Is it just me that finds sending people into space stupid? They send some guys into space to do what? Observer some other stuff in space and take some pictures of earth... They also want to send some guys to Mars, why? Because they want to see if there is tiny bacterias living there. Interesting...
But really, when all the various problems with our planet are looking to destroy the planet I think it's better to focus on doing something for our own planet rather then sending some people off to Mars to see if there is living bacterias there. And no, we can't send the whole earth's population into space, it's not even a plausible option.
I'm not trying to sound rude by saying this, so don't read it that way. But the way you're looking at it is really short sighted.
Our space program does more than just go look at other planets and fly out into space. It prompts the formation of new technologies, it allows new forms of research to occur, it teaches us about our origins, it encourages kids to become interested in learning science because they see what knowledge can accomplish, and it keeps the human imagination alive. The returns from space exploration are incredible.
Yeah, there are problems on this planet, but knowing that we are able to do great things when we work together towards accomplishment gives us new hope in solving those problems. It also gives struggling nations incentive to work on making themselves competitive.
Yes I know it got some good stuff and such. But I still think that we should focus on something else (the environment) for some time to get it going in the right direction at least. After that I think we can turn our heads back to what we used to do, but also keep in mind the problems in the past.
What you describe could mostly be seen as inspiring rather than doing any good in itself except looking cool and inspiring others. I would judge our own planet over the good stuff you get from the space program though. At least for a while.
For me the space program feels like something like a hobby. It's something you by the side of other stuff because you are interested, got the time and the money. You aren't forced to send people into space because of some reason, yet you do it to discover what's out there. The Global Warming (and the Global Dimming too) are problems that we are forced to do something with though.
I think we should leave the hobby for a while and turn on more pressing matters. After we've got a good way on fixing these matters we can turn our attention back to the hobby.
Call me short sighted if you want. But I prefer seeing it as looking further away. If we don't turn our full-heartedly attention to the Global Warming (and the Global Dimming) we will be facing increasing problems in the future. These problems must be handled why they still can be. The space program is expensive, and taking money from it will allow us to get on the right course with the problem.
Hopefully you got the meaning of my post. It became a bit messy.
Let me point out the irony of your statement there.
You say we should focus on something like our environment instead of space travel. But, consider this. If we were to go to Mars and start doing experiments there, we would inadvertently learn more about our own environment. Seeing and learning what happened on the surface of other planets could be a way of figuring out what could happen to our own.
However, Mars and Earth got different atmospheres and well a few thing are alike, but mostly they are different. It's not as easy as we can just go off to Mars and destroy the planet in an attempt to see what we did wrong. Consider that we already know the problem (or at least the most of us can agree on that we know the problem, don't start debating that thanks?).
Consider the irony in your post. It's been said by NASA that we could get to Mars about year 2020! By then it's to late. And even if we could get to Mars in a shorter future we would need to establish a base and much more before we could actually start experimenting. By that time solving the problems we have at our own planet will require even more determination to fix.
The space program, in the long long run, is more important than this planet. We WILL mine everything eventually, the sun WILL turn into a red giant, and that's the end of the planet. If we don't nuke each other to death by this point, trying to stop global warming will be hard when the planet is part of the sun. But if we have moved to other systems, the race will outlast. Don't say space exploration is all about instant gratification. The tech we invent while expanding in the field also change the way things work.
You look a bit too far into the future. You can't look all too far into the future, because then you could as well say it all doesn't matter, because some day the sun will stop burning and we will die here on our cold planet. The space program yields successes that are pretty instant. In the long run the stuff you get from the space program is instant and easy to see, it will of course keep giving stuff back and by time this stuff would become better and better, right? So we could say it's still a instant gratification, but when we look far into the future we can see that the gratification has became better.
The space program will indeed, in the long run, be more important than this planet. But by the time it will Global Warming will have managed to flood the whole planet and there are only few surviving humans left. If we get on the right path with global warming (and dimming) the human race will (probably) last long enough for the space program to make it possible to move the entire population.
Amazing how you ignored my post where I made clear we need the space program to solve global warming.
And you're too hyped about global warming. What do you suggest we do?
Maybe if they discover oil on Mars they might send a manned mission there in 200 years, maybe.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"
We only went to the moon to beat the russians. Other than that there was no real desire for a huge space program so we'll never get back to that level again without a major emergency or goal. In fact I would say there is becoming less and less interest in the space program nowadays.
So far, I think everyone in this thread is saying there is less and less interest; my point was that eventually that interest will pick back up. There are still major advances to be made in space exploration, and that itself is a major goal. When Bill Clinton was running for president, a small part of his platform was for renewed interest in NASA (although he was against increased funding). So to say that America's sole interest in space exploration was to combat the Russians (granted it was a driving force), you would be mistaken.
