# The Great Ongoing Space Exploration Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** science-math\ **Created:** [November 16, 2020, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703 "2020-11-16T12:18:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 60
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2024, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1182 "2024-02-02T20:09:41Z")
That’s amazing. 18 months in hard vacuum and unprotected from radiation, and the stuff thrived. Maybe the answer to the Fermi Paradox is that eventually lichen takes over everything. All hail our fungal overlords! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2024, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1183 "2024-02-02T20:11:53Z")
Shades of _Andromeda Strain_! ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1184 "2024-02-03T19:21:37Z")
from the article: _We also think some fungi (including mushrooms) might EAT radiation through ☢radiosynthesis​:radioactive:. Let’s take a quick detour to the Chernobyl disaster site. In 1991, remotely piloted robots discovered a black fungus growing INSIDE one the Chernobyl reactors. The black colour was caused by melanin, the same pigment in human skin, eyes and hair than helps US withstand radiation!_ _Further research **revealed that these fungi grew faster when exposed to more radiation.** They weren’t growing DESPITE the radiation, but BECAUSE of it!_ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1185 "2024-02-04T14:34:14Z")
Any planet with flying dinosaurs and nuclear-powered fungi is probably not one we’re safe on for the long term. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1186 "2024-02-04T18:25:34Z")
That’s why we’re trying to get out of it! ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1187 "2024-02-09T05:14:58Z")
NASA has a negative report out on space-based solar power: [https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4737/1](https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4737/1) Full report: > **[otps-sbsp-report-final-tagged-approved-1-8-24-tagged-v2.pdf](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/otps-sbsp-report-final-tagged-approved-1-8-24-tagged-v2.pdf?emrc=744da1)** > > 4.46 MB ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1188 "2024-02-09T12:36:03Z")
Ouch. In a sentence: > First we get Starship going at full cadence. Then more miracles occur. Then space-solar-to-earth electricity still costs 20-50x as much as terrestrial green generation. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1189 "2024-02-14T14:03:27Z")
As mentioned here > [@Can't Find Thread for 2-14 SpaceX Moon Launch--need answer soon](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-find-thread-for-2-14-spacex-moon-launch-need-answer-soon/997539/4): > > This is definitely not a SpaceX mission. SpaceX F9 is the booster. Some other provider heads to the moon and does stuff. If you want to talk about this mission in some thread, fine. Do so. If you want to demand the rest of us discuss it, well no. Also, [it didn’t launch.](https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/private-us-moon-lander-set-launch-half-century-after-last-apollo-lunar-mission-2024-02-14/) a SpaceX falcon 9 was supposed to launch a non-SpaceX payload to the Moon overnight on Tue-Wed 2/13-2/14 and is now tentatively rescheduled for overnight Wed-Thu = 2/14-2/15. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1190 "2024-02-14T16:49:53Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > First we get Starship going at full cadence. Then more miracles occur. Then space-solar-to-earth electricity still costs 20-50x as much as terrestrial green generation. I have always thought that powersats were a ridiculous idea. Even if starship brings launch costs down to Elon’s best hope, why put your solar panels tens of thousands of miles from where the power is needed, in an environment which makes maintainance very difficult? Sure, you get less power per square meter on earth, clouds and night reduce it further… but you don’t have to use exotic transmission techniques to get it to where it’s needed. Technologies for storing electrical energy are improving all the time. And half the planet is in sunlight at any time, so long-haul high voltage DC distribution can help there. I mean, we _ **know** _ how to do that, as opposed to microwave transmission systems which are still fairly experimental. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1191 "2024-02-14T17:54:37Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > I mean, we _ **know** _ how to do that I think you really meant > Except for politics, we _ **know** _ how to do that. Transoceanic and even transcontinental gridded power will never cross hostile political blocs. And there are even issues wholly within friendly blocs. One of the key attractions for space solar is entirely the idea of 24/7/365 delivery wholly subject to domestic control with a small and nearly NIMBY-free footprint on the ground. My bottom line: Humans can do large scale engineering. As we can see by casually glancing around, humans cannot do large scale politics. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1192 "2024-02-14T18:15:12Z")
The queation you always have to ask about power is _at what price?_ We are awash in energy. We are short of inexpensive energy. Access to more extremely expensive energy is useless. Solar Power Satellites represent crazy expensive electeicity. It will never beat nuclear power on cost. Not even close. Energy is the fundamental input of the economy. The price of just about everything depends on the price of energy. It is critical that our energy supply be cheap and reliable. We are on a path to make it more expensive and less reliable. Solar power satellites are even worse. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1193 "2024-02-14T18:23:02Z")
