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Author
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Topic: [ISS] Possibility of future year-long expeditions
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astro-nut
Member Posts: 946
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 11-25-2017 10:55 AM
   
I have seen some articles about the possibility of NASA conducting another one year mission aboard the International Space Station when the Commercial Crew Program is up and running with their spacecrafts. Is this a possibility or is NASA done doing the one year mission studies? Also, if NASA should decide to do another one year mission does anyone know when it would take place (2019, 2020)? Any information would be helpful. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-25-2017 11:12 AM
At the post-launch press conference for Orbital ATK's OA-8 launch on Nov. 8, NASA's deputy International Space Station Program manager Dan Hartman was asked about the future of one-year missions. There is no doubt that our human research program has a strong desire to fly additional one-year crew members, so our goal is to try to meet that. I don't see that happening as long as we are still flying on the Soyuz and doing our crew members' flights on those vehicles. But once we step into commercial crew and get a good cadence and a regular basis going there, I think you'll see one-year crew members coming back into play. Given that the soonest that operational (i.e. non demo) commercial crew flights will begin is in 2019, and taking into account Hartman's comments, that would likely put any future yearlong missions in the 2020-2021 time frame, if not later. |
COR482932
Member Posts: 212
From: Cork, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 11-25-2017 01:44 PM
I put the same question to Robert Lightfoot when he was in Dublin a few months ago. He said NASA hopes there will be more in the next few years, but had no plans to do so at this time. |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 11-25-2017 02:33 PM
I seriously think we are forever tethered to this planet as medical issues through the effects of long term (or repeated) spaceflight(s) worry me a lot and that's said as a huge fan of the endeavour. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-30-2017 03:04 PM
NASA's Human Research Program has begun soliciting for flagship science experiments in biological, physiological and behavioral adaptations to spaceflight to support additional one-year missions and other opportunities on the space station. In the past, NASA has conducted its spaceflight research on six-month missions on the International Space Station (ISS). However, starting in 2018, there will be a series of one-year missions on the ISS in addition to the six-month missions. The one-year missions will be supplemented with shorter two-month missions. Per John Charles (cS member and chief scientist for the Human Research Program) on Facebook: The flights have not been scheduled and no astronauts have been assigned yet, but we are starting the long-lead time activity of getting our ducks in a row, research-wise. |
David C
Member Posts: 1015
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 11-30-2017 03:39 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Dixon:
I seriously think we are forever tethered to this planet...
Mike, you've expressed this view more than once. Granted, it sure is a lot harder than many would like to think, but "forever." Forever? With the caveat of having to get on with it before we total ourselves (or something does it for us) — I think this view is nuts. Sorry. |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 11-30-2017 05:26 PM
"Nuts"? It's my opinion. Sorry. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-30-2017 05:35 PM
The idea that humans aren't suited for space travel is not a new one, nor is it an idea that has been outright dismissed. In April, MIT Technology Review published an article about this and how genetic engineering might be a possible answer. Recently, a few scientists have started to explore whether we might be able to do a little better if we created new types of humans more fit for the travails of space travel. That's right: genetically modified astronauts.Let's be clear. No one is trying to grow an astronaut in a bubbling vat somewhere. But some far-out ideas once relegated to science fiction and TED Talks have recently started to take concrete form. Experiments have begun to alter human cells in the lab. Can they be made radiation-proof? Can they be rejiggered to produce their own vitamins and amino acids? One person looking at the idea is Christopher Mason, a member of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine. In 2011, Mason came up with what he called a "500-year plan" to get humans off Earth. In it, genetic modification plays a big role. "I think we have to consider it for people that we send to other planets," he says. "We don't know if it's a slight nudge to existing gene expression, or a whole new chromosome, or finally a complete rewriting of the genetic code." |
oly
Member Posts: 905
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 11-30-2017 09:39 PM
I believe that more work needs to be done with long duration missions in lunar orbit, on or under the lunar surface to gain experience working and living outside of Earth's radiation shield. This would building spacecraft, habitats and vehicles that provide some protection and also gives us experience working in situ with local resources or building equipment that can be launched and used. This is something that needs to be done to enable any type of manned Mars mission and until we can do this type of mission repeatedly I think we are going to keep wishing and talking about a Mars mission long after the last Apollo era people are long gone. |
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