Yeah and bush said he wanted to send people to mars. Unless something happens that get's people excited in space again it's not gonna happen..Just because you say interest will pick up is irelevant unless you tell us how that is gonna happen. As it is now, interest is waning and will continue to do so. That's why I believe we need to get space out of government and into the private sector where companies will do stuff for a fraction of the cost such as sending someone to the moon that will generate interest again.
I don't know if any of you guys keep up with the space news that is going on, but I have just become sick of hearing about NASA and their screw ups and failures. Our space program used to be something that was incredible. We sent men to the moon for pete's sake! Now, it's crap. What it is doing these days is nothing short of boring. Our space program should be light years ahead of where it is now. If we had kept the momentum of space exploration that we once had who knows where we could be right now? And I'm not just talking about exploration. As many know when we went to the moon there were many great inventions that came about from those trips that we still use today. What would we have now if we had kept that up? Alternative energy sources? New forms of transportation? Better communication technologies? More effective medical advancements? When I think about what we could be like and how we are today I get sad and angry at the same time. Just look at how unmotivated kids are in the field of science! Imagine how inspired they would be if we were building moon bases, or if the Mars trip was within our grasp!!! When are the American people going to start demanding more from our space program? It's not just the exploration we should be focusing on, but the potential for us to live better, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.
NASA was told to stay off the moon after apollo 11. Neil and the other crew saw large inhuman craft near their landing site. Neil said he was constantly turning around because it felt like there was someone always watching him.
I remember my Grandfather mentioning something along these lines before, so even if it is a joke on your part, it has been mentioned in the past. I am down with 's saying don't mess this place up like you are doing to your planet. The moon is probably their observatory.
The key to further space travel is a larger space station that will allow crafts to arrive and depart without the pressures of gravity. Sooo much fuel is wasted and additional weight is added because of the intial lift-off. The major issues is getting the materials up there to them and of course the long term health of the astronauts/humans (which they are continuously working on).
"It is easier to be cruel than wise. The road to wisdom is long and difficult... so most people just turn out to be assholes" Feng (Christopher Walken)
NASA has become nothing but a farce for the public to see which is why it has fallen so far from grace. The people running the place keep making decisions that defy logic and are doing so on purpose. It will be a few years before if at all we see the real US military controlled space program. If you seriously think the US government has left the possibilities of space up to NASA up to this point then you need to stop being so damn naive acting like our government is full of idiots, it isn't. Just ask yourself how long was the SR-71 or stealth bomber flying before the public knew anything about them.
But I'm just talking crazy, where is my tinfoil hat?
I don't get it. So many people say that NASA "doesn't know what it's doing".
The goals of our space exploration program have been designed by politicians, and NASA uses funding to further those goals. If you have a problem with those goals, don't blame the nerdy guys with calculators, vote out your politicians.
Remember, this actually is rocket science. It requires an unbelievable amount of skill to design and operate these machines; to say it's a screw-up for a gash to appear on the shuttle, or that NASA doesn't care about the health and safety of its astronauts is ignorant.
The OP & Co. want to live in a science fiction movie, and that's not going to happen.
when the plebs realise the political parties are being paid to gut the planet they'll demand more exploration..this could take decades..when their folks start leaving florida cos it's flooded to come live with them,maybe we'll start to look outward.
Comments
Our space program does more than just go look at other planets and fly out into space. It prompts the formation of new technologies, it allows new forms of research to occur, it teaches us about our origins, it encourages kids to become interested in learning science because they see what knowledge can accomplish, and it keeps the human imagination alive. The returns from space exploration are incredible.
Yeah, there are problems on this planet, but knowing that we are able to do great things when we work together towards accomplishment gives us new hope in solving those problems. It also gives struggling nations incentive to work on making themselves competitive.
Yes I know it got some good stuff and such. But I still think that we should focus on something else (the environment) for some time to get it going in the right direction at least. After that I think we can turn our heads back to what we used to do, but also keep in mind the problems in the past.
What you describe could mostly be seen as inspiring rather than doing any good in itself except looking cool and inspiring others. I would judge our own planet over the good stuff you get from the space program though. At least for a while.
For me the space program feels like something like a hobby. It's something you by the side of other stuff because you are interested, got the time and the money. You aren't forced to send people into space because of some reason, yet you do it to discover what's out there. The Global Warming (and the Global Dimming too) are problems that we are forced to do something with though.
I think we should leave the hobby for a while and turn on more pressing matters. After we've got a good way on fixing these matters we can turn our attention back to the hobby.
Call me short sighted if you want. But I prefer seeing it as looking further away. If we don't turn our full-heartedly attention to the Global Warming (and the Global Dimming) we will be facing increasing problems in the future. These problems must be handled why they still can be. The space program is expensive, and taking money from it will allow us to get on the right course with the problem.
Hopefully you got the meaning of my post. It became a bit messy.
