On a more serious note, two questions:

 

(a)

It seems that it's been a long time since there was some major 'breakthrough', something on par with putting a man on the moon, first space shuttle flight, the space station etc. I'm sure that for those who aren't laymen in this field, there are many developments on a regular basis - but somehow, the feeling (or my feeling) is that somehow things stalled. Maybe it's the most that can be done with current technology, maybe things require more pulling of resources, more international cooperation? Or maybe what I'm talking about is more 'dramatic effects' and not the important stuff. I dunno. Interested how you, being more involved in this field, see this.

 

(b)

Growing up, it was generally a field dominated by the USA (I know the Soviets did some of the first steps). In more recent years, it seems that space programs (or elements of) by other countries get along pretty impressively. How do these various programs compare in terms of technology, initiative, achievements and so on?

guys ask me anything about acid reflux

5 hours ago, Morch said:

On a more serious note, two questions:

 

(a)

It seems that it's been a long time since there was some major 'breakthrough', something on par with putting a man on the moon, first space shuttle flight, the space station etc. I'm sure that for those who aren't laymen in this field, there are many developments on a regular basis - but somehow, the feeling (or my feeling) is that somehow things stalled. Maybe it's the most that can be done with current technology, maybe things require more pulling of resources, more international cooperation? Or maybe what I'm talking about is more 'dramatic effects' and not the important stuff. I dunno. Interested how you, being more involved in this field, see this.

 

(b)

Growing up, it was generally a field dominated by the USA (I know the Soviets did some of the first steps). In more recent years, it seems that space programs (or elements of) by other countries get along pretty impressively. How do these various programs compare in terms of technology, initiative, achievements and so on?

Actually, the field is progressing quickly, with SpaceX fielding a semi-reusable LV, and fully reusable launchers coming soon.

 

As for the other space programs, they all have very constrained budgets, and make amazing progress with tiny budgets.

 

Much of my experience is with the Russians, but that's in zombie mode now.

 

My company is partnering with ISRO for human access to our space station. Yeah, my company is building a space station.

4 hours ago, Celsius said:

guys ask me anything about acid reflux

Start your own topic.

12 hours ago, Seppius said:

It's the much bigger picture, plenty on Earth trying to fix things here, if our species is to survive we must get off the planet at some point. Have to start somewhere

 

The Galactic Council will never allow us to escape the planet as we would be a direct threat to universal peace.

4 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

Actually, the field is progressing quickly, with SpaceX fielding a semi-reusable LV, and fully reusable launchers coming soon.

 

As for the other space programs, they all have very constrained budgets, and make amazing progress with tiny budgets.

 

Much of my experience is with the Russians, but that's in zombie mode now.

 

My company is partnering with ISRO for human access to our space station. Yeah, my company is building a space station.

Will bargirls be available on your space station? 

4 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

Actually, the field is progressing quickly, with SpaceX fielding a semi-reusable LV, and fully reusable launchers coming soon.

 

As for the other space programs, they all have very constrained budgets, and make amazing progress with tiny budgets.

 

Much of my experience is with the Russians, but that's in zombie mode now.

 

My company is partnering with ISRO for human access to our space station. Yeah, my company is building a space station.

 

I understand that there's progress and development - my comment was more to do with (IMO) the lack of something to inspire. The SpaceX thing is nice, necessary and so on - but not exactly 'sexy'. Take, for example, the Chinese going to the dark side of the moon, that's more 'like it'.

Just now, Yellowtail said:

Will bargirls be available on your space station? 

 

Three boobed ones, maybe?

(Total Recall reference, for the challenged).

6 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

I understand that there's progress and development - my comment was more to do with (IMO) the lack of something to inspire. The SpaceX thing is nice, necessary and so on - but not exactly 'sexy'. Take, for example, the Chinese going to the dark side of the moon, that's more 'like it'.

Maybe the upcoming Super Heavy launch will do the trick for you.

 

Think of space now like exploration of the Americas in 1600. Most of the easy discoveries had been made, and now it's time for large numbers of people to migrate.

36 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

Maybe the upcoming Super Heavy launch will do the trick for you.

 

Think of space now like exploration of the Americas in 1600. Most of the easy discoveries had been made, and now it's time for large numbers of people to migrate.

