What if you were given your country's space program?

[Drunkrobot]

The sort of people who play games that demands knowing the works of Kepler and Newton are also the type of people who stay up to date on the space endeavors of the human race. And even the most international, globalized individual of that sort of people pay extra attention to the endeavors for their country of birth. We still treasure the knowledge that our adventures to the cosmos earns us, as we should, but we all also dream of a man in a silver suit hopping out of a spaceship on some distant world with our own flag of choice, and stabbing it into the alien dirt with all the patriotic fervor he could muster.

That's one small step for a man, and one bloody big bald eagle holding the camera.

This, in my own opinion, is healthy. Nations are, by definition, large groups of people who share conman values and cultural heritage, and seeing people who share that with you do the incredible is one hell of a way of promoting optimism, and in the case of spaceflight, scientific excellence.

Besides, it's a great alternatives to that other method of boosting national pride through scientific achievement.

Therefore, it makes total sense for people on this forum to have at least a basic understanding of what the whole world is up to in space, but have a more detailed understanding of the efforts of their own nation. Someone from Canada will have a better knowledge on what CSA has been doing than I do

, while they may lack knowledge of Britain's stuff that I have.

Countries tend to put stuff they're proud of on their money. How many other countries can boast a robot space arm as a national treasure?

What I want to know from you is this. Say you were at home, getting stuff done, when you hear a knock on your door. You answer, and you find two men in dark suits. They tell you that you've just been giving free-reign on every asset your country has that regards space exploration-as well as a hotline to every private company based in the country, and 1% of the total budget. Everything is handed to you as it is right now, and what you do with it is up to you.

You can't spell "efficient" without "totalitarianism".

First, give an overview of what the current space program is like, in reality. Than, say what you would have done, which programs you would start, and which ones you would cut out. Lastly, what would expect to have in place in 5 or 10 years time.

Before anyone complains that the question is unrealistic, let me tell you something-I know it's unrealistic. This is just a fun little game where we ponder what we would do if given this dangerously absurd amount of resources, and maybe learn about what other countries have done and are proud of.

[Skyler4856]

Contuine the development of the SLS and Project Constellation. I then put a base on the moon.

[hotmailcompany52]

Wait, wait, the british have a space program?

[Drunkrobot]

Wait, wait, the british have a space program?

It's not what you often think is a space program. It's more a collection of aerospace companies, large and small, that create satellites and experiments and things like that. The government helps to fund these companies, as well as being a part of ESA. Britain did develop an entirely native launcher (British rocket, British satellite, although the launch was in Woomera, Australia) back in the early 70s. Due to cuts in funding, the whole program was shut down, and yet to be replaced. Britain remains the only country made developed the capability to put a sizable payload into orbit, and then give it up without working towards replacing it. That would be one of the things I change!

[hawkinator]

I'm American, so my countries accomplishments tend to be fairly well known already.

I would start planning colonies and developing a space tourism industry.

[3_bit]

I'd bring back the Constellation Program. Nothing like a Lunar colony to get people hyped up about space and a Mars mission. And if not the Constellation Program, a medium-orbit (we don't want to bother boosting a massive station back up once it's orbit starts decaying) space station, designed for residential use, and force-create a futuristic space colony.

And if I was part of a poor country, I'd send just one poet into a highly elliptical orbit, so he could see the Earth from far away, and up close as well. Scientists cannot begin to describe what poets can.

[hugix]

I'm Dutch and we play an important role in ESA.

What I would do when I had a say in how to play along in ESA I would make sure we keep the ESA headquarters in the Netherlands. We got a lot of smart students in the Netherlands and it would be a waste for us if they'll find work outside the Netherlands.

Also I would invest in companies that want to provide services that no other company currently provides. the R&D processes for these starting companies are huge and it would be a shame if some big multinational got hold of these technologies.

for short, I would invest in a space program in order to boost our economy. To make sure Dutch companies can provide services no other companies can.

[DisarmingBaton5]

-A reboot of Constellation alongside SLS

-Outsource manned orbiters (SpaceX Dragon)

-Never try to put wings in space again

-Not extend life of ISS to 2028; leave it at 2020 for the sake of Constellation

-Drop a lander on the north pole of Mars (like Phoenix only closer to the pole)

[NASAFanboy]

I would implement my own vision or Space Exploration.

First of all, in short order. Cut down on Earth Science, and increase funding for Planetary Science and SLS/Orion. Develop a scaled back Altair lander, and rush the development of the Space Launch System to the extreme limit. Allow employees to volunteer their time on projects, announce a bold new plan. And partner with China. Oh, yes, and my master stragety, an "Intergrated Approach" of robotics and manned spaceflight (Telecommunications, rovers scouting out landing sites, robotic assembly and maintance of bases while astronauts are not on the scene)

Timeline:

2014- Orion Flight Test

2015- Partner with Chinese on lunar sample return mission.

