On Mon, May 28, 2012 at 12:09 PM, Jochen Fromm <[email protected]> wrote:
> You have heard about planetary resources and the first commercial flight > to the ISS by the Dragon spacecraft from SpaceX. Is this a new step forward > into commercial space exploration? Or a step back into the orbit? The first > man landed on the moon already 40 years ago. I am just reading 'Carrying > the Fire' from Michael Collins, an impressive book about a tremendous > achivement in an exciting time. Although nobody has repeated this success > in the last 4 decades, space exploration of the solar system with robots > and rovers will certainly continue. Human space exploration is much more > difficult, and I am not sure if it is the right path. Space veterans like > Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins are of course supporters of manned space > flight. What do you think? There is something profoundly affecting about > these spacecrafts, spaceships and the other technical marvels from rocket > science. Do we need humans to control them? > I like the NASA COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) approach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services It defines phases and capabilities with both maned and un-maned missions. The recent SpaceX mission was COTS 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COTS_Demo_Flight_2 .. just one of many COTS objectives, for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COTS_Demo_Flight_3 The COTS missions look like: Commercial Cargo Development<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services#Awards>2006 - *2011*Commercial Space Transportation Capabilities<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Space_Transportation_Capabilities>2007 - 2010Commercial Crew Development<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Crew_Development#CCDev_1> (phase 1)2010 - *2011*Commercial Resupply Services<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Resupply_Services> (cargo)*2011 - 2015*Commercial Crew Development<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Crew_Development#CCDev_2> (phase 2)*2011 - 2012* As wonderful as exploring the solar system and beyond has been, I like the new "practical" approach the new commercial ventures are taking. Mining the moon and asteroids and using them on in-orbit or L5 to start living in and constructing in space. I think ultimately this will get us on Mars and on the next star soonest. -- Owen
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