On 25 Jan 2003 at 11:19, Robert Seeberger wrote: quick summary: Whoohoo!
> http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/okeefe_nasa_030124. > html > NASA's O'Keefe said the objective of Project Prometheus is to hone > technologies that allow the agency to fly to "any number of > destinations" that are possible in the future. Without those > technologies, NASA remains severely limited and restricted in its > ability to move humans rapidly through space, as well as capture a > greater science return beyond low Earth orbit, he said. > > "Where we are right now.we are very much restricted by speed, power > generation, and propulsion limitations. In the space exploration side > of the equation, because of these kind of technical limitations, we're > still in the Age of Sail," O'Keefe said. I find it highly, highly significant that a NASA chief has admitted that we're still in a very early stage of space exploration.. > Moreover, space nuclear power "opens up an aperture, dramatically, in > terms of the kind of space science experimentation we can pursue," > O'Keefe said. "It's something that we've fantasized about in the past. > It's within range. It's within reach," he said. :) > Fleet of space planes > > In other topics, O'Keefe touched on the Orbital Space Plane (OSP). > > Over the next 18 months, a number of alternative designs and > approaches are to be reviewed. That work will involve industry input, > as well as NASA experts. I think...that they will find that while no one submission has perhaps the same standards as NASA would like, there is some truly interesting and useable technology out there... > Beyond that 18-month period, an OSP developmental phase will include > flying test hardware over a three-year period. The timescales are also quite tight, and interesting. > Among an outpouring of responses, O'Keefe singled out one student's > plea in nominating his teacher: "Because we all hate him and want him > to leave, please take him!" > > "Remember.you are nominating your teacher for a roundtrip, not one > way," O'Keefe explained. *snickers* Okay - bets on this being the response to the Chinese space flight program? Whatever, I'm pleased that they're kickstarting the space effort again. Andy Dawn Falcon _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