 

There was colonizing, there were locals to contend with, a whole lot of inland exploration and so on. In this regard, the stuff you talk about is more akin to developments in shipbuilding, navigation, and so on - which are clearly necessary and important, but not as 'dramatic'.

8 hours ago, Morch said:

 

There was colonizing, there were locals to contend with, a whole lot of inland exploration and so on. In this regard, the stuff you talk about is more akin to developments in shipbuilding, navigation, and so on - which are clearly necessary and important, but not as 'dramatic'.

Elon plans for the Super Heavy to be used for colonizing Mars.

My company signed a contract for a Super Heavy launch this week.

 

Yes, *I* have questions about that.

On 1/23/2024 at 1:52 AM, Danderman123 said:

So, feel free to ask, if you have any questions.

Could our whole solar system be like one tiny atom in a fingernail of some other giant being?

 

 

On 2/1/2024 at 12:13 AM, Danderman123 said:

Elon plans for the Super Heavy to be used for colonizing Mars.

Elon IMO is a nutter. If humans have to live in a small base for too long they will end up killing each other off IMO.

 

I lived on a small Antarctic base for a year, and had it been for longer than a year I'm pretty sure not everyone would have returned to the real world. We were not a group of happy campers.

I also worked for many years in the space sector, initially for the UK military, then European Space Agency projects.  Most of my work was in the sector of antennas and antenna systems, with my designs flown on various payloads (some are still 'up there', others are not).

 

I gave up space as a day job when I moved to Thailand about 22 years ago. At that time they were looking for someone to head up their newly-established space agency.  I had all the qualifications and experience except one - I wasn't Thai!

 

But space/satellite is still my hobby. I got my Thai radio amateur licence 20 years ago and then licences to operate in both Laos and Myanmar (the Burmese licence took 7 years of lobbying to obtain it).  I was building a Cubesat from my accommodation in Naypyidaw when Aung San Su Kyi was in power, but stopped that when the military asked me to help them to build their own Cubesats. Nowadays I build simple systems to receive images from the various US and Russian weather satellites.

 

Russia isn't doing much in the way of space projects nowadays.  China is doing a lot - and successfully!

 

Don't ask me anything about space, I'm more an expert on failed marriages nowadays 🙂

46 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Elon IMO is a nutter. If humans have to live in a small base for too long they will end up killing each other off IMO.

 

I lived on a small Antarctic base for a year, and had it been for longer than a year I'm pretty sure not everyone would have returned to the real world. We were not a group of happy campers.

I think it is just a business. 

 

There are no shortage of nut-sacks that would pay long money to play with their phone on the Moon for a week or a month.

 

I think it might be cool for about a while, or even a couple weeks it it's a group, but to live? 

 

Looking at the sky while lying on my back in a Montana field when I was a kid was the most spectacular thing I had ever seen up until then, and it was only good for a few minutes at a time. 

 

I saw that badass comet back in (I think) '97/'97 in the middle of the Arizona desert. That was spectacular. 

On 2/2/2024 at 1:22 PM, simon43 said:

Don't ask me anything about space, I'm more an expert on failed marriages nowadays

I like that!

 

IMO relationships are more of a mystery than space exploration, as space exploration has defined parameters, while relationships are mysterious things and ruled by emotions, rather than logic.

On 1/31/2024 at 3:08 PM, Danderman123 said:

Maybe the upcoming Super Heavy launch will do the trick for you.

 

Think of space now like exploration of the Americas in 1600. Most of the easy discoveries had been made, and now it's time for large numbers of people to migrate.

I hope all the lawyers and politicians are on the first flights to elsewhere. They so deserve to be first to fly.

GITAI Autonomous Robotic Arm Arrives at Space Station to Conduct ISAM External Tech-Demo

 

This is the kind of small-scale development required for people to live in space.

 

The arm is attached to the Bishop module on ISS. If it works, it might be chosen for use on the Starlab space station.

13 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

GITAI Autonomous Robotic Arm Arrives at Space Station to Conduct ISAM External Tech-Demo

 

This is the kind of small-scale development required for people to live in space.

 

The arm is attached to the Bishop module on ISS. If it works, it might be chosen for use on the Starlab space station.

In a few years it won't be necessary to spend trillions of $ so people can live in space. That's so last century thinking. Once AI really gets going a machine will be able to do everything a human can do, but so much better. Don't sleep, eat or poop.

