Who needs NASA? This year, the civilian space industry finally takes off
Posted 12.16.2009 at 6:21 pm
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January 2010
Features
In 2010, The Civilian Space Industry Finally Takes Off
Who needs the space shuttle? Take a tour inside the private space industry and its innovative, efficient plans to get astronauts into space when NASA retires its old ride By Sam Howe Verhovek
Your Guide to the Year in Science: 2010
A deeper look at polar ice. An electric-car renaissance. The death and rebirth of major scientific experiments. Read on to discover what this year has in store
Greetings From Future Camp
According to Ray Kurzweil, the Singularity is a point at which man will become one with machine and then live eternally—which makes Singularity University, a nine-week academic retreat named for the concept, sound a little cultish. Our writer traveled west to investigate and found 40 stunningly sane brainiacs out to change the world. By Josh Dean
James Cameron’s Avatar: Inside the Scene-Stealing 3-D Technology
By John Scott Lewinski
Green Dream: Installing a Rooftop Garden
Rooftop greenery guards against water damage and bland mealsBy John B. Carnett
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What's New
- Cellphone Watches Aren't Just for Dick Tracy Anymore
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How 2.0
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- Gray Matter: Trapping Burning Gasses With a Thin Wire Screen
- Build It: The Pizza Cam
- Cheap Tricks: Use a Vintage Lens To Get More From Your Digital SLR
- Ask a Geek: How Can I Stream Music Around My House?
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billcocchi@yahoo.com I have been a Fan of POPULAR SCIENCE for 50 years and my DRATSMAN ART idea is along the same lines as this issue to build portable HOME spheres called PORT o PODs that can deliver Fresh Water to the International Space Station so CREWS do not haveto Drink Distilled "URINE and Sweat "THE BEST FOR THE BEST" and the PODs are emptied they can be transformed into Drills to mine on the MOON and Mars to manufacture "TITANIUM STEEL FOIL to put a protective coating around the International Space Station. And to build PORT o PODs on EARTH that can be transported by AIR, LAND & SEA. I will use the SPACSY FOIL to build a Oil Drilling Submergable Submarine with PORT o PODs to vacuum Oil that over flows when it is discoverd and Sealed for future use.Its a "FLAT TOP SUB" the PORT o PODS(invision a CLAM with two 12oz cans on sides
What we need is something that looks like a manta ray.-large wide wings that house those lift blades -forward turbo fans maybe 3--1 each wing 1 on tail-starts vertical wing fans close in housing forward flight begins 2-4 seats- wings fold up after landing ,you drive it to a standard parking spot. Shopping center parking lots could be ringed with individual GPS landing coordinates ,clearly marked on the ground ,your GPS on board programmed in,your driveway GPS coordinates programmed in,AND YOU DON’T FLY IT!!……GPS-all the way.programmed in.point to point.should run on regular gas. A standard 20gal tank.oh, 250 mpt. That’s AIR miles.Would solve a lot of problems.even if air fuel were needed,due to torque and lift requirements ,the price of such “tailored”
fuel would drop significantly as more of these Transistional Methods of Transportation (TMOT) became available-Safety- how about underneath full covering airbag -on roof a parachute, engine failure ,activated, up fly in gov’t controlled GPS corridors,any deviation,triggers emergency controls,no DUI’s ,no drive by shootings,no vehicle to vehicle accidents,no roads to keep up,less police needs for highway patrols,no police chases,you couldn’t even use them as “getaway” vehicles,oh AND NO TRAFFIC JAMS. GM could retool and start testing , in 6 months,a small test project city could be started---idea needs more input,,your suggestions welco