Kickstarting a plan for an affordable route to Mars

Rand Simberg opens a Kickstarter campaign to fund a study and report on how to reach Mars within the budgets expected for  NASA for the next couple of decades: Clearing The Roadblock To Mars by Rand Simberg – Kickstarter

Since the end of Apollo, NASA’s human spaceflight program has been more jobs program than space program. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent on it in current-year dollars, with little currently to show for it other than a space station that we share with Europe, Japan and Russia, and for which we are currently reliant on the Russians to access.

The latest, and most blatant and egregious phenomenon of a NASA program created primarily for the sake of the jobs it provides is the Space Launch System aka the Senate Launch System (and, to a lesser extent, the Orion Crew Capsule). Proponents of it claim that it is not possible to get humans to Mars, or beyond low earth orbit at all, without them. But most independent analyses (and even internal NASA studies) indicate that not only are they unnecessary for that purpose, but they are chewing up all the budget that could be going to things that are necessary, but are not being funded at all. NASA propaganda is that SLS/Orion are “stepping stones on the road to Mars” but, in reality, they are exactly the opposite; they are a roadblock.

Last summer, the National Research Council issued a report on Human Spaceflight that laid out a “stepping stone and pathways” approach to Mars that would culminate in sending a few NASA astronauts to that planet some time around mid century, after spending many tens of billions of dollars.

More recently, the Planetary Society commissioned a report from the Aerospace Corporation and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, whose details have not yet been released, but proposes a “low cost” mission to get NASA astronauts to Mars by the mid 2030s.

In both cases, those doing the studies were burdened by an almost-insurmountable constraint: A politically dictated ground rule that the plans must include SLS/Orion. Given the high cost of operations of these systems, and their intrinsically low flight rate (once or twice a year at best, and likely much less), it is a millstone around the neck of any ambitious plans to even explore, let alone develop and settle space.

The American people deserve to know the degree to which Congress is forcing NASA to waste money on these boondoggles, and the exciting things that could be happening if that money were actually being spent on the things needed to actually open up space. This project proposes to take the same budget that is proposed to take so long to do so little, and provide at least one example of the amazing things that could be done if Congress allowed it to be spent sanely.

The project output will be a report describing how that same budget could have many people venturing out into the solar system within two decades or less, utilizing soon-to-be existing commercial transportation and habitation systems, and new developments, in technology and hardware, that could and would occur if the money currently being wasted on SLS/Orion could be redirected to them.

For example, they would include propellant storage facilities, and the beginning of the utilization of off-planet resources for both life support and propellant, technologies that have been starved for funding, but would be game changers in reducing cost and dramatically increasing activity levels. The “bang for the buck” that NASA is currently planning could easily be increased by a couple orders of magnitude.  [My emphasis]

The purpose is to provide an alternate vision as the basis for the needed and inevitable policy debate that will occur with the new administration in 2017 (as it did in 2009), as it once again becomes clear that the current path is unsustainable, and that, more than ever, commercial alternatives are increasingly viable.

The funding goal amount of $12,000, after deductions to Kickstarter et all, will allow me sufficient resources to focus on this project through the early fall, and would provide a written report only. However, as a stretch goal, if I can raise twice the amount, I’ll also produce a video, with some amount of professional assistance, depending on how much we exceed that goal. In that event, videos will be provided as rewards as well as the written report.

Continue… 

Apollo Lunar Rover Model

 

Ron Shinkle has created a top quality 1:12 scale Apollo Lunar Rover Model using 3D printed parts.

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He says,

This 1:12 Scale Facsimile of the “J” Mission’s Rover represents months of diligent research and many man hours of expert three dimensional design. All CAD design worked off of authentic archived material that included the wheel profile, chassis, seat, and suspension dimensions to within hundredths of an inch.

All parts were produced as one off prototypes that were then checked for authenticity, fit and practicality.  All parts underwent revisions, some as many as six, before all criterion were satisfied. The highest priority was given to authentic scale and detail. Where possible, parts have been articulated to include movement that demonstrates some of the Rover’s unique features.

For example the wheels, although they do not roll, do swivel allowing you to demonstrate the four wheel steering. Also the battery box covers open to reveal gold backed covers and mirrored surfaces that reflected heat. The ground controlled TV camera both tilts and pans. The seat bottoms swivel up to show the under seat storage, and the storage boxes themselves have a lid that opens. Also the aft pallet door can be shown in an open or closed position.

The model is available as a kit.

Now introducing the World’s first large scale Apollo Lunar Rover Replica in Kit Form.  This is a 1:12 Scale, highly detailed facsimile for the serious collector. All, 100%, of the parts are manufactured by 3D Printing.

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The Space Show this week – June.1.2015

The guests and topics of discussion on The Space Show this week:

1. Monday, June 1, 2015: 2-3:30 PM PDT (5-6:30 PM EDT; 4-5:30 PM CDT): DR. ERIK SEEDHOUSE is back with us regarding his new book Virgin Galactic: The First Ten Years.

2. Tuesday, June 2, 2015:,7-8:30 PM PDT (10-11:30 PM EST, 9-10:30 PM CDT): We welcome back DR. ROBERT ZUBRIN to the show.

3. Friday, June 5, 2015; 9:30 -11 AM PDT (12:30-2 PM EDT; 11:30-1 PM CDT):We welcome back GREG MEHOLIC to discussion advanced propulsion and related topics.

4. Sunday, June 7, 2015: 12-1:30 PM PDT (3-4:30 PM EDT, 2-3:30 PM CDT): DAN ADAMO returns to discuss many topics and areas of concern with us including affording Mars and more. Note that I will upload to TSS blog a document from Dan on Saturday before our show so make sure you read it prior to this program.

See also:
/– The Space Show on Vimeo – webinar videos
/– The Space Show’s Blog – summaries of interviews.
/– The Space Show Classroom Blog – tutorial programs

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.

Moon Miners’ Manifesto – June 2015 issue

The Moon Society has released the June 2015 issue of the Moon Miners Manifesto magazine:

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The TOC:

  • In Focus: Ceres, the smallest “planet” – Peter Kokh
  • For the Dawn Probe: Beyond Ceres: A swing by Pallas? – Peter Kokh
  • “Reimagineering” Public Images of Moon & Mars Bases & Outposts – Peter Kokh
  • Ways to make Moon & Mars Settlement Easier & Less Expensive – Peter Kokh
  • The Moon & Mars are so boringly “monochromatic” – Opticians to the Rescue – Peter Kokh
  • Living in the Moon’s “Outback” – its “Farside” – Peter Kokh
  • Musings About Mars’ Moonlets: Phobos and Deimos – Dave Dietzler