India Outsourcing Space Projects To Private Sector

Housing roughly a sixth of the worlds population, it would be silly to expect India to remain on the sidelines while its western and easter neighbors head off into the final frontier.

Although India probably lacks the engineering capital to take on rivals such as China, they may be able to match the red dragon by outsourcing their projects to the emerging space industry.

(Space Mart) India's space agency ISRO will step up outsourcing of works related to satellite and rocket building to the private sector, which in the long run could churn out overall systems as the organisation focuses on research and development. [...]

"Yes, in the last 10 years we have not added even a single person to ISRO... our programmes have multiplied by more than three-fold. That shows industrial participation has come to that extent", [Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman G Madhavan] Nair said.

India seems to be taking a cue from Russia and America, except that they are taking this to the next level. By outsourcing needed projects to the emerging space (or alt.space) industry, India will be benefiting its own economy and cementing its position within the nation.

This may also help them catch up to China who ironically sees the US, not India as its main rival. India has enormous potential as a future space power, and it may not be too long until we see colonies dotting the lunar surface next to Indian flags.

Related: Emerging Asia by Ted Semon and Emerging Asia by Gregory Benford (via Paul Gilster).

Our First Baby Step (Yuri Gagarin)

Over 40 years ago, a Russian cosmonaut by the name of Yuri Gagarin stepped into a space ship and sailed across the heavens. It was a time of immense tension on our planet, with half the world not knowing whether or not our species would survive the presumed war that would end life as we know it.

Yet, despite the difference of opinions among our fellow selves, humanity was able to take its first baby step off our planet and glimpse our world in a new perspective.

Today marks the day that we, as a species, took our first baby step towards exploring the heavens that surround us, and ultimately establishing a home among the worlds that dance around our home star Sol.

Despite the times that we live in, our species is once again reaching out to the stars, once again imagining ourselves dwelling upon red, white and dark soils, and once again realizing our that potential is not limited to our Earthen cradle.

So as you celebrate with others or simply by yourselves, rejoice in the fact that you are alive in these days, being able to witness the first fruits of species colonizing our solar system, and ultimately the entire galaxy around us.

"Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot remain in the cradle forever." ~Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

Artificial Magnetic Fields For Artifical Worlds

(Image Credit: NASA)

Aside from war and disease, the biggest threat to our (future) space faring species is radiation. Whether it comes from the Sun, a Jovian parent, or from a distant black hole, radiation can easily determine which worlds will be ruled by humans and which ones will be roamed by our robotic friends.

Although many may point to underground colonies as a means to survive on these sterile worlds, such an idea may not attract the masses (as living underground does not provide a glamorous view of the universe). Worse, underground colonies may have a counter affect on us colonizing our solar system, with the vast majority of people opting to live on the home world than off world.

But what if we could construct gigantic magnetic devices enabling a planet or moon to be shielded by a magnetic field? Such a device would enable our species to not only colonize Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's E-ring moons (which are too radioactive for surface habitation, respectively) but also enable various plants and animals to thrive on the red planet.

Without such a device our species would be limited to colonizing Jupiter's moons Ganymede and Callisto, not to mention Saturn's Titan. Although radiation on Mars may be tolerable, it would probably not be the ideal place to terraform as any ecosystems exported there may suffer from the wrath of a solar flare.

Despite the fact that this technology would be centuries away, it may be reasonable to explore current ways of developing artificial magnetic fields, as it would enable us to not only conquer our own solar system, but those that orbit other stars.

(Image Credit: Windows to the Universe)

Will Bigelow Help Make Space Affordable?

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, via MSNBC)

(Hat Tip: Hobby Space)

With news of billionaires launching themselves into space, many people with less than seven figures on their hands wonder when it will be their turn to visit beyond the skies.

Although the price range may eventually drop for the moderately wealthy, Bigelow seems to be offering a common sense approach which resembles more of mortgaging a house rather than paying for the entire lot up front in cash.

(Aviation Week) One reason commercial space has been so slow to evolve is because it has required so much up front money from customers for such high risk ventures. Bigelow wants to reverse that.

"We will have milestones that it will be incumbent upon Bigelow to successfully pass before money is transitioned from being refundable to non refundable he said. "A big part of the message we will be conveying at the Space Symposium is "Look! We are not going to charge you an arm and a leg for the services that we are providing," he said.

