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Everyone can see that when information technology comes to space, real progress is going to require some innovative new ideas. Maybe that will come in the class of a 100,000 kilometer ribbon of experimental nanotubes stretching all the way to geosynchronous orbit, or perhaps but an enormous, spinning screw ramp. But any solution must give us a better ability to get to infinite and do work once we get at that place. Now, rumblings from DARPA and NASA prove that they may be fantasizing about a new, semi-permanent installation in space — and they're already working on the engineering that could make it a reality.

The idea is basically to create a construction, repairs, refueling, and mission restart hub, in space. Currently, all these functions require a return to base of operations — the ISS receivesshipments of supplies, information technology doesn't generally dole them out. With such a station, NASA could imagine a new satellite design, option a currently defunct old orbiter, and send upward only those parts necessary to transform the old into the new. The solar panels, thrusters, and other time-tested hardware tin can stay intact, while computers and scientific instruments are swapped out by a series of robotic arms and manipulators.

space station 2These arms are reportedly already in the works, and are souped up versions of the space shuttle's original Canadarm. These would exist capable of doing all the circuitous manipulation needed by an orbiting robot space mechanic. DARPA is already doing work on a mission called Project Phoenix, which looks to reuse the near valuable parts of former, expressionless satellites — it has as well been working on grasper technology that could shear apart and potentially reassemble onetime space tech. In fact, this idea for a infinite-based repair station seems most like a successor project to Phoenix, making its piecemeal efforts into an automated repair station.

Speaking at DARPA's Wait What? conference (yes, that's what it'due south called) in St. Louis, one-time NASA astronaut Pam Melroy, now deputy director of DARPA'south Tactical Technology Office, said that some sort of orbital staging and upgrade station could modify the way NASA deals with space. The ISS orbits at a messy 400 kilometers, well within "low" World orbit, meaning that a geosynchronous station would open all sorts of new possibilities. She said that it could practise for the Earth what the great port cities of yore did for Europe — leading to peradventure the first always fourth dimension I've hoped that Mars doesn't have any indigenous inhabitants.

The idea, as proposed, is to build this station in geosynchronous orbit, or around 36,000 kilometers above the surface. At this height, information technology could enter an orbit that would keep information technology directly above a specific spot on the Globe's surface, but it's as well also high to enjoy any existent protection from the Globe's atmosphere or magnetic field — this hypothetical station would demand to either be shielded in some all-new way or, more than probable, be robotically controlled for the vast, vast majority of the time.

Even with some sort of super-side by side-gen launch applied science like a space lift, it'southward a certainty that on a long enough timeline, nosotros'll have to somewhen stop building spaceships anywhere but in space. We'll never be able to mine resources in a vacuum, but other than that there'due south aught nearly the ship edifice or maintaining procedure thathas to exist down on the surface; not that in that location was ever any doubtfulness, but nosotros now know that NASA and the US armed services are very aware of this fact.