[ExI] What happens to US space programs after November?

[spike at rainier66.com]

On Behalf Of Adrian Tymes via extropy-chat
Subject: Re: [ExI] What happens to US space programs after November?

 

On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 7:41 AM spike jones via extropy-chat <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

in the meantime, we could use the SLS as a really high-priced
hotel.  Musk can haul tourists up there to it once the boosters are
sufficiently advanced to take the occupant controls away.

 

>…Uh...what?... SLS is a rocket, not a location in orbit. 

 

ISS rather, not SLS.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Launch_System

 

One of the notions I thought about back when we had the shuttle is to carry the external tank into orbit and use it as a pressure vessel to let tourists float around.  I don’t think those could be retrofitted for that use, but one can imagine something that looks like the SLS, kinda like the old shuttle without the space plane, but rather an shuttle external tank with liquid boosters either side (or possibly solid) along with a capsule return vehicle with a more traditional heat-shield re-entry system.

 

That is a different idea than using the ISS as a hotel.  That would be cool too, and would get it off our hands.  It was really cool back in the 90s, but now it returns very little science per dollar.

 

spike

 

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