Launching a Space Station to Other Worlds

Imagine strapping a giant rocket engine on the International Space Station (ISS), inflating a few balloon-like structures to hold your luggage, and adding a spinning carousel-wheel for artificial gravity.

This ungainly-sounding assemblage, dubbed Nautilus-X, ("Non-Atmospheric Universal Transport Intended for Lengthy United States eXploration") has been proposed by the NASA Technology Applications Assessment Team at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The group is chartered with examining key technologies that can advance space exploration in a timely and affordable manner.

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