"We think this will make the use of our orbital services very conductive for moderately funded organizations.["]

One interesting aspect about Bigelow is that it is one of the few (if only) space companies out there that does not have to rely on the backing of a billionaire (or government funds) to finance its trip to the stars.

Despite having the financial support of its founder, Robert T. Bigelow, Bigelow Aerospace has actually made a profit launching Genesis I (and soon Genesis II), enough to sustain this company without the help from its wealthy CEO.

(Aviation Week) "Up to this point we have spent about $90 million, but the good part is that its all been from cash flow, that's from net Bigelow Aerospace income.

"We have not been eating off one of our legs at a time to survive. We haven't been spending capital. In that regard, we are unique among the small wannabe aerospace companies.

Although Bigelow is presenting a cost efficient way of returning to the cosmos, their space stations seem more geared towards servicing large corporations and governments, rather than civilians. With an expectation of 800 clients over the next decade, Bigelow may not look too appealing as an active force in colonizing our solar system.

However, they may provide a unique business model for companies such as Virgin Galactic, Benson Space, LiftPort, Space Adventures and others to follow, as financing a trip to space may be much easier than paying "an arm and a leg."

Another Space Cold War Developing?

Whether we like it or not, "weaponizing" space will become apart of our future. China's ASAT test (whether intentional or not) seems to have given the green light for both the United States and Russia to seriously consider arming the heavens above us, provoking a future arms race well into the next century.

Russia (it seems) is already in the process of expanding its "space forces" role in securing its access to the cosmos, while the US Air force is debating on whether to arm every satellite or simply establish a ballistic missile network. All of this would be simply humorous if it were not for the simple fact that both nations are now starting to snipe at each other (pun not intended).

(MSNBC) Russian space experts are wondering whether the United States used an anti-satellite weapon last month to kill a small Russian research satellite, the Novosti news agency reported Wednesday. [...]

"There's no way this is a credible story," U.S. Navy Capt. James Graybeal, spokesman for the U.S. Strategic Command, told MSNBC.com. "We've checked with everybody, we have talked to everyone."

It is doubtful that the US would intentionally destroy a commercial satellite, as that would be an excellent way of starting a war. Although the real reason probably lies on which company built the satellite, the fact that both nations are more geared towards "star wars" than "star trek," does not exactly help out the situation.

Hopefully some sort of space alliance can be forged between the two, as the last thing our planet needs is a war above the heavens, as well as below it.

(Image Credit: Space 4 Peace)

New Mexico Voters Narrowly Approve Of Spaceport

After a fierce debate, with politicians vocally supporting or opposing the tax enabling the construction of Spaceport America by Virgin Galactic, it seems that New Mexico may secure its place solar history after all.

With 8,781 voters (or 50.6%) in favor of the tax enabling the spaceport to exist (with 8577 opposed), New Mexico will probably become a destination for not only space tourists in general, but perhaps the emerging space industry as well.

Final results can be viewed over here.

New Mexico's actions will probably establish a precedent for future spaceports in America, and is perhaps a sign that a new space culture is emerging in our society.

83 Colony Worlds Orbit Our Star?

(Hat Tip: Cosmic Variance)

Many space geeks (I included) seem to be excited about an image by KOKOGIAK displaying the 88 largest bodies in our solar system (of which 83 are "terrestrial" or have a surface we can actually land upon).



After searching online on these various worlds, many with an abundance of ice water upon them (a good sign), it became apparent that many of these worlds would not become favorable homes (for raising kids) due to either radiation, distance or lack of appeal.

Currently there seem to be four worlds that show some promise of becoming future homes which are:

• Mars (which has tolerable levels of radiation)
• Ganymede (which has a magnetic field)
• Callisto (which is not within Jupiter's radiation belts)
• Titan (atmosphere plus Saturn's magnetic field may protect it)

Unless artificial magnetic fields can be created upon other worlds, they may only attract corporate industries and scientists, but not the huge populations necessary in order to establish our species as a "space faring civilization."

Hopefully I'll get some more time to post about these four worlds, as they hold much promise for our race four or five generations from now.