What is currently holding humanity back from our next cosmic steps? – Orbit 11.13
April 1, 2018
This week we have a round table discussion asking the question, “What is currently holding humanity back from our next cosmic steps?” And we’re really curious what you think as well! Leave your ideas and comments below.
Launches:
GSLV Launches GSAT 6A
Long March 3B Launches Beidou Navigation satellites
Soyuz 2-1v Launches EMKA
Falcon 9 Launches 5th IridiumNEXT batch
Long March 4C Launches Gaofen
News:
‘Oumuamua Likely Came From A Binary Star System
Blue Origin Switches Engines
TRAPPIST-1’s Planets Are Wet, Probably Too Wet For Life
When one considers that $1 billion can buy either one SLS or seven Falcon Heavies, it becomes clear that it isn’t an issue of “cash”. Also, the government has been very consistent in identifying an expensive government-centric approach. That is NOT the sort of consistency that’s going to get us where we want to go. Rather, we need the government money partnered with private architectural approaches. Lunar COTS and Mars COTS are well within our reach if we just made it our policies.