Space mission

“ The Team defined a general concept of space exploration centered on the notion of an autonomous extrasolar exploratory machine system. This system incorporates advanced machine intelligence and robotics techniques and combines the heretofore separate and manpower-intensive phases of reconnaissance, exploration, and intensive study into a single, integrated mission. Such an automatic scientific investigation system should be useful in the exploration of distant bodies in the Solar System, such as Jupiter and its satellites ”

“ Although interstellar exploration was identified as the ultimate goal, detailed mission analyses are not provided. The determination of technological, economic and political feasibility for such complex, expensive, and extraordinarily long-duration undertakings must wait until advanced machine-intelligence capabilities of the type required for an extrasolar voyage have been successfully demonstrated in planetary missions conducted entirely within the Solar System. ”

“ Such a program would result in maximum stimulation of our technology and creation of new capability. There are many precursor activities that will be required before a manned Mars mission is attempted, such as detailed study of biomedical aspects, both physiological and psychological, of flights lasting 500-600 days, unmanned reconnaissance of the planets, creation of highly reliable life support systems, power supplies, and propulsion capability adequate for the rigors of such a voyage and reliable enough to support man. ”

“ Each mission should and will lay the groundwork for the next. And the pathway to the stars begins, as it did 20 years ago, with you, the American people. And it continues just up the street there, to the United States Congress, where the future of the space station and our future as a spacefaring nation will be decided. ”

“ The planetary probe must be capable of orbiting, investigating, and landing during a single mission. This is a difficult task to accomplish in one fixed design because of the uncertainties in the nature of the unknown planetary environment. ”

“ OUTER PLANETS EXPLORATION. It is the sense of Congress that the outer solar system planets and their satellites can offer important knowledge about the formation and evolution of the solar system, the nature and diversity of these solar system bodies, and the potential for conditions conducive to life beyond Earth. NASA should move forward with plans for an Outer Planets flagship mission to the Europa-Jupiter system or the Titan-Saturn system as soon as practicable within a balanced Planetary Science program. ”

“ The technologies involved in satellite servicing, such as dexterous robotic arms, propellant transfer systems, and solar electric propulsion, are all critical capabilities to support a human exploration mission to Mars. ”

“ The Space Task Group sees acceptance of the long-term goal of manned planetary exploration as an important part of the future agenda for this Nation in space. The time for decisions an the development of equipment peculiar to manned mission to Mars will depend upon the level of support, in a budget sense, that is committed to the space program. ”

“ Mission complexity has increased enormously as instrumentation and scientific objectives have become more sophisticated. In the next two decades there is little doubt that NASA will shift its major focus from exploration to an increased emphasis on utilization of the space environment, including public service and industrial activities. ”

“ While the successful orbiting of a man about the earth is not an end unto itself, it will provide a necessary stepping stone toward the establishment of a space station and for the eventual manned exploration of the moon and the planets. The ultimate goal of this kind of endeavor would, of course, be an actual landing of man on the moon or a planet, followed by his return to the earth. It is not possible to accomplish such a mission with any vehicles that are presently under development. Some day, it may be possible for men in space to accomplish important scientific or technical tasks. ”

“ Configuration. This initial phase addresses considerations of size, weight, instrument specifications and other launch vehicle parameters, and usually depends on the equipment and tasks required for a specific mission. Questions concerning the precise nature of the investigation and experimentation traditionally are taken up at this point.
For deep-space exploration, spacecraft configurations must be general and flexible enough to handle a wide range of environments. ”

“ The focus of this stage depends to some extent on the perceived configuration of the mission vehicle. Issues related to propulsion and energy needs and appropriate launch sites (e.g., Low Earth Orbit vs vicinity of extraterrestrial resources utilized for the mission) are decided. The launch phase is conducted largely by Earth-based humans, but could benefit from machine intelligence capabilities (e.g., CAD/CAM/CAT) for testing, checkout, flight preparation, and launch support. ”

“ Is the mission of wisdom only to peer into the uncertain future, with ear on the stretch for the footfall of sorrow that never may come—but deaf to the whirr of the wings of the happiness that fills all space?
Let us not look to renouncement for happiness till we have sought it elsewhere in vain. It is easy to be wise if we be content to regard as happiness the void that is left by the absence of happiness. But it was not for unhappiness the sage was created; and it is more glorious, as well as more human, to be happy and still to be wise. ”

“ Our horizons and our competence have expanded to the point that we can consider unmanned missions to any region in our solar system; manned bases in earth orbit, lunar orbit or on the surface of the Moon; manned missions to Mars; space transportation systems that carry their payloads into orbit and then return and land as a conventional jet aircraft; reusable nuclear-powered rockets for space operations; remotely controlled roving science vehicles on the Moon or on Mars; and application of space capability to a variety of services of benefit to man here on earth. ”

“ It is arguable that this spirit of exploration is indispensable to a vigorous society, and that any society that ceases to explore, to inquire, and to strive is only a few years from decline.
And so the historian may recall the early days of lunar exploration, the Apollo project, the landing of unmanned Viking spacecraft on Mars, and the encounters of Voyager spacecraft with Jupiter and Saturn as the first steps in a sustained program of space exploration—a program that is profoundly changing man’s perspective of himself, of the Earth, and of the larger cosmos beyond. ”

“ The spirit that led the Wright Brothers to powered flight continues today in America's space program. From providing surveys of the sun to images of the planets, our spacecraft are exploring the outer edges of our solar system and revolutionizing our view of the universe. ”