Let me point out the irony of your statement there.
You say we should focus on something like our environment instead of space travel. But, consider this. If we were to go to Mars and start doing experiments there, we would inadvertently learn more about our own environment. Seeing and learning what happened on the surface of other planets could be a way of figuring out what could happen to our own.
However, Mars and Earth got different atmospheres and well a few thing are alike, but mostly they are different. It's not as easy as we can just go off to Mars and destroy the planet in an attempt to see what we did wrong. Consider that we already know the problem (or at least the most of us can agree on that we know the problem, don't start debating that thanks?).
Consider the irony in your post. It's been said by NASA that we could get to Mars about year 2020! By then it's to late. And even if we could get to Mars in a shorter future we would need to establish a base and much more before we could actually start experimenting. By that time solving the problems we have at our own planet will require even more determination to fix.
You look a bit too far into the future. You can't look all too far into the future, because then you could as well say it all doesn't matter, because some day the sun will stop burning and we will die here on our cold planet. The space program yields successes that are pretty instant. In the long run the stuff you get from the space program is instant and easy to see, it will of course keep giving stuff back and by time this stuff would become better and better, right? So we could say it's still a instant gratification, but when we look far into the future we can see that the gratification has became better.
The space program will indeed, in the long run, be more important than this planet. But by the time it will Global Warming will have managed to flood the whole planet and there are only few surviving humans left. If we get on the right path with global warming (and dimming) the human race will (probably) last long enough for the space program to make it possible to move the entire population.
Amazing how you ignored my post where I made clear we need the space program to solve global warming.And you're too hyped about global warming. What do you suggest we do?
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Maybe if they discover oil on Mars they might send a manned mission there in 200 years, maybe.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"
CS Lewis
So far, I think everyone in this thread is saying there is less and less interest; my point was that eventually that interest will pick back up. There are still major advances to be made in space exploration, and that itself is a major goal. When Bill Clinton was running for president, a small part of his platform was for renewed interest in NASA (although he was against increased funding). So to say that America's sole interest in space exploration was to combat the Russians (granted it was a driving force), you would be mistaken.
Yeah and bush said he wanted to send people to mars. Unless something happens that get's people excited in space again it's not gonna happen..Just because you say interest will pick up is irelevant unless you tell us how that is gonna happen. As it is now, interest is waning and will continue to do so. That's why I believe we need to get space out of government and into the private sector where companies will do stuff for a fraction of the cost such as sending someone to the moon that will generate interest again.Certainly the government isn't gonna do it.
It's already being done. For years now.
member of imminst.org
NASA was told to stay off the moon after apollo 11. Neil and the other crew saw large inhuman craft near their landing site. Neil said he was constantly turning around because it felt like there was someone always watching him.
I remember my Grandfather mentioning something along these lines before, so even if it is a joke on your part, it has been mentioned in the past. I am down with
's saying don't mess this place up like you are doing to your planet. The moon is probably their observatory.
The key to further space travel is a larger space station that will allow crafts to arrive and depart without the pressures of gravity. Sooo much fuel is wasted and additional weight is added because of the intial lift-off. The major issues is getting the materials up there to them and of course the long term health of the astronauts/humans (which they are continuously working on).
"It is easier to be cruel than wise. The road to wisdom is long and difficult... so most people just turn out to be assholes" Feng (Christopher Walken)
NASA has become nothing but a farce for the public to see which is why it has fallen so far from grace. The people running the place keep making decisions that defy logic and are doing so on purpose. It will be a few years before if at all we see the real US military controlled space program. If you seriously think the US government has left the possibilities of space up to NASA up to this point then you need to stop being so damn naive acting like our government is full of idiots, it isn't. Just ask yourself how long was the SR-71 or stealth bomber flying before the public knew anything about them.
But I'm just talking crazy, where is my tinfoil hat?
The Brave Do Not Fear The Grave
I don't get it. So many people say that NASA "doesn't know what it's doing".
The goals of our space exploration program have been designed by politicians, and NASA uses funding to further those goals. If you have a problem with those goals, don't blame the nerdy guys with calculators, vote out your politicians.
Remember, this actually is rocket science. It requires an unbelievable amount of skill to design and operate these machines; to say it's a screw-up for a gash to appear on the shuttle, or that NASA doesn't care about the health and safety of its astronauts is ignorant.
The OP & Co. want to live in a science fiction movie, and that's not going to happen.
www.draftgore.com
Gore '08
Look, if anyone here badmouths NASA again, I will pack up my diapers, hop in a car for 48 hours straight, and come get you...
Sorry, I had to make the joke, part of it did happen in my home state.
pay bananas you get monkeys
when the plebs realise the political parties are being paid to gut the planet they'll demand more exploration..this could take decades..when their folks start leaving florida cos it's flooded to come live with them,maybe we'll start to look outward.