Posted on 08/03/2005 9:15:20 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
One big thing is advances in materials science. Refractory materials, coatings, metal alloys and welding, fasteners, mechanical design, electronic devices, windows both for looking out from the cockpit and for instrumentation at all wavelengths, motor fuels, wire insulation and potting, etc. without end.
Literally. Observe the handle of the hacksaw in post #7!
Houston: Discovery, you have a filament dangling from the belly of the orbiter, we need you to go out and cut it off.
Discovery: Roger that Houston, what tool should we use?
Houston: Just a pair of nail clippers will do.
Discovery: (embarrassed pause) Uh, Houston, we'd love to do that, but the TSA confiscated them before we boarded.
we dont need to send people into space to invent these different things you listed. put the money that they use just on rocket fuel towards inventions and who knows what else thay might invent.
Space is the ultimate proving ground. Materials science is the game. The missions themselves are window dressing. Even Rutan's carbon composites require environmental testing and that needs real-life testing in the space environment to discover the weak points. Whether the gov't should be doing 99 and 44/100ths percent of the development is a different question.
"we dont need to send people into space to invent these different things you listed. put the money that they use just on rocket fuel towards inventions and who knows what else thay might invent."
Because human exploration expands the operating envelope of mankind. All of us are here because brave souls before us looked to the horizon and went there on ships they knew might not return and flew there on imperfect wings.
We learn by doing. We are a race of explorers. It is inevitable. We owe those after us to give the same boost as we were given. Exploration brings discoverys you simply would not find any other way. Just as warfare does. Human are six billion strong on this planet because exploration is at our very core of what we are.
I think you're right. The measure of success will be what happens when they hit the atmosphere.
"The measure of success will be what happens when they hit the atmosphere."
I'm not too terribly religious, but I'll be praying for them, if that's worth anything.
I couldn't count how many times I've received this exact compliment before.
To create an advanced engineering and technology foundation for Americans and their companies and make them more competitive against foreigners.
NASA has been fantastically successful in that regard.
If you need to build a new airplane part would you rather hire a company that has expertise designing space shuttle components or a company that has only ever built bicycle sprockets?
Anybody, or any company that has ever worked a NASA program proudly and prominently display that fact on their proposals and resumes. For good reason. It means they have established a track record of success on something few people ever had the privelege or ability to perform.
There are hundreds of companies, and 10's of thousands of engineers, who have dramatically advanced their knowledge and expertise and have been able to use it to out-compete foreign companies in the broadest range of technologies and products.
I've personally been involved in many major multi-million dollar proposals for advanced engineering programs and products overseas. Customers are very impressed with participation in NASA programs. Credibility is instantly elevated. They become confidant that you not only know how to design and make a product work but that you know how to manage the effort.
When I was soliciting high-tech firms for sub-contracts the a space shuttle photo was on the cover of every proposal from every high-tech company who could justify it.
People who think that the purpose of NASA is to develop specific products that will be sold in Wal-Mart simply do not understand the value or nature of any R&D. They do not know the difference between science, technology or engineering.
You cannot perform the engineering without the technology and you cannot have the technology without the science. NASA has advanced all of those from the pure sciences, to technological advancements, to applied engineering.
The US would be far poorer, in real dollars, if we did not have NASA. The same is true for the massive military spending in R&D. That has also kept us ahead of the rest of the world.
There is a reason that US productivity is far higher than all other major industrialized nations and that US GDP dwarfs other nations. NASA and the US military R&D are two of the greatest reasons. [NASA invented system engineering, for instance, which has led to revolutionary improvements in productivity.]
(These days our industries are about as highly regulated as most other socialized countries, so we have lost much of the advantages of free market capitalism vis-a-vis our foreign competitors, otherwise that would still rank as the number 1 reason for our success.)
There are actually published scientific reports showing the efficacy of intercessory prayer on medical outcomes.
Do a PubMed search on "intercessory prayer".
Prayer works and miracles happen. Over 70% of medical doctors believe both in miracles and prayer.
all that is fine, but what is the point of sending people up to space. it is an unecessary risk. people dont need to be sent to space to invent different things. im not arguing against the concept of NASA.
NO, that was my thought also. But I don't think 7 people died because they were sure of themselves, I think it had more to do with complacency. They are demonstrating that now they care enough to do something when they have a problem. Let's increase NASA's funding
Time to privatize the space industry.
i second that!
I won't even begin to dissect the logical failures in those 4 sentences.
I will say one thing about "unnecessary risk". BS
I have just explained to you that the very small NASA expenditures result in many orders of magnitude greater returns in dollars because of the creation of an advanced industrial base.
We take risks of all sorts in exchange for financial benefits.
We can make safe automobiles (just look at Forumla 1 cars), yet because of economics we choose to allow 24,000+ people die every year in car accidents.
We'd better stop all airline flights. We'd better stop coal mining...etc etc...
Hiking and Camping is a more dangerous activity than being an astronaut. Yet those astronauts know what they are doing. They know the risks and they are blessedly brave men and women.
You have no idea of the passion and desire those astronauts have to participate in one of the fundamentally greatest enterprises in human endeavour.
You have no idea of the lives SAVED by NASA programs. The medical instrumentation and technology that has been developed have saved countless number of lives. MRI"S and CAT scanners would not be possible without NASA developed technology. How many life saving products have integrated circuits? Who paid for the development of some of the highest powered super computers?
Risk? We lose far, far more lives worldwide by not pursuing space programs. There is not a better way possible of spending money than in developing a robust economy and advancing our knowledge of the universe.
NASA has done far more to end poverty and save lives worldwide than any other government program in the history of the world.
We would be better off still to reduce the spending on welfare handouts and put that money towards R&D to further develop the industries that give us jobs.
It already is.
The major portion of NASA budget is spent by private contractors who compete for the work.
NASA hasn't built anything. The Space Shuttle was built by United Space Alliance (a private contractor team), Boeing, Lockheed, IBM Federal Systems (at the time), Rockwell, and hundreds of other contractors and sub-contractors.
The Next Gen Space Shuttle is already being designed by several competing companies, at their own expense, vying to get the award for advanced engineering and production.
because, when you get right down to it, to not stagnate we must grow, and the only direction open for growth is out.
As if he had a choice...
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