Nautilus-X

[crazyewok]

The Nautilus as far as I remember is primarily a Bigelow project (in terms of who it'll get contracted out to), so it'll probably get launched regardless of NASA funding - someone else'll see the potential.

I hope so.

NASA cant see a good idea if it came up and hit them in the face.

Still cant get how microgravity experiments are more important as centrafugal "gravity" experiments. We know microgravity is bad over the long term, we get it so now its time to look into FIXING the problem not just whinning about it and spending more more to show how bad it is. centrafugal "gravity" experiments are in my opinion one of the most vital areas of human spaceflight research! If we are to go anywhere further than the moon we need a solution to microgravity health issues and we also need to find out if mars and even moon gravity is damaging to health and if fetus development is possible. All thsi could have been found out by now with a ISS centrafugal model useing Murine studys.

Edited January 8, 2014 by crazyewok

[Winter Man]

I hope so.

NASA cant see a good idea if it came up and hit them in the face.

Still cant get how microgravity experiments are more important as centrafugal "gravity" experiments. We know microgravity is bad over the long term, we get it so now its time to look into FIXING the problem not just whinning about it and spending more more to show how bad it is. centrafugal "gravity" experiments are in my opinion one of the most vital areas of human spaceflight research! If we are to go anywhere further than the moon we need a solution to microgravity health issues and we also need to find out if mars and even moon gravity is damaging to health and if fetus development is possible. All thsi could have been found out by now with a ISS centrafugal model useing Murine studys.

I think you're underselling microgravity experiments a little. There's a lot of good come out of research in its effects on metallurgy and crystal growth, not just the human element. Spaceflight isn't just about people, remember, and that's the view a lot of governments take on it. There's far more short term economic value in your space program finding a more efficient way of say, smelting iron, than there is discovering that people get sick in conditions never to be found on Earth.

edit: My point being that we'll probably have to rely on private funding for this sort of thing. Private funding by people who just think space is cool.

[crazyewok]

Well as far as im concerned NASA or any other goverment funding space programs should be conecntrating soleing on getting the infrastructure in place for economic and safe space explotation and exploration. Yes microgravity experiments have some use. But centrafugal "gravity" experiments I would say are far more important as they can dertermine if we can colonise the moon and mars, if we can expand out into the solar system. Leave the microgravity experiments to the private sector and universitys I say.

[Nibb31]

The Nautilus as far as I remember is primarily a Bigelow project (in terms of who it'll get contracted out to), so it'll probably get launched regardless of NASA funding - someone else'll see the potential.

I don't see why it would be primarily a Bigelow project. Some of its components are evidently inflatables, but something as big as that would need to be contracted out to multiple companies. Bigelow has no experience in propulsion, avionics, life support or anything else really.

It's a NASA concept, and just about every NASA spacecraft was always built by private companies, so I don't see why this would get launched "regardless of NASA funding" more than any other NASA project. Other than GEO comsats, there is no ROI for private enterprise in space. Government agencies are footing the bill for all space exploration and research, and that won't be changing any time soon.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Nibb31

[DerekL1963]

There's far more short term economic value in your space program finding a more efficient way of say, smelting iron, than there is discovering that people get sick in conditions never to be found on Earth.

Why is there economic value in finding ways to smelt iron in conditions not found on earth? Seriously, there's a lot of talk about how valuable materials science experiments, etc... performed in space are, but no actual evidence despite several decades of doing do. Like so many other 'space spin offs', it's smoke and mirrors, not results.

[crazyewok]

I just think there no clear and focued dircetion anymore.

[Skyler4856]

Half life 3 confirmed

[KASASpace]

Umm, are we forgetting that we could have a centrifuge that isn't a whole circle? Maybe three modules, each being suspended by steal cables, that retract and start spinning. Now, I don't know what the optimum distance for 1 g is, but it would be far from the center, so that the angular momentum is felt less.

[Winter Man]

Why is there economic value in finding ways to smelt iron in conditions not found on earth? Seriously, there's a lot of talk about how valuable materials science experiments, etc... performed in space are, but no actual evidence despite several decades of doing do. Like so many other 'space spin offs', it's smoke and mirrors, not results.

The example I gave was more about discovery of different crystalline forms of iron which can be reproduced on Earth. just through different methods. That's generally how industrial discovery works, take a known process, change an unusual variable and see what happens. In this case that variable is gravity, something you can't decrease on Earth. New allotropes can be made in space, studied, then a process for their creation can be devised back on Earth.