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posted by Fnord666 on Saturday April 06 2019, @02:39AM   Printer-friendly
from the been-there-done-that dept.

Here's why NASA's audacious return to the Moon just might work

Speaking in front of a high-fidelity model of the Apollo program's Lunar Module spacecraft, Vice President Mike Pence charged NASA with accelerating its Moon plans last week. Instead of 2028, Pence wanted boots on the ground four years earlier, before the end of 2024. This marked the rarest of all moments in spaceflight—a schedule moving left instead of to the right.

Understandably, the aerospace community greeted the announcement with a healthy dose of skepticism. Many rocket builders, spaceship designers, flight controllers, and space buffs have seen this movie before. Both in 1989 and 2004, Republican administrations have announced ambitious Moon-then-Mars deep space plans only to see them die for lack of funding and White House backing.

And yet, this new proposal holds some promise. Pence, as well as NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, have adopted a clear goal for the agency and promised enduring political support. Moreover, they have said the "end" matters more than the "means." This suggests that whatever rockets and spacecraft NASA uses to reach the Moon, the plan should be based on the best-available, most cost-effective technology. In short, they want to foster a healthy, open competition in the US aerospace industry to help NASA and America reach its goals.

[...] Pence directed NASA to land humans at the lunar south pole by 2024. Most likely, this would be a two- or four-person crew that would include the first woman to visit the Moon. Landing near the poles is significant because the Apollo missions half a century ago stayed relatively close to the Moon's equator, and NASA would like to understand whether water ice resources truly exist in abundance near the poles in shadowed craters.

[...] It is politically expedient to keep the SLS rocket, however, because it is based at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. Bridenstine understands that there is no way he is getting NASA to the Moon by 2024 over the opposition of the Alabama delegation both in the House and Senate, which remains dead set against side-lining the rocket for cheaper commercial options.

So the administrator appears to be making the one play available to him: giving the SLS rocket a chance to succeed while also putting the program on notice. Bridenstine has told senior NASA engineers to take needed steps to give the rocket its best chance to launch in 2020, even to the point of waiving a traditional but time-consuming test firing of the core stage at a Mississippi center. He has also told the rocket's primary contractor, Boeing, that this is probably their last chance to execute on a contract that has cost NASA billions of dollars. In a year or two, if SLS continues to slip, Bridenstine will be able to say he tried.

Related: How to Get Back to the Moon in 4 Years, Permanently
President Trump Signs Space Policy Directive 1
After the Falcon Heavy Launch, Time to Defund the Space Launch System?
2020s to Become the Decade of Lunar Re-Exploration
White House Budget Request Would Move Launches from SLS to Commercial Providers
NASA Chief Says a Falcon Heavy Rocket Could Fly Humans to the Moon


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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday April 06 2019, @03:31AM (16 children)

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday April 06 2019, @03:31AM (#825260) Homepage

    I think it has more to do with the fact that America can now actually put people on the moon, unlike that hoax that happened decades earlier.

    First principles: If we had the ability to land people on the moon in those days, then we'd already have been exploiting the moon for a decade or two at least. That bitch would have been mined so goddamn hard that it'd be a fraction of its current size and tides and surfers would be banished to the dustbin of history and the lyrics of Beach Boys albums.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @03:54AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @03:54AM (#825267)

    If we had the ability to land people on the moon in those days, then we'd already have been exploiting the moon for a decade or two at least.

    We have been. If you go around the back side, you'll see it's all hollowed out and all the scaffolding holding up the facade facing us. It is a paper moon

    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @03:57AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @03:57AM (#825270)

      No, it's because they found evidence the sun goes nova every 5-15k years and it scared the crap out of them. The surface had evidence of widespread geologically recent melting.

      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:09PM

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:09PM (#825414) Journal

        No, it's because they found evidence the sun goes nova every 5-15k years and it scared the crap out of them.

        No evidence of that on Earth which would also be affected. Let's think about it. Start with how hot things must get in order for melting to occur. 500 C is a basic minimum [hypertextbook.com].

        "Depending on it's composition, some glass will melt at temperatures as low as 500 °C (900 °F), others melt at 1650 °C (3180 °F)"

        Current lunar peak temperatures observed were somewhere around 130 C. Let's convert those into Kelvin by adding 273 to the Celcius numbers. Roughly, 770 K versus present day 400 K. For a black body which the Moon reasonably approximates, the heat radiated is the fourth power of the surface temperature in Kelvin ( (770/400)^4 ~13). To maintain that temperature for any length of time requires a solar influx that increases by roughly an order of magnitude. Even a short exposure (but long enough to melt rock on the Moon) is going to absolutely fry the Earth's land surface and start to boil away the oceans.

