Why space travel is expensive.

Because doing it on the cheap has some major drawbacks. Also titled a good reason for unmanned testing.
www.cnn.com...

[edit on 9-8-2004 by mwm1331]

Spending a whole lot of money still is not perfect either. That thing costs $20,000 What were they expecting most new cars cost more then that.

got another link..
news.bbc.co.uk...

but my opinion about the title of this topic...
everything is expensive in the begin of the first stages
but if we look at the automobile industry..
a car was very expensive in the first stage and it wasn't
after the production of the Ford T-bird if I am right
the first mass production and look how much we have
gain we have so much cars and they are much cheaper.
so if they create a way to make a propulsion and other systems
which makes space access easier they will be made in mass production
and that will lead to cheaper and less expensive ways.

like this..

we want to know the same info when going to mars, moon , venus, ect
why not create a multi functional probe which does all the things
we need to garther info about the planets and moons..like make up and compositions of minerals ect.

then make them one sat/ probe which can do it all and then
make them in mass production so we can launch ten or twenty
probes to as many locations.

this way bringing down cost and so one..

so the design of the mars rovers can be used to explore the moon
only thing is another way for delivering but the rest we only have to make
some minor changes.. but it is cheaper then developing new rover designs ect.

Mark I think the reason we dont use that approach is that each spacecraft HAS to be specially configured for each mission because of the different challenges involved. For example the mercury messenger mission due to the extremes of heat and cold involved had to be specially desgned, likewise the planned pluto mission due to the distance it has to travel.

well you could make a probe which has the propulsion to go to pluto
and is shielded for extreme heat and isolated for extreem coldness. as pluto is far away from the sun it is really cold but that you will know.
but if there is something found further exploration is needed in that subject you can than send a new craft but that is always so.. but
you will first want to know some basic and preliminair info about a
moon or planet you explore and that is always the same no matter
what the location is. and i the probe than finds some thing you can then send some probes for those questions. but the first probes youll have send
were cheap because of mass production. than the second one you ll send is more equipt with specialist equipment and with more room left on the second probe because many of the equipment needed for basic info are
not needed no more because the cheaper mass produced craft had done is work and so those instruments can be left behind on second and the room then can be used for even more powerfull instruments because of powerlevels.

Once corporations figure out how to make a snazzy profit off of space exploration the costs will begin to be negated. Japan is already on the forefront of this and will more than likely lead the way.

I thought the Russian were at the forefront to commerical space travel as they will already send you up into space for what 20 million. Japan have yet to even get a man up yet.

Originally posted by mwm1331
Because doing it on the cheap has some major drawbacks. Also titled a good reason for unmanned testing.
www.cnn.com...

I'm taking it that you saw the Kerry campaign on the David Letterman show.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
I thought the Russian were at the forefront to commerical space travel as they will already send you up into space for what 20 million. Japan have yet to even get a man up yet.

Russia is just desperate for money and sell seats to bolster the flagging space programs they already have. I wouldn't give them a plug nickel to go up in one of their rockets...but then again, I wouldn't give much to go up in one our antiquated shuttles either.

Japan may not be there yet with the missions, however, that's just from the government end. Their corporations have begun seriously planning for making a profit off of space while lessening the notion that its strictly for exploration.

www.spacefuture.com...

www.globalsecurity.org...

They may not equal us in technology but they are building the foundation for commercial space travel to become an economic force in their future. But Japan has always been in a position like this since their back are constantly against the wall where natural resources are concerned. They will always have an edge on other countries because of this at least in the planning department.

Take care.

Originally posted by MarkLuitzen
well you could make a probe which has the propulsion to go to pluto
and is shielded for extreme heat and isolated for extreem coldness. as pluto is far away from the sun it is really cold but that you will know.

So when sending probe to moon it will hawe enough fuel to get to Pluto making it very big and heavy which lead it being excessive expensive.

And in inner solar system solar panels are easy way to produce electricity but after Mars probes must use other ways like Plutonium batteries (heat of radioactive decaying is used to make electricity) or some future probes might well use real nuclear reactors.

Probe containing everything which might be needed would be so big and heavy (meaning also expensive) that we wouldn't have any way to launch those or new rockets boosters would literally "explode" price of those missions.

Originally posted by websurfer

Originally posted by mwm1331
Because doing it on the cheap has some major drawbacks. Also titled a good reason for unmanned testing.
www.cnn.com...

I'm taking it that you saw the Kerry campaign on the David Letterman show.

No I didn't, what did I miss?