NASA Wants To "STAR TREK"

Star Trek's USS Enterprise

Making Star Trek Reality: NASA Wants Ideas

Defense Department and the space agency want sci-fi fans, scientists, and space junkies of all types to help brainstorm ways to to fly humans to the outer reaches of the solar system by 2111.


Information Week-  The Department of Defense (DOD) and NASA are soliciting ideas from the public for technology and other considerations for how to send people on long-distance manned spaceflights in 100 years.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the space agency collaboratively this fall will hold a symposium on their 100-Year-Starship study, which aims, a century from now, to fly humans to the outer reaches of the solar system in ways so far only possible in sci-fi movies. The agencies are seeking abstracts for ideas to be presented at the meeting.
People will be invited to speak on a variety of research angles through different topic tracks, including technology as well as various sociological, economic, legal, and philosophical considerations for the type of travel the agencies are proposing.

Other tracks will focus on the biological and medical needs that must be considered; destinations for travel; and ways to communicate to the public about their vision for the program.


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On the technology side of things, NASA and DARPA are looking specifically for abstracts on time-distance solutions, such as propulsion, time/space manipulation and or dilation, near speed-of-light navigation, faster-than-light navigation, and ways to observe and sense at near speed of light or faster than light, according to DARPA.

Technology also will be a consideration in setting up the habitat that will allow people to survive on long-duration space journeys, including providing sustainable energy and advanced medical capabilities, the agency said.

Because of the innovative and outer-worldly nature of their research, the agencies are hoping for a response from a different cast of characters than are usually found in the scientific and technology industry.

"This won't just be another space technology conference--we're hoping that ethicists, lawyers, science fiction writers, technologists, and others, will participate in the dialog to make sure we're thinking about all the aspects of interstellar flight," said David Neyland, director of DARPA's tactical technology office, in a statement. "This is a great opportunity for people with interesting ideas to be heard, which we believe will spur further thought, dreaming, and innovation."

Ideas shared at the symposium not only may be applied to the 100-Year-Starship study, but also may be used in the future by the private and commercial sector, according to DARPA.

The agencies introduced the year-long study at the end of October. They hope by the end of their research to create a self-sustaining organization that can solve the challenges of long-distance, long-duration interstellar space flight. Read more

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Note:  As if they don't have the technology already... - SW
Some 'Star Trek' gadgets no longer futuristic

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I received this email:

Hello Sunny,
 
   I find it to be extremely too coincidental, that the ESA Mars Hale Crater images definitely exhibit signs of vegetation, intelligent colonization, and an entire civilization structured community, whether they are ancient relics, or presently occupied. The evidence of flora and fauna (some type of trees, shrubs and grass/algae) showing up in the same images, proves that the two are connected, or were the result of agricultural projects. Possibly even attempts at terra-forming. 
 
   Now we have this news disclosure, from the ESA and NASA:
Mars or Bust in 2016: New Unmanned Mission to the Red Planet
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/06/17/mars-or-bust-2016-esa-nasa-exomars-rover/
 
   Suddenly the ESA is joining with NASA, and both appear to be very interested in the Martian atmosphere, the ever changing weather patterns, and how to land a spacecraft in a brutal dust storm, or the worst possible weather conditions, that a manned mission might have to deal with. These agencies also make the point, that if the ExoMars-C Rover doesn’t find conclusive evidence of life, then it is likely that only unmanned missions will be considered in the near and distant future. I get the impression that these two upcoming Mars missions are simply their way of propping open the door to Pandora’s Box, giving them the first clear opportunity, to reveal or disclose to the world what they have known for over sixties years now. That life has existed on Mars since before Humans even pondered about our own origins and what our purpose is in the greater scheme of the Cosmos. I would wager my entire life’s savings on a bet, as to whether this new rover finds signs of life, or not. My wager would be on a lab tested verification and absolute conclusive, Positive results! Paving the way for Trillions of dollars, to be invested in the new Off-World and New-World Space Colonization Industry. Which of course, will be headed up by the Masters of Space.
Thank you very much Mr. President, for trying to return the United States, to a Third World space technology based society!
 
   Oh, but wait! I understand that the White House is holding a world wide competition, to find the best technological solution, for deep space manned missions, to the stars and beyond. The premise is to design a feasible and functional colonization space program, that will take humans to planets orbiting the closest stars to our solar system, in the next hundred years or less. The winner of this competition will be awarded a half-million dollar contract, to begin construction and testing of these deep space vehicles, and first steps in establishing the “Star Trek” program. My money is still on the Mars missions! You know, the same ones that our President closed the door on. Thankfully, NASA is willing to join with their competition in Europe, to utilize the technology we already spent billions of taxpayer dollars on, to continue with the obvious space programs, which have the greatest chance of achieving success, rather than scrapping all of the future missions hardware and sending this country back to the stone age…or dreaming about a real Star Trek mission, with a pitiful $500,000 prize. The same person who is trying to bury NASA, makes more than that in his yearly Salary! Some one please tell me, who is seriously out of touch with reality here?

  Just trying to bring a little common sense, to the whole space exploration dream concepts, that all humans should be kept in the loop on.
 
Take care,  "R"


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