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OT true - Russia and the US will work together to build a moon base
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a425couple
Sep 27, 2017, 1:30:56 PM9/27/17
to
(Sure sounds like the premise for a sci-fi novel,
but, it is real & true.)
Russia and the US will work together to build a moon base
This means the Deep Space Gateway might actually happen.
Swapna Krishna, @skrishna
3h ago in Space
NASA
There have been rumors that the US and Russia would be teaming up to
build a lunar base. Sources within the country told Popular Mechanics
that the head of their space organization, Roscosmos, was set to
announce a partnership agreement with NASA this week. Now, Roscosmos and
NASA have both released statements saying stating the two countries'
shared "common vision for human exploration."
They go on to say that Russia and the US will cooperate on a Moon
program, specifically mentioning the Deep Space Gateway by name. That's
the base NASA plans to build in lunar orbit starting in the 2020s (the
statement sets a mid-2020s goal for beginning the project). The release
also mentions that other international partners are considering signing
onto the lunar base
Roscosmos' statement also outlines a rough plan to create a set of
international technical standards for the lunar space station and
beyond. Specifically, both docking ports and life support systems will
be based on Russian design; after all, they have a lot more experience
running a space station and the current life support systems aboard the
ISS are in the Russian section, Zvezda.
Right now, the ISS has different ports for the multiple vehicles that
dock with it. The Russian Soyuz capsule uses a different style docking
port than the Space Shuttle did -- the Americans had to install adapters
to convert Shuttle docking ports and allow private craft like SpaceX's
Dragon to connect with them. Collaboration from the ground up, rather
than making our own plans and partnering with the Russians at the last
minute (like we did with the International Space Station), means that we
can establish, collaborate on and coordinate technical specifications,
making things easier in the medium and long term.
NASA's relying on its much-delayed heavy lift rocket, the SLS, to build
the Deep Space Gateway, but they're only planning on launching it once a
year. That timeline didn't seem feasible, and now Roscosmos's statement
sheds some light: Russia's rockets will help out with the construction.
Both agencies, as well as other ISS partners, are tasking their
countries' respective industry partners with creating concept studies of
what the Gateway might look like.
This is a big deal for many reasons; working together, despite political
tensions, means that our countries are less likely to descend into
outright hostilities. Additionally, NASA's aims have been somewhat
unclear for a long time. They laid out ambitious goals without a clear
plan on how they were going to achieve them, and without the budget to
support them. Since then, the organization has slowly been scaling back.
But now, with international agreements of cooperation, it looks like the
Deep Space Gateway will happen. And because it's we have international
partners, Congress will be less likely to cancel the project; after all,
that's how the International Space Station scraped by with just one vote.
Via: Twitter
Source: Roscosmos, NASA
In this article: deepspacegateway, iss, moonbase, nasa, roscosmos,
space, tomorrow
https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/27/russia-us-cooperate-on-lunar-base/
but, it is real & true.)
Russia and the US will work together to build a moon base
This means the Deep Space Gateway might actually happen.
Swapna Krishna, @skrishna
3h ago in Space
NASA
There have been rumors that the US and Russia would be teaming up to
build a lunar base. Sources within the country told Popular Mechanics
that the head of their space organization, Roscosmos, was set to
announce a partnership agreement with NASA this week. Now, Roscosmos and
NASA have both released statements saying stating the two countries'
shared "common vision for human exploration."
They go on to say that Russia and the US will cooperate on a Moon
program, specifically mentioning the Deep Space Gateway by name. That's
the base NASA plans to build in lunar orbit starting in the 2020s (the
statement sets a mid-2020s goal for beginning the project). The release
also mentions that other international partners are considering signing
onto the lunar base
Roscosmos' statement also outlines a rough plan to create a set of
international technical standards for the lunar space station and
beyond. Specifically, both docking ports and life support systems will
be based on Russian design; after all, they have a lot more experience
running a space station and the current life support systems aboard the
ISS are in the Russian section, Zvezda.
