NASA has been quiet for the last few years, but now we can look towards the future as NASA is returning to it’s place in the forefront of Space Exploration.
NASA officially ended the Space Shuttle Program back in August 31st, 2011 in a sad moment of American history when the space shuttle Atlantis touched down in Cape Canaveral. This included mass firing of about 4,000 NASA astronauts, staff and scientists. The American government officially declared that science exploration was not fiscally viable; as well as the prospect of redesigning space travel in the Constellation Program. However, fast forward to 2015 (um now)…..
We are officially going to the Ice-ball that Galileo Galilei once looked at from a looking glass soooo many years ago.
A few days ago, NASA made an official declaration to Conquer Explore Europa with a fly-by probe and speculates on also leaving a lander drone on the plane to collect the necessary data to find extraterrestrial sources of water and life. The goals are to study the exterior of the moon as well as collect information on the “water-explosions” that are taller than Mount Everest.
It’s not a new idea though, NASA has received about 33 different Proposals to venture to Europa since 2009.
Jim: I Dunno, Europa.
Tim: Cool.
This turn of events is great; It allows for more NASA based support for private investors to compete and further innovate space exploration as well as pull more public support for current space exploration/innovation.
Elon Musk plans to have a reusable rocket to deliver payloads to space explorers on MARS by 2015 MARS COLONIAL TRANSPORTER (as it’s called) will not taste the ocean of space until at least the 2020s. And of course we must keep our eye and ears open for the next innovation by the Space X Project which has made amazing progress since it’s debut in 2002.
Richard Barnson’s Virgin Galactic team looks towards the future after the unfortunate crash of SpaceShipTwo back in November of last year.
And of course, I need to mention MARS ONE. I love this the ideas carried with this program; which has fallen under much scrutiny in the last few months since I wrote a short article about it. I still believe in the feasibility of this program as technology evolves and people undoubtedly look towards traveling to the stars once more.
Lastly, PORNHUB (Yeah, the Porn Website) is also raising funds to reach the skies…. Albeit for a dubious cause. Please give them money or don’t… I guess it’s a great investment for the greater good. I guess.
As an American, I’m incredibly excited to see rockets fly out to the unknown reaches of space.
As a Champion of science….. F*ck YEAAAH!
Anyways Here The Official Press Release:
“EUROPA HERE WE COME!” – John Grunsfeld, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5GFPEEsJGQ
