To return America to leadership in human spacefaring operations, America now needs to focus on building a national astrologistics infrastructure to enable safe and robust human spacefaring operations throughout the Earth-Moon system. Fortunately, America now can make use of the unmanned cargo version of the Space Launch System (SLS) to begin to build the space bases, space habitats, and true spaceships that are now needed. Re-branded as America’s Spacelifter, the cargo version of the SLS will provide a cost-effective way for America to realize its long-held dream of becoming a true human spacefaring nation.
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In the 2010 NASA Authorization Act, Congress established the requirement for the Space Launch System (SLS). Further, Congress directed that the SLS be a Shuttle-derived system such that design elements and components of the Space Shuttle be used “to the extent practicable”. As an unmanned launch system, the SLS was to have the ability to launch 70-100 tons into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with improvements increasing this to 130 tons. The successful 16 November 2022 unmanned test flight on the SLS showed that the core SLS—that constitutes the heavy space lift capability—is now ready to be used as America’s needed new “Spacelifter“.
This 4-minute video, from the Spacefaring Institute’s YouTube channel, further explains how the “Spacelifter” can be used to build America’s initial space bases, space docks, space habitats, and true spaceships to make America’s human spacefaring dream reality.
Future Spacefaring America blog postings will explain how building a national astrologistics infrastructure will benefit America and what needs to be done to get started.
If not already following this blog, please click the “subscribe” button at the top left to sign up. Receiving notification via email is best to ensure that you do not miss a new posting. Sending notifications is the only use of your email address. It is not sold or used elsewhere. Besides, you can always unsubscribe. Please forward these postings to your friends who share your spacefaring interest. Also, please check out the Spacefaring Institute’s YouTube channel and the Spacefaring Institute’s page on LinkedIn.
James Michael (Mike) Snead is an aerospace Professional Engineer in the United States, an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and a past chair of the AIAA’s Space Logistics Technical Committee. He is the founder and president of the Spacefaring Institute LLC (spacefaringinstitute.net) which is focused on space solar power-generated astroelectricity and the astrologistics infrastructure necessary to enable the spacefaring industrial revolution that will build space solar power energy systems. Mike Snead has been involved in space development since the mid-1980s when he supported the U.S. Air Force Transatmospheric Vehicle (TAV) studies, the National Aerospace Plane program, and the Delta Clipper Experimental (DC-X) project. In 2007, after retiring from civilian employment with the Air Force, he began to study the need for (and politics associated with) undertaking space solar power. Beginning in the late 1980s, he has published numerous papers and articles on various aspects of manned spaceflight, astrologistics, and energy. His technical papers are located at https://www.mikesnead.com and https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mike-Snead/research. His eBook, Astroelectricity, can be downloaded for free here. He can be contacted through LinkedIn or through email sent to spacefaringinstitute@gmail.com. Mike Snead also publishes a newsletter on LinkedIn called “U.S. Astrologistics”. This is located on the Spacefaring Institute page.