Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Odysseus


Recommended Posts

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/02/it-turns-out-that-odysseus-landed-on-the-moon-without-any-altimetry-data/#lt52fvfep5ixtqvlf1

 

"

You can say whatever you want to say," Altemus said. "But from my perspective, this is an absolute success of a mission. Holy crap. The things that you go through to fly to the Moon. The learning, just every step of the way, is tremendous."

Altemus will participate in a news conference on Wednesday at Johnson Space Center to provide a fuller perspective of the journey of Odysseus to the Moon and all those learnings. But I got the sense he invited me to the company's offices Tuesday because he was itching to tell someone—to tell the world—that although Odysseus had toppled over after touching down, the mission was, in his words, an absolute success."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder what poor technician is going to take the blame for the craft toppling? 
The engineers always blame the techs. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

My gal asked me "Why are they going back to the moon, there was nothing there the last time?" I told here that regardless of the BS that the private and government entities give about scientific research and it'll be easier to launch from the moon for further space exploration...it's really all about the possible fortunes to be made from mining the moon for minerals/materials that are rare on Earth. Of course, when enough of these rare minerals/materials are brought back to Earth, they will no longer be rare and thereby prices for such items will fall. The entire "easier to launch from the moon" reasoning is the most obvious line of bs...lets launch stuff from Earth, take it to the moon and then launch from there...say what???

 

I'm glad for private space exploration and I think it's an outstanding achievement for a private company to put a lander on the moon, even though it did topple over. They are after the same thing that governments of India, China, the US, Japan and others are interested in....materials/minerals and ultimately...money. I just don't think that private investors are interested in research...they're interested in return on their money.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am looking forward to the day when we can’t launch rockets due to all the space junk floating around our planet. 
Then private industry high tech junk collecting will be a real thing. :D

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just wait til the Aliens get pi$$d about all the litter we leave up there!

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Cypress Sun launch to moon build there launch from moon. No need to bring stuff to earth.  Just the helium3 alone is worth it if we can get sustained fusion tech locked in.

 

@Pat Riot. I can see a day when there is an industry recovering that stuff for the metal and scrap value. Movie about that on Netflix. And asteroid mining I can see that as a need if any sort of space industry starts up

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, Texas Joker said:

I can see a day when there is an industry recovering that stuff for the metal and scrap value. Movie about that on Netflix. And asteroid mining I can see that as a need if any sort of space industry starts up

I agree

Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Texas Joker said:

@Cypress Sun launch to moon build there launch from moon. No need to bring stuff to earth.  Just the helium3 alone is worth it if we can get sustained fusion tech locked in.

 

@Pat Riot. I can see a day when there is an industry recovering that stuff for the metal and scrap value. Movie about that on Netflix. And asteroid mining I can see that as a need if any sort of space industry starts up

 

Texas Joker, I'm not talking about bringing stuff from the moon to Earth. I heard a spokesman for NASA stating that private research is needed so that we can launch FROM the moon to save fuel/money/etc. as there is no where near as much gravity and no atmosphere to overcome. Until a transporter, ala Star Trek, is invented...one still needs to get the material to the moon first. The entire save fuel/money/etc reasoning doesn't make any sense at all. They seemed to have forgot about that and a little snag called cosmic radiation due to having no atmosphere.

 

Pat Riot, the space junk is getting worse and worse. It used to be that only certain countries had equipment in orbit around the Earth. Now anybody with a Estee's rocket seems to have something up there, it's getting worse and there's little to no oversight or regulation regarding it. Even at present day, it is almost impossible to go out (in a remote, dark location) and look up at the stars, planets and galaxies without detecting movement from satellites across the sky. IMO, Space X's unlimited launching of low orbit satellites is out of control with no signs of letting up.

