Mallette Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 The Chinese will be up there as well. Like I said, it's not humanity giving up, it's us. Brian, the title is a literal reference. I am an American and took great pride in what we did and it's very hard to realize that in a single generation we went from the standard bearers of the human species to simply folding our tents and stealing away. Thank God for the Chinese and ANYONE who carries on. I just wish we had not passed the torch so soon. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 It deeply saddens me to see our space program abandoned but I sort of understand it from a budgetary point of view. The current monetary priorities are military, mortgage rescue, and student loan relief. There’s only X amount of $$ to go around. Someone has to lose. Sadly it’s NASA this time. In my opinion it’s VERY short sighted of our leaders to not see the long term value of space exploration. If I don’t miss my guess we’ll sit on the side lines for a few years until someone says “oh crap the whoever are taking control of space”. At which time there will be an @$$load of $$ poured in to the program just to catch up. Being born in 1958 I grew up with a fascination of space exploration. I watched EVERY launch and subsequent broadcasts intently through the 60’s and 70’s. I watched the shuttle program develop with equal fascination. I was standing outside watching the launch from 100 or so miles away when Challenger exploded. I attended the very first night launch of a shuttle. Yea… I am and all of my life have been a fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 Word from a reliable source (remember where I live) has it that higher NASA management may believe that this is a trial balloon to gauge public response. Hard to tell how that will pan out given the publics lukewarm interest in anything but tax rates and mortgage issues, but I hope so. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 There are many in this Nation who will only be happy when America is on an equal footing with other 3rd world countries. Well said, that group is at the head the current administration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Transitioning to the private sector. At least the Virigin base is in America. http://www.virgingalactic.com/ Then there is Bigelow Aerospace who plan on putting hotels in space. http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/ Humanity's urges to explore won't be denied. Meanwhile, over in Russia, the economy has been in terrible shape for years, but they're still putting people in orbit. I didn't want to sound political, but it's pretty obvious stuff. I'm sure America will resume its space plans before long, because so many of the public will demand it. There's clear evidence of that right here on this forum. The Russian space program was a hell of a thing. If your interested in being surprised research Russian history of space exploration. They did so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted October 27, 2011 Moderators Share Posted October 27, 2011 There are many in this Nation who will only be happy when America is on an equal footing with other 3rd world countries. Well said, that group is at the head the current administration That part of "spreading the wealth", your's not there's of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 The Russian space program was a hell of a thing. If your interested in being surprised research Russian history of space exploration. They did so much. The contributions of feline cosmonauts are so frequently overlooked, but this one should be remembered: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 With the shuttles out of commision if we want a ride to international space station we need to get a ride from our friends the Russians. Times they do change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted October 28, 2011 Author Share Posted October 28, 2011 I am somewhat heartened by the response here. If this was a trial balloon, perhaps they'll think better of these insane plans. Of course, the program was gutted already, but at least research remained and a bit of work on the new large booster. Of course, if recent events are an indicator what the people want may well be irrelevant. I am also please with the work of Rutan and others to keep the dream alive. These people are part dreamer, part realist and I believe there is not only adventure but MONEY to be made out there. The lunar surface is rotten with valuable, easily obtained resources. After all, it's made of the same stuff as earth and hasn't been touched. We are already under Chinese control for the vital rare earths and minerals on which modern technology rests even though untold tons of the stuff is in a place where it's cheaper and easier to ship it to a plant than from many places on earth. If you want to feed the hungry, put them to work building the future. If you want a better life, support the technology that can build it. If you want a cleaner earth with a diversity of plants and animal life for your children's future, take fhe first step on an infinite journey to spread to new worlds. Or we can just sit here will the resources dwindle and the trash piles up, then fight over what remains. