Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Ed, they're bureaucrats looking for lifetime funding

Describes the watery Mars folks to a T, but not the NEO folk
E.P. Grondine — (archived)

Hi Larry -

Everyone working in the NEO field is doing it at greater or lesser personal cost.

You finally stumbled onto the fact that once you go below 3 degrees, and the search will have to go way below 3 degrees, then the numbers start going up exponentially. But it's not a case of thousands of increases in data, or tens of thousands, it's a case of millions.

As for dwell times and search algorithms, and course or orbit calculation (and you really have to watch out for the ones where its a "course" instead of "orbit"), this isn't the place to bring them up. They're usually covered at the ACM meetings.

You left out the use of Moon based high powered lasers and ablative reaction propulsion as a defelction mechanism. I personally think the use of nuclear charges is more efficient and cheaper, but that's just my opinion.

As for what I want, I want it all. First thing I want is the little NESS scope, plus small launcher, and adequate funding for transmission and processing. If that means delaying the second Mars rover for 18 months, too bad.

Second thing I want is delay of Next Generation Space Telescope, and dedicated NEO scope launched instead, along with even better communications and processing. If that means delaying the solution of all those grand mysteries for a few years, too bad.

Third thing I want is a Moon based system. If that means delaying a manned flight to Mars a few years, too bad.

So you see, in this case the best is not the enemy of the good.

EP

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (51 posts)