Construction Platform

What we really need is a orbital construction platform to construct larger
craft on. And big enough to house some labratories for research and/tourism

"Renee Keller" wrote:

What we really need is a orbital construction platform to construct larger
craft on. And big enough to house some labratories for research and/tourism

Why? Here on earth one rarely finds such facilities comingled.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

"Derek Lyons" wrote in message
...
"Renee Keller" wrote:

What we really need is a orbital construction platform to construct
larger
craft on. And big enough to house some labratories for research
and/tourism

Why? Here on earth one rarely finds such facilities comingled.



Because it provides options for growth.

"Renee Keller" wrote in message
nk.net...

"Derek Lyons" wrote in message
...
"Renee Keller" wrote:

What we really need is a orbital construction platform to construct
larger
craft on. And big enough to house some labratories for research
and/tourism

Why? Here on earth one rarely finds such facilities comingled.



Because it provides options for growth.

Actually it doesn't. One of the reasons (ostensibly) for doing research in
orbit is microgravity. Tourism causes problems with that. (as it is, the
goal is to group the number of dockings (Soyuz, Progress, Shuttle, ATV) into
short periods of time so they can maximize the period of time with the least
amount of vibrations, etc.

"Renee Keller" wrote:
"Derek Lyons" wrote in message
...
"Renee Keller" wrote:

What we really need is a orbital construction platform to construct
larger craft on. And big enough to house some labratories for research
and/tourism

Why? Here on earth one rarely finds such facilities comingled.


Because it provides options for growth.


What options?

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

orbital construction platform to construct
larger craft on. And big enough to house some labratories for research
and/tourism


What he really means is a orbital statrion with a free flying mictro gravity
workshop.

although arent they cutting the microgravity research dramatically in favor of
long duration survival of people in orbit?
HAVE A GREAT DAY!

"Derek Lyons" wrote in message
...

Because it provides options for growth.


What options?


I am so glad you asked that.

First, if we are going to go to Mars and beyond, we are going to need larger
craft. It is too costly to launch the whole thing from earth and still get
it there. It is much better to Launch it from orbit. A construction
platform provides the means to build more than one craft in orbit for
various missions, and a place to return to without having to worry about the
riggers of atmospheric flight. No matter where we go, the cost come WAY
down if we have the means to manufactur what we need at that locations. On
the moon, on Mars, Europa, Titan or Pluto. Imagine if we can build
everything we need right there.

"Renee Keller" wrote:


"Derek Lyons" wrote in message
...

Because it provides options for growth.


What options?


I am so glad you asked that.


verbiage that fails to answer the question as to how co-locating
multiple disparate functions provides options for growth.... Snipped.

I wish you had answered it.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

"Derek Lyons" wrote in message
...
"Renee Keller" wrote:


I am so glad you asked that.


verbiage that fails to answer the question as to how co-locating
multiple disparate functions provides options for growth.... Snipped.

I wish you had answered it.


I thought I did. Which part are you unclear about? Lets say you are
planning a maned trip to Europa. You can build the craft in one of two
locations. You can build it on earth and launch it from there, or you can
build it in orbit and launch it from there. If you launch it from earth, it
must have all the extra material to survive the trip out of the atmosphere.
It must also have a powerful enough engine and enough fuel to break orbit.
If on the other hand it is constructed in orbit, we will not have to worry
about the structure being able to survive the atmosphere, nor the engine
power or as much fuel. You still have to get the materials up to orbit to
build it, but it will not have the same required engine or the larger
superstructure. If it were launched from earth the fuel / mass ratio
increases exponentially. From orbit it does not.

Now, the question was how does this provide us more options? Should we pau
to have a space station for research, pay for another one to do
construction, and pay for yet another one as a space base of operations?
No, we should combine them into one, and get as much functionality out of it
as possible. In a nutt shell, lower cost=easier expansion. If it is
easier, we are not left with as few choices. If we cannot do orbital
construction, we have one (1) option which is to build it on the surface and
launch it. If we have a orbital shipyard, we have at least two (2) options.
Build it in orbit, or in orbit. Two is greator than one. OPTIONS!

How in the hell did mankind ever get out of caves.

"Renee Keller" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Derek Lyons" wrote in message
...

Because it provides options for growth.


What options?


I am so glad you asked that.

First, if we are going to go to Mars and beyond, we are going to need
larger
craft. It is too costly to launch the whole thing from earth and still
get
it there. It is much better to Launch it from orbit. A construction
platform provides the means to build more than one craft in orbit for
various missions, and a place to return to without having to worry about
the
riggers of atmospheric flight. No matter where we go, the cost come WAY
down if we have the means to manufactur what we need at that locations. On
the moon, on Mars, Europa, Titan or Pluto. Imagine if we can build
everything we need right there.

I am. And the costs are staggering until you have an organically grown
infrastructure in place to begin with.

I mean if you need to build a 1 million kg craft to get to Mars and use the
Moon as a base, you'd damn well better have to launch less than 1 million kg
in infrastructure to build that craft. Otherwise it's cheaper to launch
direct.

Granted, over time it may be cheaper (if you're launching 1 million craft a
couple times a year from the Moon, you might find an advantage, but you have
to do the math first.)

Right now orbital assembly with parts build right here on good old terra
firma is cheaper.