I’m sure this will come in handy someday soon. MIT researchers have created SpaceNet, a software tool for modeling interplanetary supply chains.
“Increasingly, there is a realization that crewed space missions such as the International Space Station or the buildup of a lunar outpost should not be treated as isolated missions, but rather as an integrated supply chain,” said [MIT researcher Olivier L.] de Weck.
While “supply chain” usually refers to the flow of goods and materials in and out of manufacturing facilities, distribution centers and retail stores, de Weck said that a well-designed interplanetary supply chain would operate on much the same principles, with certain complicating factors. Transportation delays could be significant–as much as six to nine months in the case of Mars–and shipping capacity will be very limited.
I can’t wait for the day when I can order spare parts online and have them delivered to my house on Mars.
[via Boing Boing]
Okay, so what is so different about this? It reminds me of early cross-Atlantic and round-the-world travel. You put your mail on a ship and it takes 8 or 9 months to get where it’s going. People did it anyway, because it was worth it to live or go somewhere new and interesting. I like the MIT tracking.
Chris, I can’t wait when I can order spare parts for you and have them delivered to our house on Mars, too. Bionic eyes? Carried by Amazon, I hear.