The race into space - Is the U.S. in it?

Washington Times ^ | May 29, 2003 | Robert S. Walker

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Are the Chinese serious about human space flight? Most definitely. And they are interested in doing more than simply going to low Earth orbit. They are headed for the moon.

For most of last year, the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry looked at our nation's position relative to our global competition. Clearly, the Europeans are determined to challenge our preeminence in commercial aviation, and the challenge to our leadership in space is coming from the Pacific Rim.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

November 2001 - China Announces 2005 Space Plans --Say space arms race has begun

[Renegade]

NASA became to big and bureaucratic. The more administrators you get involved, the slower a program proceeds , and the more chance of a failure. We need to scale down the size of the entity, and zero in on one project at a time . In that type of setup projects will be completed .
We fumbled the ball by not staying with the new payload design system initiated soon after the first shuttle launch. They should have foreseen the limits of the present STS craft due to the material stresses put on the spacecraft.( or did they, and wanted this to happen for some predetermined reason ??)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I think NASA is big enough to handle more than one program. What they need is a strategy and a mission. Searching for life just doesn't cut it. Routine access to space and a lunar base is where you focus your talent. It's a mission to build an infrastructure for space access, and where we'll learn to live in outerspace. The defense implications are obvious.

[Michael81Dus]

It should be not too difficult to damage the heat shield so that these moon-travellers cannot return. /black humour off

[snopercod]

Let's not forget the tourist industry.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Scientists have acknowledged the usefulness of H3 in helping achieve nuclear fusion success. The moon appears to be a large source of naturally occurring H3, a commodity that would be of such value that the transport back to Earth would be economically feasible."

ARRRGGHHH!!!! Journalists "never" get it right. It ain't H3 (tritium)--tritium is easy to make by bombarding other light elements with neutrons. The isotope in question is He3, the rare light isotope of helium (normally He4).

The sun pumps out a lot of He3 in the solar wind--which impacts and is trapped on the lunar surface.

To quote from (http://exn.ca/apollo/Future/):

"Unlike the Earth, which is insulated by its atmosphere, the Moon is continuously buffeted by solar winds. These carry substances into the lunar soil that wouldn’t be found on Earth. One of the most important of these is Helium 3, a helium isotope which is very rare on Earth. Helium 3 (or He3) has been proven in limited experimental conditions to work in fusion reactions, and is a promising fuel for fusion power generation because, in contrast with other fusion fuels, it isn’t radioactive itself, and when it is fused, releases no radioactivity."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Using solar power seems easier.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Space tourism. So many things are just waiting........and waiting......and waiting.

[Movemout]

"the fact remains that the Chinese are devoting resources and gearing up to do something that we are no longer technologically capable of achieving in the immediate future."

I like Bob Walker but this is a disingenous statement. We can establish a lunar campsite within five years, technologically speaking. Mr Walker knows this. What we lack is the political will and commitment to do it.

You are absolutely dead on in your allegation that we need a framework in which to move forward. This lack, more than anything, has contributed to NASA's aimless drifting for three decades.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I believe he means, most Americans believe we could go to the Moon tomorrow if NASA was given the green light.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

What we lack is the political will and commitment to do it.

What will it take? A few of our comsats "disappearing?"

[Cincinatus]

The sun pumps out a lot of He3 in the solar wind--which impacts and is trapped on the lunar surface.

True enough, except that not much 3He is present in the lunar soil -- the highest concentrations are on the order of one part per billion.

[Movemout]

No, I don't believe that at all. I have participated in briefings to Mr Walker when he was still in the House. He is an afficianado of efforts to explore and commercialize space. He is also pretty clever. He made that statement to prick our competitive spirit. Remember that Sputnik roused our sense of competition with the USSR. JFK could have cared less about putting people in orbit until the Soviets blindsided us with the Sputnik launch. In a grand gesture of one-upmanship, he decalred that we would be on the moon within the decade. The prospect of the Chinese establishing a lunar base before the USA might just be the catalyst we need to reinvigorate our space exploration program (non-existant as of now).

[Wilhelm Tell]

So why are the Chinese using Russian space technology? Just because the Russians could launch a manned rocket every other week if they wanted to? Some of their technology is so OLD it has been used without major incident for YEARS. I bet the Russians can't afford to throw money at problems the way we can! We have five modern space shuttles... we have four modern space shuttles... okay, we have three modern space shuttles...

All sarcasm aside, that might be a good way to quickly start a space program -- a combination of proven Russian rockets with the latest Chinese electronics. Maybe in forty years we will finally have an economical and safe space plane that will make all of that obsolete, but until then...

[Movemout]

"What will it take? A few of our comsats "disappearing?" "

Comsats are the least of our worries. If DoD space based assets were at risk from the Chicoms because they held the high ground, then that would be news of the first order. I hate to root for China but in this case I will make an exception.

As for the He3 situation. Former astronaut, former Senator, Harrison Schmidt has been on a long campaign to go after He3. I don't think he has made an adequate business case to support his position. It is conceivable that we could build enough earth-lunar infrastructure over years to make it an ecomically viable proposition.

[Wonder Warthog]

"True enough, except that not much 3He is present in the lunar soil -- the highest concentrations are on the order of one part per billion."

Ah, but since fusion energy doesn't require a whole lot of mass, and the He3 is not strongly bound to the lunar soil, even a ppb level is economically feasible.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I agree but I believe his statement about our technology and returning to the Moon is as I stated. I have no doubt we need a kick in the pants (communists in space) to get off the dime.

[brityank]

Let's not forget the tourist industry.

NASA has already [TWICE] thrown that baby out; indeed they had such a snit they forbad the tourist access to 'thier side' of the space station.

Even if we started today, I doubt we could have a functioning base on the Moon in ten years -- but damnit, we should try.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Your tongue in cheek is eye-opening.

[Cincinatus]

and the He3 is not strongly bound to the lunar soil, even a ppb level is economically feasible.

That's highly debatable, but suppose for a moment I grant you that. What are you going to do with the 3He you harvest?