Concatenated JPRS Reports, 1991

This document, a 1991 JPRS report, offers a comprehensive retrospective and prospective analysis of human space exploration. It begins by evaluating the achievements of the first thirty-three years of the space age, noting that while manned spaceflight has provided data on weightlessness and flight systems, it has not yet yielded fundamentally new scientific information. The author critiques the Apollo program as a costly endeavor driven by prestige rather than scientific necessity, arguing that the experience gained was underutilized after 1972. Similarly, the American Space Shuttle and Soviet Buran programs are criticized for their high costs and awkward design profiles, which failed to make space transport truly inexpensive.

The report transitions to future tasks in space, emphasizing the need for practical, economically beneficial operations. It proposes three categories of space activity: traditional environmental monitoring and communications; in-orbit production and research; and international monitoring systems to maintain peace. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to the concept of 'cloud-stations'—modular, autonomous orbital units that avoid the complexities of large, rigid structures like the Freedom space station. The author also explores the feasibility of orbiting solar electric power plants, suggesting that they could provide clean energy to Earth if launch costs are reduced by two orders of magnitude.

Regarding the exploration of the solar system, the document discusses the potential for a Mars mission, noting that while Mars is more accessible than other planets, the primary justification for a mission would be the search for life. It details the technical requirements for such a mission, including the use of electric engines to improve mass efficiency and the necessity of developing reusable transport systems. Finally, the report touches upon the theoretical aspects of interstellar travel, dismissing the transport of material bodies as impractical due to the vast distances and the limitations of current physics. Instead, it suggests that future interstellar communication might involve the transmission of information packages, reflecting on the philosophical nature of human consciousness and the potential for artificial intelligence to assist in future space endeavors.