 

Then Elon can use his money to make planet Earth a better place to live on.

 

Actually, I hope Elon will be on the first journey of no return to Mars, but as he won't need any money on Mars he can leave it all behind for someone else to use to make Planet Earth a better place to live on.

Reportedly, SpaceX will attempt a test launch of their Super Heavy rocket this month:

 

https://www.space.com/space-starship-third-test-flight-three-weeks-elon-musk

 

I have conflicting business interests for Super Heavy. One of my companies plan to use it as a launcher. Another competes against Super Heavy payloads (fortunately, the competition is not winner take all).

 

So, whatever happens, I win. And lose.

Some people ask me how I got into the space business. It was not a case of my being a college educated engineer and interviewing for a job.

 

I was an itinerant guitar player, making my living in bar bands, when I developed an interest in space policy. This required me to study space engineering on my own, including Russian stuff. After a while, I became conversant in the engineering, and taught myself Russian. As a result, I was involved in passing legislation that enabled SpaceX, and was sent to Russia to rent the Mir space station. After that, I founded some space companies, we won NASA contracts, and the rest is history.

19 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

After that, I founded some space companies, we won NASA contracts, and the rest is history.

If the above is true please indicate which, if any, space companies you founded!

Since you were/are such a high profile chap in the space world I see no reason why you should not share such info with us lesser mortals!

 

Or is it a case of; "I founded some space companies, we won NASA contracts, and the rest is B/S"!

 

2 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

If the above is true please indicate which, if any, space companies you founded!

Since you were/are such a high profile chap in the space world I see no reason why you should not share such info with us lesser mortals!

 

Or is it a case of; "I founded some space companies, we won NASA contracts, and the rest is B/S"!

 

No bs.

 

Lots of NASA contracts won by one of my companies, including a really big one to design the next space station.  The other is totally private, but has contract with dozens of phone companies worldwide for smartphone to satellite services. We launch our next 2 satellites on or after March 1.

 

As the founder, I realized the pitfalls of Founder Syndrome, and recruited capable management rather than do it myself. So, now I just dabble when I feel like it, and enjoy life.

 

 

11 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

No bs.

 

Lots of NASA contracts won by one of my companies, including a really big one to design the next space station.  The other is totally private, but has contract with dozens of phone companies worldwide for smartphone to satellite services. We launch our next 2 satellites on or after March 1.

 

As the founder, I realized the pitfalls of Founder Syndrome, and recruited capable management rather than do it myself. So, now I just dabble when I feel like it, and enjoy life.

 

 

But what are the company names? Why so secretive?

3 minutes ago, simon43 said:

But what are the company names? Why so secretive?

If he told you, he'd have to kill you....

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

If he told you, he'd have to kill you....

What with?  A ray gun from space perhaps!

6 hours ago, simon43 said:

But what are the company names? Why so secretive?

Only because once I disclose the names, then my personal info would easily be available to anyone. For one company, NASA used to use my home address as the company headquarters in the early days, so I got all the mail.

 

 

17 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

NASA used to use my home address as the company headquarters in the early days,

In which case you must be in your late 80's at least as the early days of NASA started in; 1958 and I assume you were a real adult even then!

 

You also stated that; 

"taught myself Russian. As a result, I was involved in passing legislation that enabled SpaceX, and was sent to Russia to rent the Mir space station"

 

The problem is that the Mir was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001 which is not the "early years of NASA circa 1958"!

 

There is also the problem that SpaceX was not established until 2002 by Elon Musk!

Would you care to explain the mismatch of dates etc!

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Chaser

 

Dream Chaser is preparing to fly Real Soon Now. Sierra Nevada is the company building the spaceplane, but most people don't know that Sierra Nevada got Dream Chaser when they bought Space Development Inc, a small startup from Poway, California. Space Dev was founded by Jim Benson, who made his money from being a DOD contractor. After he retired from DOD work, he got bored and founded a space company, which is when I met him. SpaceDev launched some satellites, and just before he died, Jim Benson conceived of DreamChaser, which was a copy of the HL-10 spaceplane, an old NASA design. After he died, Sierra Nevada bought what was left of SpaceDev.

 

DreamChaser should fly this year.

 

The Russians also copied HL-10, and made some short orbital flights.