Thread: Disappointed in the Space Program

  1. #1
    Ecologist
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Utah.
    Posts
    1,291

    Angry Disappointed in the Space Program

    It isn't interesting. They're just taking too long to do anything
    that I care about. I don't care how turtles adapt to living with
    humans ina zero-gravity environment -- I want to see aliens,
    damnit! NASA knows they exist, and I bet they even know where
    they exist. Even if they're extremely primitive, I still want to know
    about them. I want to see other planets... Planets with water,
    and new types of berries. Intergallactic Fruit -- That's what I'm
    looking forward to.

    They need to start sending people to other planets. We need
    a president ("we" as in the United States) that cares about
    space exlporation; one that's willing to set a 10 year deadline for
    humans to land on Mars.

    And how they heck did they decide that they were finished exploring
    the Moon? They haven't been there since the early 70's. 30 years
    without a moon landing. There has to be other things they can
    do over there... They should open up a hotel or something (I'm
    serious about that. I'm pretty sure it's possible)..

    Where the heck is Warp Speed?
    Staying away from General.

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Posts
    559
    There's a division in NASA planning to go back to the moon in the next ten years or so.
    Truth is a malleable commodity - Dick Cheney

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    244
    Taxpayers don't want to spend the $$$$$$$$$$$$$, and space exploration is very expensive.

    So now NASA is going for "faster, cheaper, better", but the "cheaper" part of that can cause problems..

  4. #4
    Cheesy Poofs! PJYelton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Boulder
    Posts
    1,728
    No politician is willing to spend the money when the benefits don't show up for ten or more years, LONG after that politician is out of office. They increase taxes or take money from somewhere else which the public hates them for, without getting the credit once the mission accomplishes something and they're retired. I agree, it stinks! 15 years ago I expected the opportunity for me to fly in space commercially. Beginning to look like it might not happen...

  5. #5
    It's full of stars adrianxw's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    4,829
    A real space program is so expensive and resource hungry that it would require planetary cooperation. While we are all squabbling amongst ourselves, senslessly killing each other and squandering billions on weapons systems, a real space program is a pipe dream.
    Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity unto the dream.

  6. #6
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    The edge of the known universe
    Posts
    39,660
    > And how they heck did they decide that they were finished exploring the Moon?
    The moon landings were never about exploration - it was all cold-war politik and "me first" bragging rights. Only one scientist (a geologist) ever went there (on apollo 17) and that was the last of it.

    Just look at how they decided to get there - big dumb rockets with 0% reusability. Imagine a trip by plane - 3 people in a boeing 777 and the only thing which reaches the destination are the 3 seats which they're sitting in. Cost effectiveness was never part of the plan, only things which were time-effective were considered.
    If you're interested in re-usability, then do a search for "SSTO"

    > one that's willing to set a 10 year deadline for
    humans to land on Mars.
    Do a web search for "Robert Zubrin", he's one of the main advocates for a mars trip.

    > They need to start sending people to other planets.
    This seems less likely with each passing year rather than more likely. The capabilities of explorer robots seem to be expanding faster than the capabilities needed for long duration space travel (something else the moon-shot didn't have to worry about), and which robotic exploration doesn't have to worry about.
    If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
    If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.

  7. #7
    Registered User rick barclay's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    835
    It would certainly be nice to go exploring outer space, and I'm sure our President is all for it. But we have certain other problems here that preclude whatever amusement space exploration might
    offer. Indeed, if we don't solve our problems here, whatever fun
    a space trip might have offered becomes a moot point because none of us will be around for the trip to Mars. Pollution, global warming, terrorism under the guise as religion, world hunger,
    the desecration of the Amazon, crime, poverty, saving the whales, and getting people to curb their dogs all rate priority over
    sending a man to Mars, which will accomplish what? And so
    what?
    The Russians learned far back that it is much more cost effective
    to send robots out to explore the heavens than it is for a person
    to go. Some in the U.S. also embrace a send-the-robots-
    not-a-man philosophy for space exploration, but apparently
    the management must feel differently. Otherwise, why would they continue building a space station? Assuming our problems are solved, we might launch a space quest in time for the third
    millenium.

    rick barclay
    Last edited by rick barclay; 10-26-2002 at 03:17 AM.
    No. Wait. Don't hang up!

    This is America calling!

  8. #8
    As someone else stated above, we'll need to finish all the fights in the world, and that won't happen. I'm sad to say, but I think it looks like we'll never really have all those cool spacecrafts everyone envisions in the future.
    -Save the whales. Collect the whole set.

  9. #9
    Much older and wiser Fountain's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Engeeeerland
    Posts
    1,158
    Some valid points-especially the Unified world stuff...see my post on the UN forum.


    Besides we are constrained by technology.We can only envisage going faster than light. It probably can be done, but until it is...Ethic..You are alone .


    Going to the moon? Hmmm what for.Hotel is a nice idea...but how do the guests get there?.
    Such is life.

  10. #10
    >>but how do the guests get there?

