94th Carnival of Space

The 94th Carnival of Space is up at Out of the Cradle

This site contributed the article about the many space stations and space station modules that China is planning from 2010 to 2020.

The National Space Society Blog looks at “Can Space save the American and Global Economy?” The Space advocate makes the case

I am not talking about a quick fix, 10 year program like going to the moon in the 60’s. I am talking about a permanently established infrastructure system dedicated to the infinite reaches of space.

My solution tackles a few of the major issues confronting America today, such as jobs, education, health care and international relations.

Mass production is what drives prices down.

For example, the rovers Spirit and Opportunity cost a few hundred million each just to design and build, but how much would that cost drop if you mass produced them, in assembly line fashion, with “plug-in” ports to hold vast arrays of scientific instruments? If you punched out a few hundred rovers a year in this format, the cost would drop significantly. Now marry this idea with long range rockets designed the same way (mass produced) and we could have rovers and probes exploring our solar system by the hundreds every year and where the costs are no more drastic than the cost of maintaining commercial airliners. Can you imagine the amount of science and discovery that would provide just in and of itself?

Centauri Dreams looks at space travel up to a century out.

Check out the 94th Carnival of Space for a lot more articles on Mars and Black holes and much more.