*** Welcome to piglix ***

NASA Advanced Space Transportation Program


The Advanced Space Transportation Program (ASTP) is a NASA program which is developing future space transportation systems. The ASTP's work, or purpose, is to intentionally advance current technologies, and innovate technologies, through intense research efforts that culminate in the outer space environment decades from now. The intense efforts aim to accelerate scientific and technological .

Regularizing outer space includes making the space transportation systems affordable, along with travel in space as safe and reliable as present day airline systems. It includes creating an environment in the space frontier that is routine enough for ordinary people to live, work and play.

As NASA’s core technology program for all space transportation, the Advanced Space Transportation Program at the Marshall Space Flight Center is advancing technologies that substantially increase the safety, and reliability of space transportation, as well as reduce the cost. Presently, it costs $10,000 to put a pound of payload in Earth orbit. NASA’s goal is to reduce the cost of getting to space to hundreds of dollars per pound within 25 years and tens of dollars per pound within 40 years.

The high cost of space transportation coupled with unreliability currently discourages access to space as an everyday environment. When space transportation becomes safe and affordable for ordinary people numerous possibilities and opportunities can be envisioned. The vision is guided by possibilities such as living and working in space, exploring new worlds, and vacationing off the Earth. In a similar context opportunities for business and pleasure are added multiples.


...
Wikipedia

...