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Why I believe in flags and footprints NOW.
I have some time on my hands, so let's stir the soup[1].
Based on this premise from a previous post: That's why it will be up to private enterprise to open the space frontier if it ever is. They key to that, is making a buck, as in the saying "No bucks, no Buck Rodgers". If it can't economically sustain itself it won't matter much how or when we got there. We won't be able to stay. I suggest there are plenty of abandoned mining towns in the US West that proves that out. Now private enterprise doesn't a-priori *need* the government to assist other than if they have existing contracts that enable their space technology, as long as it's on a non-exclusionary basis, all is well. As it turns out I think you can make a compelling argument that without COTS now evolved into Commercial Crew, SpaceX would not exist. Maybe companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin and even Electron Rocket would but they obviously aren't as far along as SpaceX has gotten with government help. Now given that, HERE is my argument for why SpaceX (or possibly Blue Origin) should mount a flags and footprint mission to the Mars ASAP. Every dollar wasted on SLS, albeit a drop in the bucket as far as the federal budget is concerned, were that money diverted to developing or subcontracting private enterprise to develop actual USEFUL technology for Mars habitation, such as growing food, nuclear power, habitat creation, sustainable life support, studies of human physiology in low gravity, etc. etc. All of that would be a HUGE BOON to human space exploration and expansion. As opposed to wasting billions on a rocket and launch system that has actually NOTHING to do with Mars and can barely get us back to the moon, at a tremendous expense and in a way known to be unsustainable, i.e. unable to self-sustain. A mission to Mars with a short stay duration and return would kill SLS. Once a fait accompli, there is no point to it. Then and perhaps only then will the money be reassigned into more productive means. Of course there is always a risk it would NOT be assigned to space. That is a risk. Companies like SpaceX obviously must plan to go it alone in any case. However, if it enables the former it is well worth the risk. A flags and footprints mission to the Moon by private enterprise *might* accomplish the same goal. That could certainly be mounted even sooner and at far less expense and I'd be willing to try it followed by a wait and see to see if that would be enough to kill off SLS. I fear not. The REAL billion dollar question is how to re-organize the government space program to outlast the administrations that administer it. Maybe the only way to do that is via an international consortium. I can't see that being very successful either unless it was non-governmental. On the other hand, if it's an NGO I'm convinced there won't be enough money involved to make a difference. Dave [1] or substitute your preferred substance... |
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