India Plans To Build a Moon-Orbiting Space Station By 2040 (space.com) 19
India plans to build a moon-orbiting space station by 2040 that will support crewed missions to the moon and serve as a hub for scientific research. Space Magazine reports: If all goes according to plan, the lunar space station will be completed around the same time the nation's astronauts land on the moon, with construction of a permanent base on the surface before 2050. The lunar space station appears to be the third and final phase of India's moon exploration efforts. [...]
The lunar space station may be similar to the one India plans to build in Earth orbit, known as the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, or BAS. The development of this station's first module, BAS-1, was greenlit by the Indian government in September. Officials have said the first module will be launched to low Earth orbit by 2028, and the entire station will be operational by 2035.
The lunar space station may be similar to the one India plans to build in Earth orbit, known as the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, or BAS. The development of this station's first module, BAS-1, was greenlit by the Indian government in September. Officials have said the first module will be launched to low Earth orbit by 2028, and the entire station will be operational by 2035.
Space Station for Sale (Score:2)
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I get the feeeling the ruskies are looking for the exit door anyway. They'd probably be happy to sell their side of it off for cheap.
Im honestly surprised Musk hasnt offered to buy the damn thing, though I'd imagine he has other plans
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India doesn't want to have to ask the US for permission whenever they want to send something in space. Otherwise, they'd have to follow whatever the US tells them to do.
By that time Musk will be on Mars (Score:2)
Unless you want to investigate whether the moon is an artificial structure, I don't see the point for all the interest in our moon.
The thing doesn't even rotate or something.
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It rotates.
One rotation per month.
Hence it shows us always the same side.
FACEPALM.
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Absolute bucket loads of resources in a minescule gravity well. If you want to start hitting up the planets, setting up a manufacturing FOB on the moon is a no brainer.
Astroid belt mining might be an even better move, but the moons got He3 , and thats potentially a *very* attractive fuel source if they ever figure the fusion shit out.
India's priorities are fucked up (Score:2)
Not only is sanitation rubbish but India has massively slipped on the food security index. 1/4 of the world's classified "undernourished" live in India. I get it that science has trickle down benefits to society, but there's a minimum threshold where you need to not focus on spending many billions to go to the moon and instead focus on the ability to feed your population and allow them to wash their hands.
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But that is not how it works.
The citizens might be poor, and some areas might have sanitation problems.
But the citizens have TV and internet, they are proud citizens about that their nation can go to the moon. And beyond.
If you die because you forgot to wash your hands: who cares?
You get reborn anyway!
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Sanitation can be added to another major problem India has: air pollution.
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Oh and for comparison, the budget for their Rural Development agency is $21B / year.
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If you think the ISRO will be building a space station on the moon for $1.6B/yr then I highly recommend getting yourself committed to a room where the walls are made of fluffy pillows.
That is my point. I didn't say India needs to stop its space program, I said they shouldn't be focusing on going to the moon.
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India's space programme is profitable. Cutting it would mean even less money is available to address other issues.
Wish in one hand and shit in the other. (Score:2)
A lot could happen in 16 years....or not ! (Score:2)
If the projection is that far in the future (Score:2)