    Space Elevator.

    >>Anyway, there's some great pictures of marvellous heavenly bodies available - some
    >>of them are even of stellar objects, which is always a bonus.

    LMAO

    >>and I bet they even know where
    they exist.

    Sure we do.
    "There's always another way"
    -lightatdawn (lightatdawn.cprogramming.com)

  11. #11
    100 posts. i feel special
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    117
    im totally agree on the unified world idea, which would probably allow the human race to get alot more done. if none of the countries of the world had to spend money on weapons and militaries then the funds would be available for a great space program. im also in favor of developing a possible long long term plan to make mars liveable, using terraforming and the such because eventually we will .......... earth up to much and need to move on.
    yum, yum potatoes!!!!!

  12. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    465
    well, we are obviously going to need to leave our planet eventually. life dictates that we are to preserve our species at all costs. planet-wide catastrophies (collisions, dying stars, drastic climate changes, etc...) happen all the time, on a universal time scale. in order to survive as a species we need to be as spread out as possible so as to have a minimum chance of the entire species being wiped out at once.

    i believe firmly that the reason depression and violent crimes are so common is that people dont believe they are enough a part of the world around them. it all seems out of control and everyone is against everyone.

    i have often envisioned a world government in which all members of the human race are working together to develop advanced space technology and colonize other planets. every living person would be involved in the research and creation, rather than some obscure government lab. everyone does their part, making them feel important and giving their life purpose, therefore ridding the world of crime and hopelessness.

    this government is of course purely fictional. you will never get around the stupidity of most people, or their insatiable need for 'fashion,' or their overly prevelant 'jihad's.

    "the end of the world" idea brought to us by most religions is, i feel, one of the biggest mistakes ever dreamed up. now half of the world feels as if the end is near for about 99% of the course of history, and feels there is no reason to try to do anything worthwhile. of course, this is an entirely different thread, and im getting way away from the whole space-exploration thing. but hopefully you see how all of these thoughts are connected.

    i dont want to ramble too much so im going to stop here.
    I came up with a cool phrase to put down here, but i forgot it...

  13. #13
    Originally posted by jessie23
    im totally agree on the unified world idea, which would probably allow the human race to get alot more done. if none of the countries of the world had to spend money on weapons and militaries then the funds would be available for a great space program. im also in favor of developing a possible long long term plan to make mars liveable, using terraforming and the such because eventually we will .......... earth up to much and need to move on.
    dont revive old posts please
    -Save the whales. Collect the whole set.

  14. #14
    Guest Sebastiani's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Waterloo, Texas
    Posts
    5,708
    Just look at how they decided to get there - big dumb rockets with 0% reusability. Imagine a trip by plane - 3 people in a boeing 777 and the only thing which reaches the destination are the 3 seats which they're sitting in. Cost effectiveness was never part of the plan, only things which were time-effective were considered.
    If you're interested in re-usability, then do a search for "SSTO"
    Great analogy.

    I think that deep space travel for humans, where people spend a lifetime in space will never become very popular (save for the few). We were meant to live on this green earth! But hotels on the moon and in space are a long overdue, and approaching the end of this century I'd be suprised if the were uncommon as the cost of travel will surely drop.

    Sidenote: I think the idea of a world government is a bad idea. Think of the beuracracy! What kind of utopian nuts are you?!! It's bad enough we lost are independance to the union back in the 1860's! The UK is 1/3 the size of Texas, and yet you guys get your own country! Ouch!
    Code:
    #include <cmath>
    #include <complex>
    bool euler_flip(bool value)
    {
        return std::pow
        (
            std::complex<float>(std::exp(1.0)), 
            std::complex<float>(0, 1) 
            * std::complex<float>(std::atan(1.0)
            *(1 << (value + 2)))
        ).real() < 0;
    }

  15. #15
    Registered /usr
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Newport, South Wales, UK
    Posts
    1,273
    While I'm all in favour of school bus trips to Mars (That way the Earth's pleasures will be a purely adult thing...) there is the little issue of muscle wastage. If you managed to get to Mars and back, using current technology, you'd flop to the ground when you got back, and even your own children could deck you with one swing.

    Bottom line: Gravity has its uses.

    I reckon they should have electromagnetic chambers in spacecraft and appropriate footwear, so that people could simulate *shock horror* walking properly every now and then.

Popular pages Recent additions subscribe to a feed

Similar Threads

  1. Out of space when compiling kernel
    By NuNn in forum Linux Programming
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 04-01-2009, 02:43 PM
  2. BOOKKEEPING PROGRAM, need help!
    By yabud in forum C Programming
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 11-16-2006, 11:17 PM
  3. Can someome help me with a program please?
    By WinterInChicago in forum C++ Programming
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 09-21-2006, 10:58 PM
  4. Need help with my program...
    By Noah in forum C Programming
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 03-11-2006, 07:49 PM
  5. Dikumud
    By maxorator in forum C++ Programming
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 10-01-2005, 06:39 AM