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Space: The Final Frontier

L

LOCK

Member
Clevinger said:
Oh man, I so do not trust companies with that shit. Who's going to be the BP of space?
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The real sad fact is that it will be corporations that will lead space research and exploration in the future than actual scientific discovery. Though I do suspect that both disciplines will diverge onto different paths.

Unless we find Alien life. lolz
 
L

Lucky Forward

Member
Memphis Reigns said:
We need some powerful scientist to construct a fake message from space from some aliens like in Contact but instead of being friendly, it would be saying they are on their way to destroy us.
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You're not the first one to have that idea...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Architects_of_Fear

"The Architects of Fear" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 30 September 1963, during the first season.

...In the hope of staving off an apocalyptic military confrontation between nations, an idealistic group of scientists, working at United Labs, plan to stage a fake alien invasion of Earth, in an effort to unite all humanity against a perceived common enemy.
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W

WeAreStarStuff

Member
ThoseDeafMutes said:
Laser technology is directly related to our future in space, and not just as a weapon. Laser sails and laser-ablative propulsion are promising ways to propel spacecraft, and the latter can also be used to launch cargo into space.
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Yes, but I still say that it is sad commentary on the disposition of mankind that a species spends more efforts developing technologies to demolish itself, rather than developing the technologies for positive purposes outright.

41317dac03ccedc17b4909508ad4a7d5.png
 
jchap

jchap

Member
ThoseDeafMutes said:
Laser technology is directly related to our future in space, and not just as a weapon. Laser sails and laser-ablative propulsion are promising ways to propel spacecraft, and the latter can also be used to launch cargo into space.
Click to expand...

Directed Energy and Pulsed Power are two of the critical technologies to advance if we ever want to expand our reach in outer space. To that end, the work the military does with HPM, laser systems, and EM launchers is incredibly important. The funding for such endeavors would not exist at all if not for the DoD.

Military R&D budgets drive future technology for everyone.
 
E

Elfforkusu

Member
Bowdz said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_mining



I really, REALLY wish Obama or some future president would pull a Kennedy, and just pledge a mission to claim and mine said (or any of the other mineral rich asteroids we have found) in under a decade. Mining in space presents such a large set of challenges that it seems somewhat analogous to where the US was starting in the late 1950s with respect to putting a man on the moon. A concise mission like this would present a clear set of problems for engineers, controllers, and designers to overcome, would tap multiple disciplines throughout the economy, and would be much more palatable to politicians because of the economic and political benefits a successful mission would bring. Ignoring the 20 trillion dollar prize itself, the US is already feeling the pressure from China and other emerging nations with regards to price manipulation of rare earth minerals and there is no better source than the asteroid belt itself.



IMO, this is mission that everyone should be pushing for.
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Two things:

1) I don't think it's tenable for any politician to talk about things like "mining asteroids" or "building a moon base" at this stage. When Kennedy said "we choose to go to the moon", NASA already had detailed plans of how to go to the moon, and a timetable for getting there. The bureaucratic noise that usually stands in the way of cutting edge technology (like the Saturn rockets) had already been cut through under Eisenhower, and in fact the Saturn project was already well underway. What Kennedy did was speed up the timetable, and more importantly make it clear that money was not an obstacle. What he really said was, you can take any reservations about NASA's budget and shove them up your rear entrance, we're going to the moon in the next nine years.

Killing the money objection was extremely important, and I would argue necessary for succeeding in a large scale government project.

The logical thing to do next is Mars. Obama could set the timetable for Mars at 2019, and we would be able to do it. If he doesn't, we won't do it. Simple as that.

2) I don't think "mining asteroids" is nearly inspiring enough to talk about as a public goal. It's a huge step, but it's just a step. The goals ought to be things like "go to Mars", "build a self-sufficient, liveable-gravity space colony". Goals that inspire the imagination. Asteroid mining is a necessary step for a space colony, so we'd have to tackle it along the way. But it's not a rallying cry.


We should be going to Mars tomorrow. If not tomorrow then the day after, if not then then the day after that. The next step is asteroid mining, and the goal after that is building a city in earth-moon L4 or L5.
 
