The Future of Space Stuff

*Warning: this blog may contain commas and truth bombs.*

I love NASA. Whether it’s the fascination of seeing that one space shuttle climbing into orbit I’ve witnessed with my own eyes or perhaps a subtly-entrenched patriotic outlook of them, I see an aura of respectability surrounding that insignia. Even in the wake of the government shutdown momentarily halting funds, many there still did their jobs in attempting to unearth new scientific discoveries. So in the wake of that brouhaha, I figured it would be swell to make a short list of the next missions/ideas on the table that they’re looking to accomplish.

1.) Asteroid wrangling

Now this is a venture I only caught wind of recently. This plan has been announced in Obama’s 2014 budget plan and details a two-part initiative: selecting asteroids for a robotic vehicle to capture and deploying a few astronauts to that location. What piqued my interest about this undertaking just had to come from the concept itself: playing a techie’s version of catch. And what interesting information we could discover. NASA illustrates this project as helping us understand more about mining them or possibly diverting ones that could be on their way this very instance to destroy our very existence. Happy Halloween, I suppose.

Visual concept of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watc...

2.) Moon settlement

Ah, yes, that natural satellite humanity finally reached last
century now has the possibility of getting long-staying residents in the not-so-distant future. Human colonization on something besides Earth has been one of the most prevalent sci-fi themes of all time and one of the reasons why it’s so fascinating to be alive in this lifetime where that bridge between fiction and reality is starting to be constructed. But it’s not also just the sci-fi interest in it; it’s the new ways in economic development that could be the most interesting. The difference in zero gravity allows metals to be processed in a new way, for starters. There are also the broader implications of furthering scientific discoveries and exploration techniques in the future all under the push from each and every nation.

Or maybe we could just follow Heinlein’s “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress” and treat it like the Brits initially did with Australia. That sounds pretty rad too.

3.) Footprints on Mars

“This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

That poetic quote for that poetic moment is one that encompasses the wonder of our accomplishments in space exploration. Whether it’s from the litany of sci-fi entertainment, from action to comedy, that’s always referenced life on Mars or just the idea of it being the “next place” to go, I’ve always had a hope of being around to see this mission accomplished. I mean…think about it: this has to be THE Space Race to the Moon of this century. There are certainly quite a few hurdles that still need to be crossed: the cost of getting someone there and back, the length of time that could affect the astronauts’ physical and mental health, the list goes on and on. These are big hurdles, but not insurmountable. With the catalog of new technological advancements being constructed, that 54.6 million-401 million km distance (dependent upon distance created by different orbits) will feel like a stroll down the block in no time.

So those are some of my thoughts on these undertakings in the future. Granted, they’re really just popular choices but I hope this at least provides a platform for you to discuss some of the different ideas either NASA or perhaps other national space agencies have that are currently in development.