2016- SLS Flight Test, manned Dragon

2017- Manned SLS lunar flyby, space systems test of lunar lander.

2018- Return to the moon, lunar base set up.

2020- Dry/Wet workshop spacestation launched to EML-2. Asteroid capture mission is launched by US-China-Russia-India-DSI.

2021- Asteroid capture mission done by international crew. Asteroid mined and used as spacestation in lunar orbit.

[Idobox]

French here,

Either alone or as part of ESA I would put a lot of money on spaceplanes, with the target being SSTO, and nuclear thermal rockets.

We could try to have our own manned program, but I don't think it's very useful to copy USA and USSR 70's programs, when we could instead go for breakthrough, and for once, be in advance.

Oh, and big ass robotic probes to go see under Europa's ice sheet and take a closer look at Titan.

[Requiem762]

Well I'd have NASA.

Continue development of SLS.

Begin asteroid capture mission and insert into lunar orbit. (Have that done about the time orian is up and running)

Have crewed spacecraft study captured asteroid.

Send rover to moon that has a lander capable of sample return ( 1 up china.)

Encourage UK space program to fully develop skylon and buy some to run space tourist operation to make money on side.

Spearhead international effort for asteroid defense.

Collaberate with Spacex orbital sciences and ULA to conduct manned Martian flyby.

Establish temporary moon base to study feasibility of a international moon colony.

Send landers to Europa Io and Titan.

Send Rover to Pluto to circumnavigate it just for LOLs and science.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Requiem762

[mdatspace]

I would go to Europa and titan, and I would bring back NERVA. So, close to Idobox.

[Karriz]

The funny thing is, that I just learned two days ago that my country (Finland) has some kind of Mars probe mission planned.

It's called MetNet, and supposedly it should launch in 2014.

Website of the project is dead, but they do have a Twitter account with recent activity.

Now, how on Earth is it possible that I haven't heard of this earlier? It's as if they want to keep it a secret.

Apart from that, there are some Finnish parts in Russian, ESA and NASA space probes, that's all I know.

If I was in charge of my country's space stuff, I'd increase the media outreach quite a bit.

I'd also get Finland more involved at ESA. We aren't in the manned spaceflight program, and we didn't pay a dime for the ISS, which is a shame.

[nhnifong]

MOOOON BAAAASE

Yeah, everyone at nasa put down your screwdrivers and listen up. We're going to build an american moon base. We're going to put equipment in orbit at a rate that would make your head spin, and we're going to have a fleet of manned single-stage LEO to moon surface and back spacecraft that are continuously shuttling equipment and supplies to the surface. The purpose of this base is to be a Lunar, Astronomical, and Biological science laboratory. They will be first tasked with finding out what we can use in the moon's crust, and second, finding ways to grow food there. Finally, hyper-expensive tourism will be used to pay off the project in full!

LEO lifting is boring. We will contract it out to the private sector. We are strictly concerned with building a moon base, and secondly with the business of moving goods, people, and equipment from LEO to Luna for anyone who can pay for a ticket.

[EvilotionCR2]

I would get ESA,so uuhhhh...

Launching a probe under Europas surface,exploring Titan further. Oh yes,and also propaganda material for 5/6 graders (Model rockets,visiting museums).

[m4v]

Run out of money quickly 'cause I didn't have to worry about that in KSP...

[The Destroyer]

I would first ask, what did Canada do in space besides the arms?

And astronauts.

Then I would attempt to get Canada into the space race, and Canada DOMINATE THE UNIVERSE!

-A superior good Canadian

[Kryten]

I'm not sure why everybody is interpreting 'control of your countries space program' to mean 'control of your entire government and national budget for space purposes'. It's not like we have to go very far to find rants about what could be done 'if only '[iNSERT NATIONAL SPACE PROGRAM HERE] could receive [iNSERT ABSURD MONETARY QUANTITY HERE] more'-and it's frankly not very interesting. Surely the whole point of this exercise is to see what could be done within reason?

[NASAFanboy]

I'm not sure why everybody is interpreting 'control of your countries space program' to mean 'control of your entire government and national budget for space purposes'. It's not like we have to go very far to find rants about what could be done 'if only '[iNSERT NATIONAL SPACE PROGRAM HERE] could receive [iNSERT ABSURD MONETARY QUANTITY HERE] more'-and it's frankly not very interesting. Surely the whole point of this exercise is to see what could be done within reason?

