The new space exploration era

[Daryn]

So the space shuttle will be landing tomorrow for the last time. Government sanctioned space exploration seems to be at an end. We went to the moon in the 60's, and in the 50 years since we have not managed to go any further? How is that? Could it be because the government really doesn't have any incentive to lok any further? I think that we'll see a new era start, with companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic trying to make space travel a reality. It's early days now, but I think that Austin Texas is going to become the new Space oriented Silicon Valley. Maybe the government doesn't want to go futrher, but I know that a lot of people want to.

[Dusty]

So the space shuttle will be landing tomorrow for the last time. Government sanctioned space exploration seems to be at an end. We went to the moon in the 60's, and in the 50 years since we have not managed to go any further? How is that? Could it be because the government really doesn't have any incentive to lok any further? I think that we'll see a new era start, with companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic trying to make space travel a reality. It's early days now, but I think that Austin Texas is going to become the new Space oriented Silicon Valley. Maybe the government doesn't want to go futrher, but I know that a lot of people want to.

The politcal realities of cost versus up front benifit not withstanding, I think it will be a good thing for NASA to move away from the resupply and repair business back to actual exploration. Let companies like Virgin Galactic and Space X handle the sattalites and resupply runs while NASA works on deep space probes and going back to the moon.

[Slate]

The US government maybe, and I can't speak of other countries but last I heard China planned to start a colony on the moon by 2020.

[Daryn]

The US government maybe, and I can't speak of other countries but last I heard China planned to start a colony on the moon by 2020.

True enough. It's really only going to take one successful settlement to blow the doors wide open as I see it. Once it's been done once, everyone else will have to follow.

[Rys]

The ESA is also not idle; I'm not sure if I've mentioned the Skylon spaceplane on here before (yes, it's being privately developed, but with significant ESA support), but if it works it ought to drastically reshape human interaction with space for the better.

[Dusty]

The ESA is also not idle; I'm not sure if I've mentioned the Skylon spaceplane on here before (yes, it's being privately developed, but with significant ESA support), but if it works it ought to drastically reshape human interaction with space for the better.

From a quick Google check it seems to be in the same vein as SpaceX and Virgin galactic. Fast, cheap, and reliable movement of material into space. Which what I think should be handled by commercial businesses. If they can handle the "mundane" space procedures it frees funding and man power in the ESA and NASA to focus on the scientific endeavors.

And I know the ESA is far from stagnent They've been working on a lot of brand new research sattalites. I think they built the one that is supposed to create a thermal map of the globe. I think they're also working on a smaller independent GPS system. The current one is technically under US military control.

[Daryn]

When it comes right down to it then, the end of the Space Shuttle project isn't really as huge a deal as many people would like people to believe. We're not out of the space business, we're just diversifying and finding new options. That can only be a good thing in the long run.

[Tha_Pig]

The point of the original space race was to beat the Russians. So now that incentive doesn't exist and the government has found new creative ways to dump our tax billions.

So the future of space exploration is now in the hands of private enterprises. Lets hope the competition is fierce enough to create a new rush of exploration.

[themnax]

my principal feeling is that if the u.s. wants to abandon space, we (i live in it) have no room to bitch about anyone else not doing so.

if someone else puts a man on mars, and long term antarctica like developments on the moon, more power to them.

i'd like to see some serious mapping of the other side of the moon too. i seem to recall some may have been done, but i don't remember if its ever been posted anyplace in human viewable form, or where if it even exists and has.

[Daryn]

That's what I find so exciting about this new growth in the private space sector. NASA doesn't seem that interested, so now a bunch of private companies are taking up the reigns and going after it. They all want to get to space, and unlike a government agency, they're using the start-up mentality of release early and often. We're not going to see a company relying on an outdated vessel for years and years, foregoing all innovation. Instead we're going to see technology advance in leaps and bounds, with the end result being that it will be affordable for anyone to charter a flight out to where ever they want to go. Mapping and exploration will be an integral part of it at first, and then the public will be able to visit those places.