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posted by mrpg on Sunday October 01 2017, @09:38AM   Printer-friendly

The U.S. and Russia will work together to develop a space station orbiting the Moon. Canada, Japan, and the ESA have also expressed interest in the project:

At this year's International Astronautical Congress, NASA and Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, signed a joint statement expressing their intent to work collaboratively toward the development of a space station further out from Earth, orbiting the Moon, as a staging point for both lunar surface exploration and deeper space science.

This is part of NASA's expressed desire to explore and develop its so-called "deep space gateway" concept, which it intends to be a strategic base from which to expand the range and capabilities of human space exploration. NASA wants to get humans out into space beyond the Moon, in other words, and the gateway concept would establish an orbital space station in the vicinity of the Moon to help make this a more practical possibility.

Let's hope that the station, if built, becomes a refueling station that can store and distribute fuel produced on the Moon.

Deep Space Gateway. Also at The Guardian.

Previously: NASA Eyeing Mini Space Station in Lunar Orbit as Stepping Stone to Mars

Related: Moon Base Could Cost Just $10 Billion Due to New Technologies
ESA Expert Envisions "Moon Village" by 2030-2050
Scientists Scout Sub-Surface Settlement Sites on the Moon and Mars


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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Sunday October 01 2017, @11:07AM (5 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Sunday October 01 2017, @11:07AM (#575528) Journal

    Let's hope that the station, if built, becomes a refueling station

    Just don't kill Bruce Willis a second time in a thermonuclear explosion, once was enough; he's old enough now, he may not recover.

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @11:31AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @11:31AM (#575534)

      What? Moon Nazis? I think I have seen this very bad movie once before. . .

      • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday October 01 2017, @11:40AM

        by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Sunday October 01 2017, @11:40AM (#575535) Journal

        What? Moon Nazis?

        Nah, mate, the documentary with Moon Nazis very likely starred Harrison Ford.

        --
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 4, Funny) by Thexalon on Sunday October 01 2017, @11:54AM (2 children)

      by Thexalon (636) on Sunday October 01 2017, @11:54AM (#575537)

      Actually, what seems relevant is this:
      "Russian components, American components ... ALL MADE IN TAIWAN!"

      --
      The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
      • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday October 01 2017, @12:05PM (1 child)

        by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Sunday October 01 2017, @12:05PM (#575540) Journal

        "Russian components, American components ... ALL MADE IN TAIWAN!"

        I was tempted, but... it's no longer. true.
        They moved everything in Shenzhen [theguardian.com]

        --
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
        • (Score: 2) by requerdanos on Sunday October 01 2017, @06:04PM

          by requerdanos (5997) Subscriber Badge on Sunday October 01 2017, @06:04PM (#575624) Journal

          I feel confident, however, that both NASA and Roscosmos personnel will be able to restore some malfunctioning components to proper functionality by solidly whacking them. This does not, as has been alleged, simply make the whackor feel better. Rather, it resets electrical and physical junctions between parts in a way that can restore lost functionality. AND makes the whackor feel better.

          (Related Youtube video, This Is How We Fix Problems On Russian Space Station [youtube.com].)

  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday October 01 2017, @01:28PM (2 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday October 01 2017, @01:28PM (#575547) Journal
    I believe we now have at least three different claims to do exciting things in space in the near future: this plan to build an orbital space station around the Moon (called currently "Deep Space Gateway"), the Chinese/ESA plan [soylentnews.org], and SpaceX's plan to go to Mars [slate.com] has been updated (by 2024 is the current claim).

    Funny how all these plans come out whenever someone decides to do something. Unfortunately, it appears that not a one of them is being worked on. We'll see if that changes down the road.
    • (Score: 4, Informative) by legont on Sunday October 01 2017, @02:19PM (1 child)

      by legont (4179) on Sunday October 01 2017, @02:19PM (#575557)

      The world is in crisis - the old fashioned overproduction crisis - and in debt. We need serious growth no matter what. That's why everybody is looking for an acceptable pyramid project be it electric cars or space or whatever. Would it work? I sure hope so.

      Because if not, capacity would have to be reduced using the old WW method. The preparations are on the way as well and the only question is who will be bombed.

      From this point of view it does not make sense to bomb Korea or even Russia - not enough capacity to destroy - but China and/or the US. Unfortunately, Putin is not buying.

      --
      "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday October 01 2017, @08:24PM

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday October 01 2017, @08:24PM (#575663) Journal
        What overproduction crisis? The developing world is growing fast and they need a lot of stuff. I think we're still in a phase of underproduction rather than overproduction.

        But even if we do get to true overproduction on a global scale, we always have recessions, the non-violent way to cut back.
  • (Score: 3, Informative) by requerdanos on Sunday October 01 2017, @05:58PM (4 children)

    by requerdanos (5997) Subscriber Badge on Sunday October 01 2017, @05:58PM (#575622) Journal

    Given the current headline, "NASA and Roscosmos Sign Join Statement on the Development of a Lunar Space Station," one might wonder whether NASA and Roscosmos are "signing" a statement, or "joining" one. Should one of the words instead be "signers," or should one of the words instead be "joint," or is something lost in translation/плoхoй пepeвoд?

    Bonus points: What is lame-as-in-lameness-filter about two words out of fifty-seven being in Russian, and how could using mixed Cyrillic and Latin characters (as above) instead of just Cyrillic characters (tried and failed) for the two Russian words possibly be less and not more lame? It's like an ironic vortex of layered lameness and meta-lameness...

    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday October 01 2017, @06:12PM (3 children)

      by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Sunday October 01 2017, @06:12PM (#575628) Journal

      It took many hours for anyone to catch it. Guess my headline error slipped through the programmer mind's defenses.

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday October 01 2017, @08:25PM (2 children)

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday October 01 2017, @08:25PM (#575664) Journal
        Or maybe people in these glass houses don't chuck a lot of rocks.
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @08:43PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @08:43PM (#575669)

          Unless you're Aristarchus. Then you chuck monoliths.

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