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Having been a child of the 60's I grew up thinkin' anything is possible, I really thought we would have men on Mars by now.I too believe that all we spent on space exploration has been money well spent,I'm sure that there is waste but at least it did not ruin generations while wasting,The things we learned can't even be measured they were so vast.We live in a different world today, ask not what you can do but what will you do for me? I don't think the tree huggers protecting owls are likely to mine the moon.We can't even develope our resources here on this planet,I'm sure most of us understand that energy prices are what have wrecked the economy.It will never recover fully when gas is $4 a gallon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted October 28, 2011 Author Share Posted October 28, 2011 I don't think the tree huggers protecting owls are likely to mine the moon You'd think they'd be first in line. No trees or endangered species there, nor streams or air to pollute. As to what we we've learned, you are so right. Living next door to the institutions that parse all that data I can tell you it will be many years before we interpret all the data we've accumulated. Of course, that is a reason to keep on, not a reason to just close up shop. As to developing the resources we have here, I disagree. Another thing that brought tears to my eyes was the utter devastation of the forests of southeast Asia between the time I was there during the Viet war and the late 80s. Lord knows there is probably a McDonalds every few miles in these once magnificent areas now. Bottom line: Anybody who thinks we can "Save the Planet" is more of a starry eyed dreamer than the most passionate space cadet. It's long since ruined already and will take millenia to recover even if we start now to off world both people and resouce aquisition. Of course, the sooner we get started the more species will survive. If we start later the question is "Will ANYTHING survive, even the cockroach?" Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 i hope the space program endures; but, the pessimist in me can't help but to realize that we've screwed up things down here in so many ways, why should we go anywhere else and screw that up too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted October 28, 2011 Author Share Posted October 28, 2011 i hope the space program endures; but, the pessimist in me can't help but to realize that we've screwed up things down here in so many ways, why should we go anywhere else and screw that up too? I've heard that one. Pray tell, can even humanity screw up INFINITY??? In any event, the choice is spread out or die, and we are making it. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRFL Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Don't be concerned, it's only temporary. The budget must be pulled into line at the moment and this is the most important task at hand. The best action the world leaders can take is decisive sensible action and from this there will be stabilisation followed by growth and then back to making things smaller for space exploration. Right this minute I'm watching "The Day The Earth Stood Still" 1951 version on Foxtel. Funny Co-incidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Without heavy investments in the sciences and R&D there will be no future industries. America needs a clear vision or visions for the future. Anything would be better than a country where the rich get richer and the American middle class diappears. NASA hasn't been properly funded in years. I was impressed with the relatively inexpensive Mars rover. They accomplished alot on a modest budget. By modest I mean compared to other NASA projects. If NASA goes by the way side would our scientist go to work on a foreign space programs? NASA Federal Budget Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 That was my first thought seti. It would be just like all the German scientists who came to work on the USA space and weapons programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Don't be concerned, it's only temporary. The budget must be pulled into line at the moment and this is the most important task at hand. The best action the world leaders can take is decisive sensible action and from this there will be stabilisation followed by growth and then back to making things smaller for space exploration. I tend to agree. Meanwhile, a group in Montreal is trying to show the impact of space exploration to the person in the street: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsear Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Perhaps a newer international iteration of space exploration will emerge to be just as inspirational and successful. We seem to embrace a nationalistic fervor for keeping such advances exclusively American but maybe they do not have to be that way. A creative solution would be to find someway to profit from what we have. Perhaps China would forgive some of our debt to obtain the ready status of some of our space programs? What brings tears to my eyes is seeing how this country manages its elderly population. Then again $16 muffins make me cry too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utard Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 If we would just bring our people out of the oil country's that would sure save a lot more money. Imagine if our government used the 1.2 Trillion dollars spent on Iraq and Afghanistan for the development of fuel cells, solar or battery's? That about of money towards those technology's and we would not even need their oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 Perhaps a newer international iteration of space exploration will emerge to be just as inspirational and successful. We seem to embrace a nationalistic fervor for keeping such advances exclusively American but maybe they do not have to be that way. A creative solution would be to find someway to profit from what we have. Perhaps China would forgive some of our debt to obtain the ready status of some of our space programs? What brings tears to my eyes is seeing how this country manages its elderly population. Then again $16 muffins make me cry too. I am in total agreement. As I feel space exploration is necessary to human survival I don't care if it's the UN or the United Federation of Planets flag flying on Mars...just as long as there is a human there to raise and lower it each day. I also agree with Utard's post...let Afghanistan rot and use that money towards peace, prosperity, and full bellies for all by spending it in the peaceful pioneering of space. Yes, we can send corn or whatever, but it's the same old thing: Getting humans into space is teaching us to fish... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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