NASA & World Space Exploration...News, Views, Photos & videos

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Judging by the recent post in the China Space exploration thread there is some interest in the World space exploration in our forum.

In this thread discuss , US, Russian(USSR) , European and other nations Space exploration. Discuss both manned and satellite exploration.

Adhere to the rules of this forum when posting. No flaming, trolling, insults or country bashing!! This means you!

When I get home I'll post something to kick things off.

Enjoy..
 
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bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Re: World Space Exploration..Past..Present & Future!

I'm very disappointed with the direction of the Us space program..i.e. NASA. Particulary NASA manned missions.

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I can honestly state that when I was growing up in the 60's I felt after Apollo 11 that the US would have men on Mars within 15 years.. of course that never happened. In stead the US manned missions were stagnated with Skylab and the Space Shuttle. Both series were successful but they did not father the exploration of space.
 

antiterror13

Brigadier
Re: World Space Exploration..Past..Present & Future!

Popeye. Are you disappointed because other country/ies are progressing OR because the US "stop" exploring the space ? If no other country were progressing, would you be still disappointed ?
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Re: World Space Exploration..Past..Present & Future!

antiterror, I'm disappointed because the US has nearly stopped exploring space. I'm happy other countries are going ahead with space exploration. Perhaps there will be more cooperation between the US and other nations on this subject.
 

solarz

Brigadier
Re: World Space Exploration..Past..Present & Future!

I'm very disappointed with the direction of the Us space program..i.e. NASA. Particulary NASA manned missions.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


I can honestly state that when I was growing up in the 60's I felt after Apollo 11 that the US would have men on Mars within 15 years.. of course that never happened. In stead the US manned missions were stagnated with Skylab and the Space Shuttle. Both series were successful but they did not father the exploration of space.

I've heard it be said that the US's landing on the moon was an "aberration" of sorts: an achievement that was way beyond what was technologically feasible at the time. It is somewhat akin to the Vikings landing on North America: long boats vs the caravels of Columbus.

As such, I think we are now progressing at a more natural pace. Achieving markers such as Mars landings might be interesting for the press, but is of little value scientifically unless we are also able to *do something* there.
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Re: World Space Exploration..Past..Present & Future!

^^^ I agree somewhat but it was done with the technology available at that time in history.

2mmddzo.jpg


A Delta IV-Heavy rocket lifts off from Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Friday, June 29, 2012. The rocket is carrying a classified satellite for the National Reconaissance Office.
 

bladerunner

Banned Idiot
Re: World Space Exploration..Past..Present & Future!

^^^ I agree somewhat but it was done with the technology available at that time in history.

2mmddzo.jpg


Very True, and this is my Favourite Video r. epresenting that era. Its extremelty stirring and does something to you when one watches it. and the men sitting on top of all that have gotta be slightly mad I reckon.;)

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Quickie

Colonel
Re: World Space Exploration..Past..Present & Future!

I suppose it wasn't in slow motion. It just shows how heavy the thing is.
 

bladerunner

Banned Idiot
Re: World Space Exploration..Past..Present & Future!

Team chews over Mars menu options

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Through a labyrinth of hallways deep inside a 1950s-era building that has housed research that dates back to the origins of United States space travel, scientists in white coats are stirring, mixing, measuring, brushing and, most important, tasting the end result of their cooking.

Their mission: Build a menu for a planned journey to Mars in the 2030s.

The menu must sustain a group of six to eight astronauts, keep them healthy and happy and also offer a broad array of food. That's no simple feat considering it will likely take six months to get to the red planet, astronauts will have to stay there 18 months and then it will take another six months to return to Earth. Imagine having to shop for a family's three-year supply of groceries all at once and having enough meals planned in advance for that length of time.

"Mars is different just because it's so far away," said Maya Cooper, senior research scientist with Lockheed Martin, who is leading the efforts to build the menu. "We don't have the option to send a vehicle every six months and send more food as we do for the International Space Station."

Astronauts who travel to the space station have a wide variety of food available to them, some 100 or so different options, in fact. But it is all pre-prepared and freeze-dried with a shelf life of at least two years.

And while astronauts make up a panel that tastes the food and gives it a final okay on Earth before it blasts off, the lack of gravity means smell and taste is impaired. So the food is bland.

On Mars though, there is more gravity, allowing Nasa to consider significant changes to the present space menu. That's where Cooper's team comes in. Travel to Mars opens the possibility that astronauts can do things like chop vegetables and do a little cooking of their own. Even though pressure levels are different from Earth, scientists think it will be possible to boil water with a pressure cooker.

One option Cooper and her staff are considering is having the astronauts care for a "Martian greenhouse". They would have a variety of fruits and vegetables from carrots to bell peppers in a hydroponic solution, meaning they would be planted in mineral-laced water instead of soil. The astronauts would care for their garden and then use those ingredients, combined with others, such as nuts and spices brought from Earth, to prepare their meals.

The top priority is to ensure that the astronauts get the proper amount of nutrients, calories and minerals to maintain their physical health and performance for the life of the mission, Cooper said.

The menu must also maintain the psychological health of the astronauts, Cooper explained, noting studies have shown that eating certain foods improves people's mood and give them satisfaction. That "link to home" will be key to astronauts on the Mars mission, and there are currently two academic studies looking further into the connection between mood and food. Lacking certain vitamins or minerals can also harm the brain, she said.

Already, Cooper's team of three has come up with about 100 recipes, all vegetarian because the astronauts will not have dairy or meat products available. It isn't possible to preserve those products long enough to take to Mars and bringing a cow on the mission is not an option, Cooper jokes.

To ensure the vegetarian diet packs the right amount of protein, the researchers are designing a variety of dishes that include tofu and nuts, including a Thai pizza that has no cheese but is covered with carrots, red peppers, mushrooms, scallions, peanuts and a homemade sauce that has a spicy kick.

To keep this menu going, and get the most out of any research about food sustainability on Mars, Cooper says it's possible Nasa will choose to have one astronaut solely dedicated to preparing the food.

Cooper is also building an alternative pre-packaged menu, similar to how things are done for crews that do six-month stints on the International Space Station. For this option, though, the food will need to have a five-year shelf life compared with the two years available now.

The ideal, though, would be to combine the two options.

"So they would have some fresh crop and some food that we would send from Earth," Cooper said.

- AP

Only vegetarian food..... Yuk
 

no_name

Colonel
Re: World Space Exploration..Past..Present & Future!

I've heard it be said that the US's landing on the moon was an "aberration" of sorts: an achievement that was way beyond what was technologically feasible at the time. It is somewhat akin to the Vikings landing on North America: long boats vs the caravels of Columbus.

As such, I think we are now progressing at a more natural pace. Achieving markers such as Mars landings might be interesting for the press, but is of little value scientifically unless we are also able to *do something* there.

It might have been a tough feat but obviously they feel confident enough to return 5 or 6 times after Apollo 11.
Whether the cost justifies at that time is another matter.
 
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