“ Fortunately, the exploration of the moon and nearby planets need not be held up for lack of rocket engines big enough to send men and instrument carriers out into space and home again. Much that scientists wish to learn from satellites and space voyages into the solar system can be gathered by instruments and transmitted back to earth. ”

“ Space exploration and the advanced technology that drives it benefit our laboratories, our industries, our farms, our hospitals, and our homes. This great adventure has enlarged our vision. Going outside our world we have come to know our own planet better-yes, and to love it as a tiny oasis of life in the engulfing vastness and silence of space. Our space program has given us a new confidence in what the future holds. We have seen expanded opportunities for scientific study, for industrial and commercial growth, for security, and for discovery. ”

“ Building upon the basic science on the ground and in space, and upon the growing capability in the design, construction and launch of satellites, the United States pioneered in the development of space applications - notably communications, meteorology and navigation. Operational systems have been placed into service in each of these areas, and the potential for the future appears bright - not only in these areas but also in new fields such as earth resource surveying and oceanography. ”

“ The apparatus, practically as you see it here, was discovered but a short time ago, in a small, rocket-propelled space-ship which we found some distance outside of the orbit of Jupiter. Its source of power had been destroyed by the cold of outer space, but re-powering it was, of course, a small matter. The crew of the vessel were all dead. They were, however, of human stock, and of a type adapted for life upon a satellite. I deduce, from your compact structure, your enormous atmospheric pressure, and your, to us, unbelievably high body temperature, that you must be planet-dwellers. ”

“ Equipment and experiments on board the orbiting station were designed to accommodate four areas of research: earth observation to further knowledge of natural resources and the earth’s environment; solar observation to increase understanding of solar processes and influences on earth’s environment; study of the effects of long duration weightlessness on man, basic biological processes and adaptability to space flight conditions; and experiments in processing of materials under the unique conditions of weightlessness and vacuum environment of space. ”

“ For a quarter of a century, we've moved steadily forward in the exploration and utilization of space, extending our knowledge of our solar system, our galaxy, and our universe. The space shuttle, our most recent advance in space technology, gives us routine access to space. ”

“ No enterprise has so stirred human imagination as the reach of man toward the exploration of space. New worlds to explore. New distances to travel—3,680 million miles to Pluto, the outermost planet of our solar system, 8 years journey at 50,000 miles per hour when we attain such a capability. Innumerable problems ahead. New knowledge needed in almost every branch of science and technology from magneto fluid dynamics to cosmology, from materials to biology and psychology. ”

“ The final goal, human operation in space with greater independence from Earth, is pursued through a series of interim goals -in particular, the development of the abilities to: • Modularize equipment • Tend co-orbiting free satellites • Build, test, and transfer to orbit large complex systems • Reduce station Earth dependence for control and resupply • Automate space operations in support of in-space human activity • Advance deep space exploration In pursuit of these goals a program scenario is required. ”

“ Among the recommendations in the Augustine report, released on 17 December, 1990, was that NASA should focus on space and Earth science, while transitioning human exploration to a “go-as-you-pay” strategy. ”

“ In the scientific arena, the past decade of experience has taught us that spacecraft are an irreplaceable tool for learning about our near-Earth space environment, the Moon, and the planets, besides being an important aid to our studies of the Sun and stars. In utilizing space to meet needs on Earth, we have seen the tremendous potential of satellites for international communications and world-wide weather forecasting. ”

“ Fortunately, modern technology—given a boost by the world’s interest in rockets, missiles, and the exploration of space—has shown us one answer to this problem: the communications satellite. The conventional pathways for long-distance communication have led along the earth’s surface, under the oceans, and through the lower atmosphere. ”

“ The fields will be constantly moving. Fixed in an orbit 25,000 miles above the Earth a space-mine would always remain over the same Earthly spot and there is a similar critical distance for the Moon, Mars, and the asteroids. ”

“ The values to military forces of communication networks employing satellites are obvious—and should be vigorously developed. The attractiveness of using space satellites for military reconnaissance is also obvious, provided practical methods for achieving this difficult task can be developed. ”

“ In 1958 the people of the United States set out to lead the world in space. By 1970 they had achieved their goal. Men walked on the moon, scientific satellites opened new windows to the universe, and communications satellites and new technologies brought economic return. ”

“ Supplies of energy, stored and generated, must be established if extrasolar spacecraft are to survive in the depths of interstellar space far from convenient sources of power (such as stars) for a major portion of their lives. The technologies of command, control, and communication over stellar and galactic distances ultimately also must be developed. ”

“ According to the Committee on Human Spaceflight, the rationales include economic benefits, national security, national prestige, inspiring students and other citizens, scientific discovery, human survival, and a sense of shared destiny. (5) The Committee on Human Spaceflight affirmed that Mars is the appropriate long-term goal for the human space flight program. ”

“ Also in the past two decades, automated spacecraft explored Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, while telescopes above the earth's atmosphere gave us new eyes to learn about our universe--the strange world of pulsars, quasars and black holes. ”

“ National prestige is how others view us, the global perception of this country's intellectual, scientific, technological, and organizational capabilities. In recent history, the space program has been the unique positive factor in this regard. The Apollo exploration of the Moon restored our image in the post-Sputnik years, and the Voyager exploration of Saturn was a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy period of dwindling world recognition. With space programs we are a nation of the present and the future, while in the eyes of the world we become outward and forward looking. ”