  • (Score: 1, Troll) by jmorris on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:00AM (2 children)

    by jmorris (4844) on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:00AM (#825273)

    Nah, we did the moon landing but it was a pointless PR stunt. Look at the cost, there was nothing there to justify a tenth of the expense. We did it with stone knives, bearskins, balls of steel and Sagan's of cash. One can make the argument it was worth it to beat the Soviets there in the sense of it being a front in the Cold War, but once that was achieved there was nothing to justify spending that kind of money just for more bags of rock.

    Now we are on the edge of having the tech to have legit business up there; especially if we find ice. We could have a moonbase in my lifetime! Hopefully at least one of the original men who walked there will live to see us return.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:11AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:11AM (#825277)

      It's cheaper because we are reaping the benefits of research into dark matter.

      • (Score: 2, Disagree) by Gaaark on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:20AM

        by Gaaark (41) on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:20AM (#825284) Journal

        Ah! My evil twin/arch enemy posting AC!

        --
        --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:04AM (2 children)

    by Immerman (3985) on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:04AM (#825275)

    Getting there, and getting there cost effectively, are two rather different things. Not to mention that we're finally beginning to have the technology necessary to at least envision profitable exploitation. Rocket science is easy compared to robotics, long-term semi-closed ecosystem management, etc.

    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @03:57PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @03:57PM (#825412)

      Getting there, and getting there cost effectively, are two rather different things.

      What cost effectiveness? What could possibly generate a profit on the moon that can't be done with a greater profit on earth? If going to moon were to cost $1000, it would be a waste of 1000 dollars.

      The only value the moon business produces is the money kept from arms forces and manufacturers and the incidental scientific and engineering developments occurring while presuming its exploration. It's a symptom and a symbol for our corrupt way of life. The Emperor's life elixir. Branded and delivered to every household.

      You know what would be cost-effective? Taking all that moon money and putting it into the infrastructure or education or anything really that doesn't involve Star Trek reruns.

      Fuck the moon.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @09:46PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @09:46PM (#825514)

        Here's what's cheaper - and more useful. Put money into figuring out how to create living spaces in the ocean. It's horrifically expensive and difficult but at least 100 times easier and more comfortable than the moon. The fucking moon, give me a break. Things like air and water and temperature are ridiculous luxuries there. Get real morans.

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:17AM (5 children)

    by Gaaark (41) on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:17AM (#825282) Journal

    I think it's also a 'worry' thing: what ARE the Chinese doing over there on the dark side where 'we' can't see them?

    AND, we're losing face: we gotta go back and do something REAL.

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:32AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:32AM (#825291)

      The Chinese are checking for glass. NASA only checked on one hemisphere, so it is not known if the entire surface has been melted or just the half facing the sun at the time. If it is the entire surface that confirms it must be a relatively common occurrence, happening at least twice in the last 30k years.

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Saturday April 06 2019, @05:13AM

        by Gaaark (41) on Saturday April 06 2019, @05:13AM (#825297) Journal

        Checking for glass...AND MAKING Nucular bombies to drop on Murica!

        Maybe. :)

        --
        --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @03:17PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @03:17PM (#825395)

      The threat of China claiming the moon like they claimed the South China Sea is the ONLY thing that can Motivate America to get get there and get there on a credible timetable.

      • (Score: 3, Interesting) by bob_super on Saturday April 06 2019, @05:59PM (1 child)

        by bob_super (1357) on Saturday April 06 2019, @05:59PM (#825442)

        The threat of China winning with focused, central, long-term planning is the motivation.
        Can't let people start believing that this socialist shit might be worth a damn!

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @09:48PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @09:48PM (#825516)

          I say give it to them. Most expensive white elephant EVARRRRR.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:52AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 06 2019, @04:52AM (#825293)

    I think it has more to do with the fact that America can now actually put people on the moon, unlike that hoax that happened decades earlier.

    I know, right? Have you seen this documentary [wikipedia.org]? It's quite enlightening! And it's not just on YouTube either! It's got a whole Wikipedia page to itself, so you know it's on the up and up!