Space exploration future

Talk about scientific and technological developments in the future
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Lariliss
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Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2021 7:33 am

Space exploration future

Post by Lariliss »

There are two branches for space exploration: far missions and near-earth ones.
I believe, the technology, engineering tests, time and effort that is spent for both are intertwined.

The Moon, Mars, Venus and Mercury missions are set. James Webb Telescope is to be launched.

The are many countries and companies are participating in all processes, having main questions in front them:
- Harnessing AI more effectively for the satellites control, thus possibly reducing their number;
- Debris removal technologies for new launches;
- Making launches clean, using ecofuel;
- Making facilities more reliable and effective with 3D printing;
- Making ‘traffic rules’ on the orbit.

The global economy, society, safety and everyday life are unthinkable without all the space missions planned and on-going.
Hopefully, it will go on in a controlled way and the positive effects, making the leaps of today.
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caltrek
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Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: Space exploration future

Post by caltrek »

^^^Nice idea for a thread. Often, I find articles on this very subject. They end up in the catch-all "Space News and Discussion" sub-forum.

I also like to post articles on astronomy in that location.

I think a lot that we have to learn about space travel may be along the lines of "be careful what you wish for..." I mean, do you really and truly want to explore first hand beyond the event horizon of a black hole?

Put another way, there are lots of relatively near term opportunities to explore our immediate solar system. Beyond that becomes highly problematic. Thanks to science fiction, most people leap to the conclusion that such exploration will be made possible by faster-than-light (FTL) travel. How to travel FTL?

Why simply warp space.

Right (he says skeptically).

I remember a Star Trek (Next Generation) episode where the crew of the Enterprise realizes that FTL warp drive is causing severe "environmental" problems in a particular sector of our galaxy. Unintended consequences of the FTL solution. So, maybe, FTL travel will one day be possible, but we as a species will have to figure out the answer to a lot of very difficult questions. Much like we had to work out a lot of difficult questions before we could build heavier than air planes.

Then there are the environmental problems brought on by such aircraft. (Depending on what fuel is used, how loud they are, where they travel, unwanted hitchhikers like nasty viruses, etc.) As I say...be careful what you wish for...
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
Lariliss
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2021 7:33 am

Re: Space exploration future

Post by Lariliss »

Right, caltrek, exactly. Thank you.

There is another strong point. We know all the problems that are going to happen and are happening right now and already a fact.
The name of it is pollution, which is ignored until it becomes a threat to animals first, ecosystems, then to us in certain numbers.

There is intrinsic human feature of exploration. And how possible to sit and wait, when we are making some history right now.
Another intrinsic one is garbage, unfortunately.

Most of attention and admiration is to the image of colonizing, terraforming (maybe in 10,000 years?). Magic flight of 7 bln in 30 years to new extraterrestrial homes.
It is harder to look around and take more real steps for everyone.

In this case as for 'space exploration' we know, that the satellites are doing a good job for data collecting and surveillance.
And all of us might 'come back to earth' and do the job here.
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