H

Hootie

Member
ThaneKrios said:
Young Stephen Hawking:

Z7yZu.jpg
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It's sad to see him in his current state, but he's clearly made the most of it. And hey, he's lived way past what his predicted lifespan was when he first got the disease, right? I think he's 70 now

It's nice to know that while he's physically disabled, the most important part of his body is still working (much better than 99.999% of us, at that).
 
M

Memphis Reigns

Member
Hootie said:
It's sad to see him in his current state, but he's clearly made the most of it. And hey, he's lived way past what his predicted lifespan was when he first got the disease, right? I think he's 70 now

It's nice to know that while he's physically disabled, the most important part of his body is still working (much better than 99.999% of us, at that).
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It really is sad. It also boggles my mind to see him in such bad shape physically but yet his brain is completely normal, and 10x better than most other minds. You would think just by looking at his condition that his thinking is all broken too, but it's not, and it makes it hard to grasp sometimes that he's actually a genius. His voice automation doesn't help his cause either, they need to upgrade that shit, I've heard better automated voices. If you stuck him in a room with all the other great minds of this generation and gave them unlimited resources, just think of what they would discover and come up with.
 
M

Maklershed

Member
I wonder if the voice hears/uses in his head is the voice he remembers having in his early 20s or if its now his computer voice. Also, it's weird to think of Hawking with a British accent. I just always assumed he was American for some reason.
 
E

Escape Goat

Member
Hootie said:
It's sad to see him in his current state, but he's clearly made the most of it. And hey, he's lived way past what his predicted lifespan was when he first got the disease, right? I think he's 70 now

It's nice to know that while he's physically disabled, the most important part of his body is still working (much better than 99.999% of us, at that).
Click to expand...

he was on Big Bang Theory last week. He looks good however old he is
 
Angry Fork

Angry Fork

Member
Tideas said:
why can't other countries that has a surplus in money do it? I heard Brazil and China and Canada and Australia got a lot of surplus money.
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Why can't we decrease defense spending and give some to NASA? And China is already working on space stuff. Don't you defend everything American anyway? Why wouldn't you want us to be the first to Mars?

If China is the first to get to Mars I will celebrate because it's a human accomplishment, but the reason I'm no longer patriotic is because America doesn't care about that kind of shit anymore. NASA is about inspiring people and showing the world you place a priority on science and exploration it isn't just bravado and 'wasting' money (? @ NASA being wasted money but staying in Afghanistan until 2014 is okay).
 
N

nubbe

Member
The best way to jump start science would probably be a war with China.
China is the best choice since they have the money and people to do excellent R&D.
Almost everything we take for grated today was developed during WW1 & WW2.
 
O

opticalmace

Member
nubbe said:
The best way to jump start science would probably be a war with China.
China is the best choice since they have the money and people to do excellent R&D.
Almost everything we take for grated today was developed during WW1 & WW2.
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I pretty much expect another space race in the next 20-30 years.
 
C

Cjdamon042

Member
Fine Ham Abounds said:
Prothean tech confirmed

Mars seems to be a fantastic source of fuzzy images up to interpretation.
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bLPS2.jpg


It does look like a beacon.....

If only *sigh*

Though it does kind of look like it's been lodged into the ground due to the sort of bulge surrounding it, but that could be for a number of reasons. Probably just a standard rock like that Martian lady thing.
 
E

Elfforkusu

Member
CiSTM said:
To what end?
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The permanent betterment of human society, and our own economic and technological futures.

Think of funding NASA in the same way you think of funding education. Because on some level it is the same.

PS: If nothing else, manifest destiny

nubbe said:
The best way to jump start science would probably be a war with China.
China is the best choice since they have the money and people to do excellent R&D.
Almost everything we take for grated today was developed during the Cold War.
Click to expand...
I fixed that up for you.

And yes, the emergence of China would stir us up again. Unfortunately they're going to blow past us without so much as a wave.
 
C

CiSTM

Banned
Elfforkusu said:
The permanent betterment of human society, and our own economic and technological futures.

Think of funding NASA in the same way you think of funding education. Because on some level it is the same.

