Ares I NASA Test Video

This is the Ares I rocket motor test. It is one powerful rocket motor and is at the core of the Constellation program designed to get us back to the moon. Unfortunately, missions to the moon aren't cheap and NASA is facing some major changes without adequate funding. Have to keep an eye on that.

I found this video hiding out at Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy site.

The Next 100 Years of Space Exploration

Keep in mind this video was filmed in 2003 at MIT. Some of the things discussed, while in their infancy then, are happening now. It's pretty amazing to look back in time just a few years at the things NASA was considering and what they actually ended up doing. This video is very interesting and I do wonder where we will be as far as space exploration is concerned in the next 100 years.

Any guesses?? OK I'll take a stab. I think humans will have set foot on at least Mars and the moon. We will have set up or be setting up a permanent base on the moon. We will also be in the early stages of building a Mars base. I also think we will have identified numerous Earth like planets relatively close by. And while it will take an excessively long time (as far as propulsion technology gets us today) we will have set off a probe and/or rovers equipped with the latest AI that are enroute to one of those destinations to explore or be blown away by the inhabitants.

Note: As these thinkers are relatively intelligent talking about future technologies, it is amazing they aren't able to work a simple overhead projector.