Posted on 11/26/2011 8:31:17 AM PST by lbryce
Are you for real? And just how much money do you think we have. It is bad enough that we wasted tons of money over the years as it is. Now you want to spend SERIOUS money. Forget it.
So it’s come down to this. We have to get coverage of our space launches from Russian TV.
I saw Atlas on the launch tower was this this an upgraded liqued fueled Atlas? I remember the first Atlas launches from way back when I was little kid. Looks like I’ll retire before Atlas does.
First of all, when the new millennium arrived in 2001, there were too many blog posts lamenting the state of "base-lessness" on the moon that was supposedly mankind's "future" legacy as 'promised' to us by such lowbrow TV shows as 'Space 1999' and of course most emphatically that of 2001: A Space Odyssey the scenario of which seemed all-too-likely to occur.
Second of all, the mere pittance in which all that you have expressed about the likelihood of a permanent habitat on the moon available at relative bargain basement prices in the off-the-shelf technology of the day just adds to the misery. Especially when you think of what we would have accomplished with a mere $100 Billion in the shadow of our $14 Trillion debt, you begin to see why I'm getting so upset.
Lastly, reading ad nauseum ad infinitum about how the next human beings to walk on the moon will decidedly not be of Caucasian extraction, the discoveries of vast amounts of water on the moon to exploit for fuel, other aspects of human habitation on the moon, you begin to realize why I am so forlorn. BTW: They've already picked out the perfect spot several years ago in which to locate the moon colony that-was-supposed-to-be at the base of am mountain range near the southern area of the moon, that remains in perpetual sunlight, for optimum proficiency.
Privatize NASA. Then money isn’t an issue.
Lightning attracting Minarets.
A critical contribution from the, ahem, Mohammedan scientific community.
This has never been wasted money. I am sick of idiots blasting the space program. Go and bitch about the billions wasted on mind numbing, culture destorying art and music that our government subsidized. Or the billions in giving forgein aid to countries that hate us. Geeze, just the amount wasted by the post office springs to mind as well. BUT NO, HEAVEN FORBID we actually do something that broadens our knowledge.
This has purpose. It expands human intelligence and understanding of the universe. It costs a mere pitance. Its returns on the investment has been enormous.
So that’s what’s under the body of a Chevy Volt, eh?
Thanks.
No, they chopped off allah the heads of the Martians so they couldn’t shoot down our probe.
It is not the government role to be involved in space. Nowhere does the constitution call for this and don’t give the crap of national security. That is insane. This totally should be funded by private companies and get it out of the business. Government should not give a penny to NASA. Oh and your other items you wrote, they should not get a dime either.
That looks like the stuff my grandson builds with Lego.
First, it descends via aeroshell. Nothing new. Then, once the parachute is deployed, the heat sheild falls away. Then, the rover separates from the backshell and descends on rockets. Again, nothing new...both of the Vikings and the Phoenix lander did the same.
Here's the new part: at a predetermined height, the rover is lowered on a 7-foot long harness. Once the rover touches down and the sensors on the flying platform feel the load lighten, it releases the harness and the platform flies away to a safe distance.
Gee...what could POSSIBLY go wrong? Is there some way they didn't think of to complicate it any more? It's like Scotty said in 'Star Trek III: The Search For Spock'..."The more complicated they make the plumbing, the easier it is to gum up the works".
I predict something will go haywire with the goofy way they have this thing configured and it'll crash on landing. Millions of dollars...wasted.
Actually, other than basic design and nuclear approval, you just need a heavy lift launch, like the Delta IV. Other than that, the tunneling robot could easily be built by private enterprise, assuming the government would permit the use of nuclear material for power.
bflr
“It is not the government role to be involved in space.”
It’s no different than the Lewis and Clark expeditions, the Red River expedition, or the Pike expedition. Eventually it will transition to a system more akin to building and maintaining the interstate highway system. It is vital to national security as well. If you think you can just hand space dominance over to the Russians and Chinese without serious consequences for our national security, you’re living in a Ron Paul-esque land of isolationism that simply doesn’t exist. Furthermore, unless we continue to explore space and develop a better understanding of the cycles of stars and the influence of space weather on the planets, we will be completely vulnerable when the next Carrington event happens (to say nothing of other potential sources of astronomical disaster including comets, asteroids, nearby supernovae, etc). Our entire technological civilization is at the mercy of threats from other nations as well as mother nature herself. Therefore, under Article 1 Section 8 of the US consitution, NASA is vital for the common defense and welfare of the United States.
Opps, I missed your reply.
You really don’t have an idea about how space does play into National security. To assume it doesn’t is absolutely idiotic. The satellites informing us of what is going on in other countries like China and Iran is proof of that.
The Constitution doesn’t call for a lot of the things that our country currently has. Some are stupid, but many are not. NASA is part of our country’s pride. The rewards of the space program are numerous. It is one of the only programs to actually give back more into the economy than it takes.
The only way that these “private companies” are doing anything is the big kickbacks they’ve been given from the Obama administration. Do you prefer that over the funding of NASA?
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