technology to go that far yet, and ESA and the Japanese are almost exclusively into unmanned launches on their own.

 

So it's probably a "might makes right" issue in the short term: the ones who can go there will call the shots, since the others can't get there to do something about it.

[Darth InSidious]

Another article on The Moon Base:http://www.turnto10.com/technology/10460941/detail.html

 

 

 

So the US did talk about international implications, by talking to other nations. I think somebody told me that the Moon is public property, so the Moon Base is basically going to be Internatioanl Territory.

No, they used other nations' brainpower...

 

1) If Humanity surivies by colonizing other planets, then religion is going downhill. At least now, science has shown how the human race can die if we stick to Earth. But if we colonize other planets, if we advance in technology, then...how can humanity be killed off? Religion, in the Judeo-Christian sense, will be killed, as people will think that the human race is immortal.

I disagree. Humanity can still be wiped out. Even if we set up colonies on Mars, in approx. 15bn years we'd be wiped out when the Sun becomes a Red Giant.

2) We're going to strip-mine the moon! That will be good for the economy...but, well, erm...that's not good for the enviroment of the Moon. We already ruined the enviroment of Earth...why ruin the enviroment of other planets?

 

3) Only big corporations will get these minerals. Nobody like big corporations and making them wealthy. Sure, it has beniefts...but it also has costs, and all the beniefts will be centered around the wealthy. The poor will not get any of the cool uranium, helium, copper and whatever else the Moon has in store for us.

It seems likely that these will all also be companies almost exclusively from whichever country puts the most cash in, or the one running the show...

 

@stoffe: Perhaps, but who do you think will control the whole thing, decide who goes up and comes down, etc.

 

Sure, no-one else has the necessary combination of cash and tech, but it's still going to come down to "we're the US, you do as we say" in the end.

[SilentScope001]

I disagree. Humanity can still be wiped out. Even if we set up colonies on Mars, in approx. 15bn years we'd be wiped out when the Sun becomes a Red Giant.

 

Actually, it's only 5 billion years.

 

But that's just if we only colonize Mars. Im thinking in the far off future, if we colonize other solar systems...other galaxies...Then it will become harder to wipe out humanity.

[tk102]

Sure, no-one else has the necessary combination of cash and tech, but it's still going to come down to "we're the US, you do as we say" in the end.

The amount influence other nations have will likely be in proportion to the amount those nations are contributing to the effort.

[stoffe]

Actually, it's only 5 billion years.

 

But that's just if we only colonize Mars. Im thinking in the far off future, if we colonize other solar systems...other galaxies...Then it will become harder to wipe out humanity.

 

In that kind of perspective you'd have to wonder if there would be any "humanity" as a uniform species to speak of eventually. If you subscribe to the theories of Evolution it is quite likely that humans settled on different worlds would evolve (in the long run) in hugely different directions depending on the environment and other circumstances on their new home world, which would differ far more that the already rather diverse humanity trapped on a single world.

 

@stoffe: Perhaps, but who do you think will control the whole thing, decide who goes up and comes down, etc.

 

The ones who pay the most for it, do most of the work and controls the main access routes, most likely. Kind of how the US Space Shuttle program and the IIS operates now, but on a larger scale.

[Darth InSidious]

Actually, it's only 5 billion years.

 

But that's just if we only colonize Mars. Im thinking in the far off future, if we colonize other solar systems...other galaxies...Then it will become harder to wipe out humanity.

If you believe in an omnipotent God, it's not impossible, though. It's not even hard.

 

Also, as far as I'm aware, colonising other solar systems/galaxies is scientifically impossible. At least, as far as present science is concerned.

 

@tk and stoffe: at least until it starts to compromise 'national security', or the interests of the US.

[tk102]

@tk and stoffe: at least until it starts to compromise 'national security', or the interests of the US.

 

And the same proportional influence will still apply. If the United States finds the directions that other countries are steering the effort in a direction contrary to its interests, it will exert its proportional influence (which is sizable in this area). No different than any other nation.

[SithRevan]

You know I never thought that many other people where interested about what was going with nasa or space but it is nice to see everybody is in to that. Also you guys we should stop worrying about what the US or any other country might do and look at this as a giant leap forward to our goal of inhabiting new solar systems and galaxies even further away from the earth then we have ever imagined possible. Who knows we just might find some aliens up there also. So I think we all need to just to stop looking at who will get what or what will happen to this or that and we need to start looking at the larger picture...we as humans are actually going to be inhabiting space!

