Posted on 01/19/2012 12:17:59 PM PST by presidio9
“Isn’t the crescent moon the symbol of islam?”
Yup. It’s known as Hubal or more commonly known as Isis. These days she goes by the name Allah and she is a real beyotch! Did you know she has three sisters?
“How much more outreach can you get?”
Landing Muzzies on the Moon, of course!
You’ll need an Electronic Thumb and a Sens-O-Matic to do so! Are they still being used as prizes in boxes of galactic Cornflakes and Cheerios?
In a presentation to the Joint Propulsion Conference in July 2010, SpaceX revealed preliminary, but unfunded, design concepts for a larger Merlin 2 engine to replace[citation needed] the nine engine cluster used on the Falcon 9. The Merlin 2 would also be used on conceptual heavy-lift launch vehicles Falcon X, Falcon X Heavy, and Falcon XX.[63] By mid-August, the SpaceX CEO Elon Musk clarified that while the Merlin 2 engine architecture was a key element of any effort SpaceX would make toward their objective of “super-heavy lift” launch vehicles—and that SpaceX indeed did want to “move toward super heavy lift”—the specific potential design configurations of the particular launch vehicles shown by Markusic at the propulsion conference were merely conceptual “brainstorming ideas”, just a “bunch of ideas for discussion.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX
“I think we should work on faster propulsion systems...”
Do some reading on VASIMIR.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_Specific_Impulse_Magnetoplasma_Rocket
I’ve been following VASIMIR progress and it does seem to be the way to go.
We need to be able to build in orbit because in space, bigger really is better but launching from the ground requires small.
What you could do is build smaller VASIMIR motors and send them up to LEO for clustering together. Design solar system exploration vehicles in a similar manner to a modular home where smaller subassemblies can be launched into LEO with final assembly occurring in an orbiting hangar.
The VASIMIR could get astronauts to Mars in as little as 39 days. What you could do is a split sprint scenario where you send all of your cargo, support equipment, and return vehicle ahead and then send the astronauts last to minimize their time in space.
Dear Lord, no! We’ll pay for it, we’ll build it, while the Russians drag their feet and sabotage it, screwing up every nut and bolt they’re responsible for, running up the costs a hundred fold. Then along comes the next traitorous rat to sit in the White House and he’ll abandon the project and hand it over to the Russians on a silver platter. We’ve been there, done that. Don’t do this! Not with the Russians.
On the plus side the Russians will drink up any alcohol based fuel supplies which are available.
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