 

As far as space mining goes, good, I'm all for it...but private/government companies stating BS reasons reminds me of the old saying "Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining".  As far as recovery and "recycle" of old space equipment, I don't see that being profitable due to re-entry factors and costs but I'm no expert...I'm just fascinated by all things space related.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

Texas Joker, I'm not talking about bringing stuff from the moon to Earth. I heard a spokesman for NASA stating that private research is needed so that we can launch FROM the moon to save fuel/money/etc. as there is no where near as much gravity and no atmosphere to overcome. Until a transporter, ala Star Trek, is invented...one still needs to get the material to the moon first. The entire save fuel/money/etc reasoning doesn't make any sense at all. 

4 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

My gal asked me "Why are they going back to the moon, there was nothing there the last time?" I told here that regardless of the BS that the private and government entities give about scientific research and it'll be easier to launch from the moon for further space exploration...it's really all about the possible fortunes to be made from mining the moon for minerals/materials that are rare on Earth. Of course, when enough of these rare minerals/materials are brought back to Earth, they will no longer be rare and thereby prices for such items will fall. The entire "easier to launch from the moon" reasoning is the most obvious line of bs...lets launch stuff from Earth, take it to the moon and then launch from there...say what???

 

You said ♤.  Mine materials on the moon. Make rocket either on moon or in orbit. Launch from MUCH shallower gravity well. Achieve asteroid belt get more material repeat

 

 Yes itll be expensive to bootstrap infrastructure to the moon or orbit but once there it's done. And can be used to stepping stone into stellar civilization.  

 

Radiation shielding will be done by burying habitats. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Texas Joker said:

You said ♤.  Mine materials on the moon. Make rocket either on moon or in orbit. Launch from MUCH shallower gravity well. Achieve asteroid belt get more material repeat

 

 Yes itll be expensive to bootstrap infrastructure to the moon or orbit but once there it's done. And can be used to stepping stone into stellar civilization.  

 

Radiation shielding will be done by burying habitats. 

 

By that time, I'll be long dead and will cease to give a... I mean, cease to care.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, ships starting off from Earth are very limited in the tonnage they can carry because of the huge fuel load they have just to get into orbit. 

 

Use Luna as a sort of base camp so that instead of 90% (for example) of the tonnage being fuel that will be burned just getting into orbit,  the ships can invert that and 90% is cargo, food, water,  equipment,  etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had always thought of the asteroid belt as an enormous resource . It is about the mass of 3 to 4% of the moon spread over an area of 140 million miles depth and 2.3 billion miles in circumference and I did not find a number for the width of the belt. That seems to me like looking for gold nuggets in the Sahara desert when you think of looking for minerals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

Okay, ships starting off from Earth are very limited in the tonnage they can carry because of the huge fuel load they have just to get into orbit. 

 

Use Luna as a sort of base camp so that instead of 90% (for example) of the tonnage being fuel that will be burned just getting into orbit,  the ships can invert that and 90% is cargo, food, water,  equipment,  etc.

 

All of that has to get to the moon somehow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is water and silicon on the moon. That makes solar panels and fuel. 

 

He3 if fusion is available.

 

Metals from lunar  formation. Or recover/ repurpose old satellites for metal or components. 

 

And there will be a resource cost to get the initial startup there. Might never be self sustaining but a better use of resources than some things we spend tax money on

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

All of that has to get to the moon somehow.

But that is not the main mission. The main mission is say going to Mars. You won't need the fuel to blast off from Earth for the Mars shot. Yes you will still need stock the lunar base camp from Earth, but will be done with ships designed for hauling cargo, not a flight to Mars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I had always thought of the asteroid belt as an enormous resource . It is about the mass of 3 to 4% of the moon spread over an area of 140 million miles depth and 2.3 billion miles in circumference and I did not find a number for the width of the belt. That seems to me like looking for gold nuggets in the Sahara desert when you think of looking for minerals.

After thinking again, it’d be like trying to find gold dust in the Pacific Ocean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

After thinking again, it’d be like trying to find gold dust in the Pacific Ocean.

 

Cost effective, plain to see.

  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

All of that has to get to the moon somehow.

 

Yep.  Which doesn't take anything away from the fact that an expedition ship launching from Luna will be able to carry less fuel and more food,  water,  and equipment than one launching from Earth. 

 

 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.