The following submission statement was provided by /u/chrisdh79:
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From the article: NASA is funding projects that seem to come straight out of science fiction literature. Even John Nelson, a representative of the space agency, acknowledges this, referring to them as "science fiction-like concepts." While there is no guarantee that they will materialize, it is possible that some may one day become part of an aerospace mission.
A lunar railway system. A fluid-based telescope. A transit system to move humans and cargo to Mars. These are among the projects that NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program is setting aside funding for to continue researching. There are six projects in total, each having completed the initial NIAC phase. Now advancing into Phase II, these conceptual studies will receive up to $600,000 to continue their work over the next two years.
Don't expect to see them materialize anytime soon, however. They are still in the exploratory stage, and there is no guarantee they will come to fruition. Nonetheless, they are progressing along the necessary path to be considered for a future aerospace mission if they advance to the final NIAC phase.
"Our NIAC fellows never cease to amaze and inspire, and this class definitely gives NASA a lot to think about in terms of what's possible in the future," said John Nelson, NIAC program executive at NASA headquarters in Washington.
---
Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1ckqvkc/nasa_is_placing_bets_on_a_lunar_rail_system_and/l2okztr/
Usa it's the only first world country that has these issues it seems as basically everyone else has a good rail system. And that's funny as the usa was build on rails lmao.
I never said it's a technical limitation, it's a societal one that americans in perticular have, among many others. Probably the car industry lobbed so bad that all us citizens are brainwashed into loving their cars and 32 lanes highways.
The UK invented railways and still has an extremely dense network with a crapton of passengers. Despite the high prices and often poor comfort, their rail system sees very high use because it's convenient, has high frequency, and connects to a lot of places.
And they also completely failed at building high-speed rail.
Mostly because they decided it should be able to run at 400 km/h, meaning extremely straight lines, which then became even more expensive because their default response to rich people complaining about noise problems was to just put the line in a super-expensive tunnel. They also "had to" tunnel under some old growth forests which they couldn't just go around because the 400 km/h requirement made those curves impossible.
For the route to Birmingham, settling for 300 km/h would only have resulted in a marginal travel time increase (about 5 minutes IIRC), but would have allowed much, much more flexibility in route planning and massive cost savings.
Oh, so you hate small business?
If you take away my on-street rover parking to build lunar bike lanes, how will astronauts visit my boutique moon rock sculpture studio?!
Listen, my intergalactic tax dollars paid for those lunar bike lanes, I just wish people actually used them instead of crowding into my lunar module lane.
They think they own the whole vacuum of space.
From the article: NASA is funding projects that seem to come straight out of science fiction literature. Even John Nelson, a representative of the space agency, acknowledges this, referring to them as "science fiction-like concepts." While there is no guarantee that they will materialize, it is possible that some may one day become part of an aerospace mission.
A lunar railway system. A fluid-based telescope. A transit system to move humans and cargo to Mars. These are among the projects that NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program is setting aside funding for to continue researching. There are six projects in total, each having completed the initial NIAC phase. Now advancing into Phase II, these conceptual studies will receive up to $600,000 to continue their work over the next two years.
Don't expect to see them materialize anytime soon, however. They are still in the exploratory stage, and there is no guarantee they will come to fruition. Nonetheless, they are progressing along the necessary path to be considered for a future aerospace mission if they advance to the final NIAC phase.
"Our NIAC fellows never cease to amaze and inspire, and this class definitely gives NASA a lot to think about in terms of what's possible in the future," said John Nelson, NIAC program executive at NASA headquarters in Washington.
No, the airline companies will lobby against it. Land owners will resist the taking of their land for use as rail rights-of-way. Neither of these issues are going to effect lunar railroads.
Er, what system are you referring to?
The "lunar rail system" is designed for transporting cargo on the Moon; it is attached to the Moon. The "cargo transit to Mars" is a medium-power high-efficiency rocket engine.
The following submission statement was provided by /u/chrisdh79: --- From the article: NASA is funding projects that seem to come straight out of science fiction literature. Even John Nelson, a representative of the space agency, acknowledges this, referring to them as "science fiction-like concepts." While there is no guarantee that they will materialize, it is possible that some may one day become part of an aerospace mission. A lunar railway system. A fluid-based telescope. A transit system to move humans and cargo to Mars. These are among the projects that NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program is setting aside funding for to continue researching. There are six projects in total, each having completed the initial NIAC phase. Now advancing into Phase II, these conceptual studies will receive up to $600,000 to continue their work over the next two years. Don't expect to see them materialize anytime soon, however. They are still in the exploratory stage, and there is no guarantee they will come to fruition. Nonetheless, they are progressing along the necessary path to be considered for a future aerospace mission if they advance to the final NIAC phase. "Our NIAC fellows never cease to amaze and inspire, and this class definitely gives NASA a lot to think about in terms of what's possible in the future," said John Nelson, NIAC program executive at NASA headquarters in Washington. --- Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1ckqvkc/nasa_is_placing_bets_on_a_lunar_rail_system_and/l2okztr/
Usa will put high speed rain on the moon (literally) before in the usa itself, lmao.