[tk102]

You know I never thought that many other people where interested about what was going with nasa or space but it is nice to see everybody is in to that.

Well this is a Star Wars inspired forum after all.

 

Totally agree with SithRevan!

[Totenkopf]

Well, one thing is for certain. If we wait for the world to be completely united before doing anything, nothing will get done. Also, while the moon may become a sort of international waters kind of setup, whose to say that colonizing other planets would ultimately be treated the same. In the absence of a global government, national and international corporations will end up doing the brunt of the work and will likely be chartered by their home countries (think colonialism). Otherwise, a global govenment will perform a similiar function. Eventually, those colonies will attempt independence and tadaa...Star Wars.

 

Companies, even with their own inefficiencies, are better equipped to perform these functions than governments. So, for the sake of argument, if Haliburton became big enough to colonize a planet (afterall it's a very big CONSTRUCTION firm) several light years away (assuming an ftl--or near enough--drive), who'd be entitled to the fruits of their labors? The people of earth? The companies investors? Or perhaps merely the rulers of earth and their corporate partners? In the case of the moon, unless strip mining were to unbalance it's orbit, its basically a dead planet and it doesn't seem that ecological damage would be as serious an issue as on a living world, say Earth or Mars. It would also be much more practical to "colonize" space from a jump off point not penalized by a gravity well the likes of earth's.

 

I wonder if part of the concern is that the US might decide to go it alone. If it provides a significantly large portion of the resources to get the enterprise running, it will have what some feel is a disproportionate degree of control. So long as it didn't prohibit others from attempting commercial enterprises, so what. As was pointed all, all other parties would assume same degree of control under similiar circumstances. My guess is the unspoken fear of the ultimate militarization of space. Don't mean to "harsh anyone's mellow" here, but that will inevitably follow. Whether in the form of competing corporations (kinda of like setup of Rollerball) or nation states, the high ground will prove too tempting to not at least try it. Let's hope our descendants prove wiser than us (I'm not holding my breath btw).

 

@Prime--been a long time since I've seen that in anything other than a vid clip or still. If you gotta work w/dames, they should be hotties....

[Prime]

Although I don't care for the "hot moon babes"

I don't believe you.

[Windu Chi]

Interesting news release from NASA yesterday --

 

In short, a lunar base near one of the poles of the moon is in the works to prepare astronauts for a trip to Mars.

 

 

But if there should ever come a time

When we're crowded up together, I'm

Sure we'll find some elbow room...up on the moon!

They need to announce plans for building, a warp drive engine, wormhole generator device and antimatter reactor, by 2020.

For we can start exploring the Milky Way galaxy.

As soon as possible, NASA.

The moon will be a good step but I'm more interested in Milky Way exploration.

The moon should've been colonize decades ago around the 60's and 70's, if NASA and the U.S.A didn't give up back then on solar system exploration.

[Char Ell]

Awesome. I hope things look like this:

 

A very stimulating thread, this is, heh-heh-heh!

 

First I should say that I'm all for exploring space and establishing a base on the moon. However I don't see how NASA can make this happen by 2020 or 2030 for that matter considering the current environment. First NASA will retire the space shuttle fleet in a few years and as far as I can tell the replacement vehicle won't be ready to go by that time. How long does NASA think it will take to develop a spacecraft that will be able to travel to the moon? Whatever that timeframe is one should plan on doubling it to get a semi-realistic idea when such a spacecraft will be available. This is after all NASA, Needless Agents Spending Away, we're talking about. Second, I assume the ISS will continue to operate and thus require supplies, new/replacement equipment, etc. that will take a chunk of the overall pie. Third, the cost will be ginormous, even if/when shouldered by multiple governments.

 

In order to make the 2020 goal the U.S. and maybe even the other participating governments will need to undergo a sea change, something that will galvanize action and focus the general public, ergo governing politicians, on the space program. Something along the lines of the USSR vs. USA space race in the 60's. Absent such stimuli this project will drag on for years beyond 2020. Just my pessimistic viewpoint.

[SilentScope001]

In order to make the 2020 goal the U.S. and maybe even the other participating governments will need to undergo a sea change, something that will galvanize action and focus the general public, ergo governing politicians, on the space program. Something along the lines of the USSR vs. USA space race in the 60's. Absent such stimuli this project will drag on for years beyond 2020. Just my pessimistic viewpoint.

 

Terrorists has been spotted on the Moon and are using it as a military base to launch future attacks on America. We must take over the Moon in order to protect it from terrorism.

 

...Would that work?