Blog – Page 12 – Space Renaissance

Sep

2016

We will not be astronauts!

Space Renaissance International will hold its 2nd World Congress from September 30th to October 2nd. The Congress will be held online, via SKYPE chat, 3 hours per day starting at 15:00 GMT. The title of the congress is “From Space Exploration to Space Settlement”. Our main goal is to update our analysis and strategy, and to share this discussion with the highest number of renaissance men and women, that we are sure greatly outnumber SRI supporters, worldwide! We propose that world leaders need to understand that humanity urgently requires a change in direction from exploring space to developing civilian activities in space, finding ways to create human space settlements. A global renaissance is fighting the global crisis, producing social, technological and scientific transformations: in order to win, it needs to be taken off planet, to be a space renaissance!

Aug

2016

Additive manufacturing: a disruptive renaissance technology!

A short reportage—and a few considerations—of the Additive Manufacturing workshop that ran from July 20th to July 22nd 2016. The workshop, organized by ASI, took place in the auditorium of the Tor Vergata branch in Rome. The initiative—relying on the expertise of Roberto Formaro, head of ASI’s Technology and Engineering Division, Danilo Rubini, and their staff—has without doubt been a success.
During the course of three days, it has seen more than 300 participants, mostly from the industrial and academic fields.

During the workshop, about fifty speakers have taken the floor. Of these, the 60% were representatives from industrial or technological research entities, 30% from universities, and 10% from research institutions.
Would you believe it possible that, during this seemingly endless economic crisis, in Italy of all places, an industrial sector is seeing growth rates in double figures? Well, this sector exists, and it is called Additive Manufacturing.

Jun

2016

Our interview with Jeff Greason – Are the major space agencies supporting the development of civilian astronautics?

Space Renaissance International has kicked-off the discussion leading towards its second world congress. Our first reflection is a self-critical one: in 2011, our first congress, we anticipated the kickoff of civilian astronautics that would be catalyzed by space tourism. But the long promised start of commercial suborbital flights did not occur as expected. In the meantime, SpaceX has become a key part of the revolution by developing reusable rockets, obtaining NASA contracts. Reducing the cost to orbit objectively supports the civilian astronautics development which allows more private enterprises to enter the market. Jeff Greason, who recently joined the Space Renaissance USA Chapter, says that there is more work to be done between LEO and GEO than what we expect, and that, working in orbital workshops and space transport nodes, human technicians will cost less, and be more efficient, than fully robotized systems.
To assemble satellites in orbiting facilities, by human technicians, and transport them from LEO to destination (GEO or intermediate), would be cheaper than to send them to destination from Earth, equipped with expensive automated mechanisms for self-deployment of antennas, solar panels, etc…. Humans for assembling, deploying, repairing and mantaining satellites and machines, are essential, and cheaper. The major space agencies market is anymore a closed captive market dominated by a cartel composed by few traditional aerospace dealers. NASA is now a competition field, that improves performance of all the suppliers. The main road to the building of geo-lunar space infrastructures: agencies to purchase services and supplies by private industry. Little doubt that a human return to the Moon, even with a permanent base could be done privately for something on the order or $10-$20 billion. No space agency is likely to do that so cheaply, and it is very difficult for the private sector to justify spending that money. But if space agencies really wanted a return to the moon – they can afford it, if they just buy it. Key to generate a virtuous industrial space market: to begin using extraterrestrial sources of propellant, coming from Lunar and asteroidal sources.

Jun

2016

Space Renaissance USA, Inc. is moving its first steps to the Stars!

One week ago the SRI USA chapter was incorporated, By Manuel Perez (President), Amalie Sinclair (Chairperson), Corrinne Graham (Secretaire), Walter Putnam and Sergio Lebid (Directors).
Space Renaissance USA, Inc. was incorporated as a 501(c)4 non profit association, with capabilities of public education and outreach, and lobbying towards USA Congress and political institutions.

Oct

2015

“The Martian”, a movie and a book still to be written

First of all, I will say that I would like very much to see an exploration mission to Mars, and I could also say that I’d like to have seen it some years ago, and now to be witness to its initial settlements. Many will say that the technologies are not mature enough. I would reply that technologies to go to the Moon simply didn’t exist in 1961, when President Kennedy challenged NASA to reach our natural satellite within ten years. So please let’s not listen too much to the ones who make things even more difficult than they are, in order to “raise the price” of their supply.
The book written by Andy Weir is much better than the movie, from the point of view of the novel: we listen to Mark Watney, his desperation, his hopes, his continuous reasoning on the practical problems he does his best to solve, by his skills of as an astronaut and botanist. And, most of all, the book is a manifesto of the human initiative, and capacity to never give up. The book also gives us the measure of how much Mars needs to be explored, in order to understand the conditions in which the first settlers will find themselves. This is something that the movie doesn’t convey, or, if it does, in a reduced measure.
The message is quite clear, and it is repeated several times during the movie: the goal is to do exploration missions, and always to bring the explorers back to home, on Earth.
Are we sure that, in 2030, should the only space strategy remain exploration, we will have resources and funds to re-purpose an Apollo-style program to Mars? Considering the social, economical and environmental situations that could be logically anticipated, considering that likely in 2030 we will be 9 or 10 billions people on Earth, I have many doubts. Only expanding our industrial development beyond the limits of our mother planet we can hope to revert the global crisis, and to ignite the greatest economic and cultural revolution of all times. So, why should we just keep on exploring, and not to start expanding? And, talking about expansion, what are the logical first steps? Industrializing the geo-lunar space region, of course, the so called Greater Earth, including the Earth’s orbit, the Moon, the Lagrange Points and the Near Earth Asteroids crossing in or near such area.

Jul

2015

The SRI UK Chapter to be incorporated the 11th of July, in Dornie, Scottish Highlands.

The incorporation of the UK Chapter will be on the 11th of July. The meeting will start 11.00am at the Dornie Village Hall Committee Room, and will continue after lunch.

Jun

2015

WELCOME BACK SAMANTHA!… AND WHEN WILL WE TAKE OFF?

Samantha Cristoforetti is safe back on Earth, after personal record of 200 days in space.

Turin, June 11, 2015 – Today is a day worthy of celebration. AstroSamantha has returned to Earth after a historic stay on board the International Space Station. Welcome back Samantha, and thank you for the scientific, popular and human commitment that you have demonstrated.

It seems logical, however, to ask some questions of the space agencies:

Why, 54 years after Yuri Gagarin’s first flight in orbit, are there still no space transportation services for civilian passengers?