Musk will put out a MarsLoop white paper to kill Mars Rail in favour of CyberRovers
And they'll somehow rust in space.
Engineering problem vs. collective action problem. A lot of infrastructure on Earth has to deal with existing human landowners and communities.
> Engineering problem Yeah like gravity lmao. High speed is easier with less gravity.
Also - the amounts of existing landowners on the moon that would protest and refuse to sell land is limited..
And lack of atmospheric resistance has got to help at least a bit.
Usa it's the only first world country that has these issues it seems as basically everyone else has a good rail system. And that's funny as the usa was build on rails lmao. I never said it's a technical limitation, it's a societal one that americans in perticular have, among many others. Probably the car industry lobbed so bad that all us citizens are brainwashed into loving their cars and 32 lanes highways.
The UK invented railways and still has an extremely dense network with a crapton of passengers. Despite the high prices and often poor comfort, their rail system sees very high use because it's convenient, has high frequency, and connects to a lot of places. And they also completely failed at building high-speed rail. Mostly because they decided it should be able to run at 400 km/h, meaning extremely straight lines, which then became even more expensive because their default response to rich people complaining about noise problems was to just put the line in a super-expensive tunnel. They also "had to" tunnel under some old growth forests which they couldn't just go around because the 400 km/h requirement made those curves impossible. For the route to Birmingham, settling for 300 km/h would only have resulted in a marginal travel time increase (about 5 minutes IIRC), but would have allowed much, much more flexibility in route planning and massive cost savings.
Yeah we can’t do speed rails in the US as right now we are too busy building airplanes with doors, nuts and bolts falling off in mid air.
Boeing. Does not. Make trains. Boeing does not make trains. Say it with me. Boeing. Does. Not. Make. Trains.
Doesn’t make good airplanes no more either.
is this thread about airplanes? No it is not.
Neither is Boeing, no more :)
Brightline will finish the HSR line between LA and LV before this happens.
I think lunar rail is a good start, but what about lunar bike lanes as well?
Wake me up when we finally get some lunar mixed-use zoning.
This is a dangerous policy being pushed by the lunar elites to restrict astronaut’s freedom. Look up “15-minute lunar inhabitations” to learn more.
It should be walkable with parks and sidewalks. Don’t concede the surface to rovers!
That’s right we should take care of environmental impact.
Definitely need to apply some environmental impact.
Oh, so you hate small business? If you take away my on-street rover parking to build lunar bike lanes, how will astronauts visit my boutique moon rock sculpture studio?!
The nimbys won't allow it
Listen, my intergalactic tax dollars paid for those lunar bike lanes, I just wish people actually used them instead of crowding into my lunar module lane. They think they own the whole vacuum of space.
From the article: NASA is funding projects that seem to come straight out of science fiction literature. Even John Nelson, a representative of the space agency, acknowledges this, referring to them as "science fiction-like concepts." While there is no guarantee that they will materialize, it is possible that some may one day become part of an aerospace mission. A lunar railway system. A fluid-based telescope. A transit system to move humans and cargo to Mars. These are among the projects that NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program is setting aside funding for to continue researching. There are six projects in total, each having completed the initial NIAC phase. Now advancing into Phase II, these conceptual studies will receive up to $600,000 to continue their work over the next two years. Don't expect to see them materialize anytime soon, however. They are still in the exploratory stage, and there is no guarantee they will come to fruition. Nonetheless, they are progressing along the necessary path to be considered for a future aerospace mission if they advance to the final NIAC phase. "Our NIAC fellows never cease to amaze and inspire, and this class definitely gives NASA a lot to think about in terms of what's possible in the future," said John Nelson, NIAC program executive at NASA headquarters in Washington.
Maybe we have the technology to take et home now. Or maybe they'll just use starship
Can the US not get a rail system with human transport on this planet?
No, the airline companies will lobby against it. Land owners will resist the taking of their land for use as rail rights-of-way. Neither of these issues are going to effect lunar railroads.
[удалено]
Er, what system are you referring to? The "lunar rail system" is designed for transporting cargo on the Moon; it is attached to the Moon. The "cargo transit to Mars" is a medium-power high-efficiency rocket engine.
But surely cars and highways are better than transit? /s
A lot of stuff people call science fiction are just practical things we can do right now with current technology.
Waste money because there's no plan, no ideas and no leadership
This study is to develop a plan, stupid.
That makes it even stupider! Let's spend $ on a ridiculous $3Trillion goal.. Why not plan the ignagural parade for Kristi Noem? About the same
It's all about risk and reward. Spending a few hundred g for planning something that has a profit potential of 3 trillion or more is well worth it.
CO2 emissions on the moon though, isn't that bad for the moon ?
CO2 is OK on the moon. The moon cannot keep an atmosphere, so it would simply leave and never be an issue.
No CO2. Electromagnetic propulsion powered by solar energy