[SpaceProgram] Goals and milestones

[Alex Cureton-Griffiths]

With 100YSS off the table, we need to put new goals in place for the
HSP. I like cksantos's goal of going to the stars via incremental
steps (posted to the wiki, copypasta'd below). I'm no expert, but it
seems like a logical series of stages. I'm curious as to people's
thoughts on the concept and stages themselves. Individual goals we can
always debate later, but it'd be good to put some kind of framework in
place sooner rather than later.

== Copypasta begin (from
http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Hackerspaces_Global_Space_Program/Manifesto)
==

What: We are going to the Stars

How: 7 Stages of Measurable Success

Stage 1: Ground Testing Mastery Goals: Cryogenic Fuel Storage,
Stationary and Mobile Nuclear Power, Stations (Life support,
Construction, Industrial, Agriculture, Tourism)

Stage 2: Sub Orbital Mastery Goals: High Altitude Balloons and/or
Aircraft, and/or Rocketry, Edge of Space Craft, High Altitude Stations
(Tourism, Ground to Orbit Staging Platforms)

Stage 3: LEO Mastery Goals: Chemical Surface to LEO, Debris Recycling,
Stations (Life support, Construction, Industrial, Agriculture,
Tourism, Artificial Gravity), LEO to Surface Decelerators

Stage 4: Lagrange Point Mastery Goals: Chemical Surface to L Points,
Ion LEO to L point, Cryogenic Fuel Storage, Stationary Nuclear Power
(fission/fusion), Stations (Life support, Construction, Industrial,
Agriculture, Tourism, Artificial Gravity, Extra-solar Habitable Planet
Location

Stage 5: NEA/C Mastery Goals: LEO/L point to NEA, Mobile Nuclear Power
and Propulsion (fission/fusion), Metals/Volatiles mining and refining
[space "gold rush"], Large scale Toridical Habitat

Stage 6: Planetary Bodies Mastery Goals: a. Earth Moon Tunnel Habitat
b. Mars Tunnel Habitat c. Asteroid Belt Mining and Habitation d.
Jupiter; Atmospheric Mining, Moons Mining, and Trojans Mining

Stage 7: Stellar Medium Mastery Goals: a. Outer-solar System Probe,
Giant Solar Sails, Polywell Bussard Ram Jet, Antimatter Drive,
Candidate Network Systems, Nanoscopic Self-replicating Computers and
Robotics b. Extra Solar Communications Network, Uploaded Consciousness