Granted solar space power is stupid expensive. But that wasn’t obvious until it was researched. And, as we all know, if prices represented all the externalities, the price of fossil fuels would be saddled with a lot of the world’s total military spending, and also the full costs of atmospheric carbon prevention / remediation. Fossil only seems cheap when our system pretends those other costs don’t exist. They do, and we’re all paying them. Now, and even more in the future. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1194 "2024-02-14T18:28:27Z")
> Except for politics, we _ **know** _ how to do that. > Transoceanic and even transcontinental gridded power will never cross hostile political blocs. And there are even issues wholly within friendly blocs. > [/quote] True. Engineers know how to do it, but politics is a horrible mess. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > One of the key attractions for space solar is entirely the idea of 24/7/365 delivery wholly subject to domestic control with a small and nearly NIMBY-free footprint on the ground. Which may be why it keeps getting brought up and even funded to some extent, even though the logistics seem ridiculous? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1195 "2024-02-14T20:12:02Z")
I’ve always wondered about the cheap scifi trope of a bad guy taking control of a space power downlink and frying downtown Metropolis with a pure beam of energy. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2024, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1196 "2024-02-15T15:20:59Z")
In a similar vein, this was always an elephant in the room for the Reagan-era ‘star wars’ projects. Although touted as a defensive shield, a lot of what was proposed could quite easily be used as offensive weapons. In the end it seems that nothing much came of it… though who knows just what the US military may have in orbit on the quiet…? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1197 "2024-02-22T00:20:13Z")
Two losers merging? > **[Blue Origin has emerged as the likely buyer for United Launch Alliance](https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/02/blue-origin-has-emerged-as-the-likely-buyer-for-united-launch-alliance/)** > > Pairing of two launch companies could provide more robust competition to SpaceX. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1198 "2024-02-22T00:30:56Z")
My initial inclination is that it’s like two drowning people holding onto each other as they sink beneath the waves. However, I think this is a _little_ unfair. ULA does have a functional methane rocket. Blue Origin has working new engines. ULA should get BO some juicy contracts (plus lobbying power) and maybe some useful infrastructure. Blue Origin probably needs something to tide them over while New Glenn is in development. It’s a _big_ step down from SpaceX to second place, but the US really does need a second player here, and BO and ULA are too weak on their own. It’s possible or even likely there will be some cultural disaster here, but if they can make things work it’s probably a net positive. Frankly, it would be hard to do worse than the current Boeing/LM control. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1199 "2024-02-22T00:41:25Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > It’s a _big_ step down from SpaceX to second place, but the US really does need a second player here, and BO and ULA are too weak on their own. Frankly, it’s only this that makes either company even remotely viable. The US government has to maintain an alternative domestic launch service for “critical” flights - even if that launch service is less reliable and ridiculously more expensive. Until other companies learn and implement reusability and rapid cadence, they will simply suck off the government tit as the backup player until the government gets tired of it (i.e., money runs out). I suspect they will get few commercial launches unless Uncle Sam is picking up large parts of the tab. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1200 "2024-02-22T00:47:46Z")
At least BO has a reusability plan with New Glenn. It’s a big and challenging rocket, and yet still not as ambitious as Starship, but if they can make it work they’ll be in a reasonable position. All else being equal, it’s a step up from Falcon 9 (though it’ll be a _long_ time before any other rocket can match its cadence and reliability). In an ideal universe, BO would just go completely all-in with New Glenn and forget the rest. But I don’t think they’re culturally capable of it. ULA gets them a working rocket, which keeps the BE-4 engine line running, and maybe brings a little experience in actually running a rocket program. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1201 "2024-02-22T00:55:16Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > The US government has to maintain an alternative domestic launch service for “critical” flights - even if that launch service is less reliable and ridiculously more expensive. The question is whether one of the new launch companies like Relativity Space will achieve that position in not too many years–replacing the Blue Origin/ULA combination. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703.md?page=59) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703.md?page=61)