We truly are about to enter the most exciting era in space since the 1960's ..... well if we don't destroy ourselves first.
Plans are afoot to mine the asteroids in our solar system, and use the new 3D printer technology, to convert local space materials, such as the moons surface 'regolith', into buildings and other objects, and generally open up space, with a lot of these ideas led by private industry consortium's. Sure, state players like China, the European Space Agency, NASA and Russia, are still the main men, but slowly and surely the private sector are muscling in, with private firms already docking with and supplying the space station.
What naff's me off about all this, is that all the major plans will be in the 2020's and beyond and I may miss them. If only this sudden flurry of 'Dan Dare' style exploration had been started 25 yrs ago ....
..... what would we be doing in space now?
Grrr! .... How I hate the idea of missing out on seeing what we may end up achieving, especially if its only a few decades after I am gone ..... life or rather death can be inconvenient at times.
There is a side note to this post .... its no particular secret that we at PC towers are based in the North West of England, indeed we have alluded to this on any number of occasions, but while I was writing this post I was totally amazed to discover that space hero of my childhood, Colonel Daniel McGregor Dare, was born in Manchester in 1967, and educated at 'Rossall School' on the Fylde Coast ..... both areas we are very familiar with.
It really is a small world ..... and soon we hope a small solar system.
Plans are afoot to mine the asteroids in our solar system, and use the new 3D printer technology, to convert local space materials, such as the moons surface 'regolith', into buildings and other objects, and generally open up space, with a lot of these ideas led by private industry consortium's. Sure, state players like China, the European Space Agency, NASA and Russia, are still the main men, but slowly and surely the private sector are muscling in, with private firms already docking with and supplying the space station.
What naff's me off about all this, is that all the major plans will be in the 2020's and beyond and I may miss them. If only this sudden flurry of 'Dan Dare' style exploration had been started 25 yrs ago ....
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| Dan Dare - Spaceport |
..... what would we be doing in space now?
Grrr! .... How I hate the idea of missing out on seeing what we may end up achieving, especially if its only a few decades after I am gone ..... life or rather death can be inconvenient at times.
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| Colonel Dan Dare - Mancunian Hero |
There is a side note to this post .... its no particular secret that we at PC towers are based in the North West of England, indeed we have alluded to this on any number of occasions, but while I was writing this post I was totally amazed to discover that space hero of my childhood, Colonel Daniel McGregor Dare, was born in Manchester in 1967, and educated at 'Rossall School' on the Fylde Coast ..... both areas we are very familiar with.
It really is a small world ..... and soon we hope a small solar system.
You don't see jawlines like that anymore!
ReplyDeleteDamn right mate .... Heroes were real men in those days.
DeleteDan Dare was created in Southport. Frank Hampson once said that most people assumed that Space Fleet HQ was on the south coast - he always maintained it was Southport. As for Digby...
ReplyDeleteAs for Digby .... well we apparently will never know. Mr Hampson was born in Manchester. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteFound this today... https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2018/10/dan-dare-exhibition-1990.html?m=1
ReplyDeleteActually it wasn't a lack of interest that slowed us down, it was simply that we didn't have the technology until recently. Computing today allows private space programmes such as SpaceX to get ahead of government sponsored space programmes. Once these private projects get successful then we will see rapid advances.
ReplyDeleteYou might well be write ... but still shattered my school boy dreams. Thanks for the comment Steve.
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