Right now, the ISS has different ports for the multiple vehicles that
dock with it. The Russian Soyuz capsule uses a different style docking
port than the Space Shuttle did -- the Americans had to install adapters
to convert Shuttle docking ports and allow private craft like SpaceX's
Dragon to connect with them. Collaboration from the ground up, rather
than making our own plans and partnering with the Russians at the last
minute (like we did with the International Space Station), means that we
can establish, collaborate on and coordinate technical specifications,
making things easier in the medium and long term.
NASA's relying on its much-delayed heavy lift rocket, the SLS, to build
the Deep Space Gateway, but they're only planning on launching it once a
year. That timeline didn't seem feasible, and now Roscosmos's statement
sheds some light: Russia's rockets will help out with the construction.
Both agencies, as well as other ISS partners, are tasking their
countries' respective industry partners with creating concept studies of
what the Gateway might look like.
This is a big deal for many reasons; working together, despite political
tensions, means that our countries are less likely to descend into
outright hostilities. Additionally, NASA's aims have been somewhat
unclear for a long time. They laid out ambitious goals without a clear
plan on how they were going to achieve them, and without the budget to
support them. Since then, the organization has slowly been scaling back.
But now, with international agreements of cooperation, it looks like the
Deep Space Gateway will happen. And because it's we have international
partners, Congress will be less likely to cancel the project; after all,
that's how the International Space Station scraped by with just one vote.
Via: Twitter
Source: Roscosmos, NASA
In this article: deepspacegateway, iss, moonbase, nasa, roscosmos,
space, tomorrow
https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/27/russia-us-cooperate-on-lunar-base/
J. Clarke
Sep 27, 2017, 10:07:49 PM9/27/17
to
Are they funded for it? If not then it's just puffery.
If there's a moon base, it's going to get there on Falcons, not on
obsolete throwaways.
Loupgarous
Oct 2, 2017, 2:18:23 AM10/2/17
to
On Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 12:30:56 PM UTC-5, a425couple wrote:
> (Sure sounds like the premise for a sci-fi novel,
> but, it is real & true.)
>
> Russia and the US will work together to build a moon base
> This means the Deep Space Gateway might actually happen.
>
> Swapna Krishna, @skrishna
> 3h ago in Space
>
> NASA
> There have been rumors that the US and Russia would be teaming up to
> build a lunar base. Sources within the country told Popular Mechanics
> that the head of their space organization, Roscosmos, was set to
> announce a partnership agreement with NASA this week. Now, Roscosmos and
> NASA have both released statements saying stating the two countries'
> shared "common vision for human exploration."
<snippage>
> (Sure sounds like the premise for a sci-fi novel,
> but, it is real & true.)
>
> Russia and the US will work together to build a moon base
> This means the Deep Space Gateway might actually happen.
>
> Swapna Krishna, @skrishna
> 3h ago in Space
>
> NASA
> There have been rumors that the US and Russia would be teaming up to
> build a lunar base. Sources within the country told Popular Mechanics
> that the head of their space organization, Roscosmos, was set to
> announce a partnership agreement with NASA this week. Now, Roscosmos and
> NASA have both released statements saying stating the two countries'
> shared "common vision for human exploration."
> Via: Twitter
> Source: Roscosmos, NASA
> In this article: deepspacegateway, iss, moonbase, nasa, roscosmos,
> space, tomorrow
>
> https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/27/russia-us-cooperate-on-lunar-base/
Until then, the implausibility factor of our defense contractors and their defense contractors skipping hand in hand to the Moon is pretty high.
If nothing else, the votes just aren't there in Congress. John McCain's guaranteed not only to vote against it, but to lobby hard against it in the Senate.
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is unlikely to have spare time from reinventing ObamaCare to lobby for this, John Kennedy ran on an austerity platform, so the two senators from Louisiana probably aren't going to log-roll very hard for this mission - and the Space Launch System is built right outside New Orleans.
Existing space pork is going to crowd this out for appropriations in the House, especially as it involves cooperation with the politically toxic Russians. Congress wants less dependence on Russia for spacelift, not more.
I have to agree with J. Clarke here - even if there's any political support for the Deep Space Gateway (vanishingly unlikely if we're also getting a 500-ship Navy, too) it'll only be sellable to Congress on Falcons, not the budget-busting SLS or Russian boosters.
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