Even so, I would transfer resources toward the development of SLS/Orion, build on experience with Morpheus lander with the eventual goal of establishing an outpost on the Moons of Mars (Compromise between Moonbase and asteroid and Mars Direct. Why not just build a base on the captured asteroid moons orbiting Mars? Seems resonable).

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

The CSA? Put man into space, then to the Moon, then to Europa. Screw Mars!

[mdatspace]

The CSA? Put man into space, then to the Moon, then to Europa. Screw Mars!

The issue with Europa is, if you go outside, you will die. Even if you are invincible to the cold, the radiation will kill you.

This part is not a reply to you. I don't think moving resources from one sector of science to the other is a good idea, considering how little most of them likely get. Earth science matters. We wouldn't have volcano monitoring without it. The USGS gets 1.1 billion a year. What will cutting that do?

Edited November 26, 2013 by mdatspace

[Spartwo]

Start a space program:P(not including ESA)

Edited November 27, 2013 by Spartwo

[Helix935]

i will order the commission of an aggressive mass expansion strategy of colonization of which i will set up 10 orbiting space stations capable of sustaining 5 humans each without supply runs and 5 lunar colonies on 5 different sides of the moon capable of mining helium-3 and becoming self-sustaining within a month of deployment each and have all this done within a single year! I would then move on to Venus ( set up a floating colony), Callisto, Europa, Titan, and then Mars within the next 5 years. This will be done using the help of many private space companies and other space programs which i have united under me to provide volunteers and commercial craft to resupply these places. (this is so that these colonies would be set up before the government would cut my funding and most likely fire me due to making it look bad for foreign relations because of the locations of the space stations)

is this too optimistic or too maniacal

(sorry about the bad grammar)

Edit: and also i am american and also i should mention unlike NASA i won't try to launch a space shuttle knowing that it would explode or not come back twice

Edited November 27, 2013 by Helix935

[minimuffin]

NASA is in a state of almost stagnation they do not have enough funding. They are getting back on their feet, but has been largely inactive, launching sats and unmanned probes at best.

I would first make some missions to show how the government should fund the program more, and set up a way for citizens to donate. (Aside from taxes) Then, I would consolidate the funds into a pool for missions to "prove" how space is valuable. I would start launching revolutionary unmanned flights, gaining funds and plan for the future. The very first missions I would do would be to send a probe to pretty much everything, to have lots of chances to say "Bam! Landed a probe on Europa! How about that funding now?"

In 5 to 10 years I would start focusing on a moon base, and by 15 years have landed a man on mars. By 20 years, a mars base should be in planning and development while I see about sending people to even more planets and moons. The rest is history. This would lead to massive colonizing endeavors.

I would also try to collaborate with all the private space agencies and encourage them to all start towards space, causing a new "Space Boom" where everybody is obsessed with space.

Edited November 27, 2013 by minimuffin

[NASAFanboy]

i will order the commission of an aggressive mass expansion strategy of colonization of which i will set up 10 orbiting space stations capable of sustaining 5 humans each without supply runs and 5 lunar colonies on 5 different sides of the moon capable of mining helium-3 and becoming self-sustaining within a month of deployment each and have all this done within a single year! I would then move on to Venus ( set up a floating colony), Callisto, Europa, Titan, and then Mars within the next 5 years. This will be done using the help of many private space companies and other space programs which i have united under me to provide volunteers and commercial craft to resupply these places. (this is so that these colonies would be set up before the government would cut my funding and most likely fire me due to making it look bad for foreign relations because of the locations of the space stations)

is this too optimistic or too maniacal

(sorry about the bad grammar)

Edit: and also i am american and also i should mention unlike NASA i won't try to launch a space shuttle knowing that it would explode or not come back twice

I calculated the funds it would take to do that in five years.

It would force the United States to undergo an industrial buildup twenty times the one it had gone through in World War II. It would force the United States Government to increase taxes by, like, alot. Really, alot. Or as one might put it, a whopping nine percent. And the cost?

Around a 500 billion dollars, USD. Per year. That means 2.5 Trillion dollars for the whole thing. You won't get fired for this, you'll cause half of the US Senate to faint with shock, the President to headdesk himself, and the entire House of Representatives perform a collective crowd facepalm everytime your bill comes up and embrass the entire space agency. Long story short, you're a man in a wheelchair trying to win the Olympic gold medal for the 500-m dash..I suggest you scrap all but one Moon base and the Mars mission. That'll be a price tag of around 100 billion, spread over five years, amounts to 20 billion per year. Double NASA's budget, and it's suddenly affordable.

Gotta crawl before you can sprint.