A Homeland Defense for Planet Earth Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Earth is on a "hit list" with hazardous asteroids and comets being nature's own terrorism from the sky. More than 100,000 dangerous near-Earth objects exist - known in sky watching circles as NEOs. *here*
Nature's way of telling us that money spent on the space program is in our best interest. Noah's Ark, revisited -- if you're into that sort of thing.
Since the Chinese are going to put their very own space station up there by 2015, may be they will watch for us and watch us too...I will not be surprised if they copy the space station of 2001: Space Odyssey with gravity and all....
Check out http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/04/03/china.space/index.html Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
About time too, we cant keep on depending on the US to explore our solar system. The Russians and the European space agencys are just crap.
More Asteroids in Main Belt, New Infrared Survey Says For the rest of the article see this link:*here*
...also from space.com: Deadly Impacts Come in Twos 05 April 2002: Scientist argue over whether and how often impacts by comets and asteroids have caused mass extinctions. Evidence is clear for the extinctions, in the form of fossils. Impact evidence is harder to find. A new study suggests that multiple impacts may have sometimes caused the demise of species in the past. Michael Lucas, a geology student at Florida Gulf Coast University, cites one example of a 73-million-year-old double impact structure referred to as Kara and Ust-Kara in Russia. “Approximately ten percent of the impact structures on Earth are doublets or twin structures, suggesting a nearly simultaneous impact of binary asteroids or fragmented comets,” he said at a regional meeting of the Geological Society of America yesterday. In recent years, several asteroids have been found to have satellite companions.
Big ass Husband and Wife rocks...trying to commit suicide....Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! or may be it is a binary life system such that when they are combined they spread life on different planets...Universe works mysterious ways....
sjmarsha ... If the rest of the space agencies are 'just crap' why are we relying on Canadian robot arms, Italian cargo containers, and Russian taxi, escape, and supply vehicles? Just curious. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Economic necessity. Bartering again wins out over actual transfers of hard cash. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! None of them can afford the cash Rent.
I recall seeing an interview on TV with a USA astronaut just after the first docking of a USA shuttle with Mir space station. They had used a Russian adapter ring for the docking. The astronaut said it was about the best space mechanical tech he'd ever seen, far better than NASA's gear. Also note than Russia has had functioning recycling gear in space for 15 or 20 years, and the USA is only now catching up.
Gee, Mr. G ... Suggest you take a look at what ESA, European Space Agency, has on the boards: <a href =http://www.spacedaily.com/news/rlv-02g.html ><font color =red> The Jules Verne </font></a> An automated delivery/space tug that will provide for six month turn-arounds rather than the present three month ones and could possibly be used as a temporary refuge. Needless to say, Soyuz will still by required since the NASA has given up on a return vehicle (AKA lifeboat). Take care Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! PS Please excuse the dumb comment: " ... the station loses some 200 metres (650 feet) in altitude each day because of the Earth's gravitational pull." rather than 'because of atmospheric drag'. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I will be suprised if we will see any extraterrestrial, orbital structures with artificial gravity any time in the near future until we learn much more about how to manipulate gravity. The sheer cost of building a station and the nessasary attactments for gravity generation are prohibitive.
Asguard Woomera is still used for tests and such, but it is at a lower climb than Christmas Island. Christmas Island is much nearer the equator. It's cheaper to get things into orbit, particularly high orbit, from nearer the equator.
Adam never thought of that (but then i don't know much about space rocketry) Thanks for pointing it out
