The winners of the “What would you send to ISS?” contest have been announced.
The winners of the “What would you send to ISS?” contest have been announced.
The contest was asking for proposals from the public for science research. Though the winner’s proposal, imaging the auroras in real time, is interesting, I think the runner-up who proposed building a nanosat factory on ISS to be far more exciting.
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Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
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The winners of the “What would you send to ISS?” contest have been announced.
The contest was asking for proposals from the public for science research. Though the winner’s proposal, imaging the auroras in real time, is interesting, I think the runner-up who proposed building a nanosat factory on ISS to be far more exciting.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
I have to agree with you on that one. I used to think that space-based construction was decades in the future. In some ways, I thought that building satellites in space, rather than on Earth then launching them, would eventually be the better way to go.
With 3D printing, however, space-based construction could be an early use of the Bigalow space habitats.
One of the complexities of satellite manufacture is that it has to survive launch forces (as well as gravitational forces during construction and test). Another is that the design has to be assemblable, and uses a lot of fasteners.
A 3D printer in space could manufacture much of the satellite as a single part, reducing the complexity of assembly, and gravitational and launch forces would be a thing of the past, making handling forces and stresses a larger limiting factor in satellite — or should I say space structure — design.
This is an exciting time in space engineering and space science. As with innovations like 3D printing, I can hardly wait to see what the next ten years will bring to the field.
On the other hand, the aurora as seen from space does make for some pretty pictures.
(Don’t get me wrong; I know the value of studying the auroras. I built a spacecraft instrument that studied the x-rays coming from the auroras. However, Ms McDonald’s statement did not mention scientific or engineering possibilities, just “allowing more people opportunities to see their extraordinary beauty.” I am a bit appalled that the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space chose asthetics over function.)
Construction in space will not happen in anything more that a testing or scientific form.
Not at least until they set up an artificial gravity environment for the manufacture of parts.
WAY to many construction processes rely on gravity to work. Including a large part of 3d printing.
You would still have to ship up all the electronics and non 3d parts. Including fuel and other gasses for the instruments.
Optical quality glass and plastics can not be made without gravity’s effects to remove impurities and imperfections. Like bubbles.
I bet they chose this “experiment”because it only involves installing a nice self guided camera on the station and transmitting down the data.
Its real cheap and off the shelf components. In the long run it should require almost no maintenance or monitoring by the station crew.
All the other ideas involved actual work and expense.