PS: If nothing else, manifest destiny
Click to expand...
I don't really buy NASA's wonder organization image. They did a good job in the past but times have changed. We have other areas to invest too, more important then trip to Mars. Humans going out to search for other planets is science fiction and even if you believe in it we have to over come so many basic questions that NASA isn't ideal for answering.
 
W

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
iss030e185321.jpg
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Explanation: On another April 12th, in 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Alexseyevich Gagarin became the first human to see planet Earth from space. Commenting on his view from orbit he reported, "The sky is very dark; the Earth is bluish. Everything is seen very clearly". To celebrate, consider this recent image from the orbiting International Space Station. A stunning view of the planet at night from an altitude of 240 miles, it was recorded on March 28. The lights of Moscow, Russia are near picture center and one of the station's solar panel arrays is on the left. Aurora and the glare of sunlight lie along the planet's gently curving horizon. Stars above the horizon include the compact Pleiades star cluster, immersed in the auroral glow.
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http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120412.html
 
M

Memphis Reigns

Member
CiSTM said:
I don't really buy NASA's wonder organization image. They did a good job in the past but times have changed. We have other areas to invest too, more important then trip to Mars. Humans going out to search for other planets is science fiction and even if you believe in it we have to over come so many basic questions that NASA isn't ideal for answering.
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attitudes like this is exactly why nobody cares about NASA. A shame really. The US was at the top of its game when NASA was peaking during the cold war, we innovated, created jobs, and gave the country a sense of wonder and drive. so much of the technology you use on a daily basis would not exist if it weren't for NASA, so yeah, they have a big part in answering questions and solving problems.
 
C

CiSTM

Banned
Memphis Reigns said:
attitudes like this is exactly why nobody cares about NASA. A shame really. The US was at the top of its game when NASA was peaking during the cold war, we innovated, created jobs, and gave the country a sense of wonder and drive. so much of the technology you use on a daily basis would not exist if it weren't for NASA, so yeah, they have a big part in answering questions and solving problems.
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Every field of science has important part in answering questions and solving problems. Instead of funding NASA lets start equivalent organization for physics, material science, chemistry, mathematical sciences, nano science and etc. We need to push boundries in all those fields before we even can think about doing something about space travel... Space travel is still far fetched since there isn't really any working concepts how we would ever reach far out planets.

Also I think NASA should be terminated, all the funding should be cut from ESA and they should redirect the funds for International Space Program.

edit. I have nothing against giving more money to NASA but reality is that the money has to come some where and money is "tight" at the moment and if I had to pick I would much rather see more funds for physics then NASA.
 
N

nubbe

Member
CiSTM said:
Every field of science has important part in answering questions and solving problems. Insted of funding NASA lets start equivalent organization for physics, material science, chemistry, mathematical sciences, nano science and etc. We need to push boundries in all those fields before we even can think about doing something about space travel... Space travel is still far fetched since there isn't really any working concepts how we would ever reach far out planets.

Also I think NASA should be terminated, all the funding should be cut from ESA and they should redirect the funds for International Space Program.

edit. I have nothing against giving more money to NASA but reality is that the money has to come some where and money is "tight" at the moment and if I had to pick I would much rather see more funds for physics then NASA.
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NASA only develops rocket fuel.
 
C

CiSTM

Banned
nubbe said:
NASA only develops rocket fuel.
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NASA does lot "inhouse" science in all fields, especially in propulsion physics but the real findings in chemistery, physics, material science, etc. come out side of NASA. NASA's real fortei is engineering and putting findings in other fields into use.

I'm not saying we don't need NASA but again give DOE same budget as NASA and build new super collider and maybe we will find our way beyond standard model sooner then later. I would find that way more interesting then trip to Moon.
 
T

Tideas

Banned
Angry Fork said:
Why can't we decrease defense spending and give some to NASA? And China is already working on space stuff. Don't you defend everything American anyway? Why wouldn't you want us to be the first to Mars?

If China is the first to get to Mars I will celebrate because it's a human accomplishment, but the reason I'm no longer patriotic is because America doesn't care about that kind of shit anymore. NASA is about inspiring people and showing the world you place a priority on science and exploration it isn't just bravado and 'wasting' money (? @ NASA being wasted money but staying in Afghanistan until 2014 is okay).
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where do you get the argument htat I defend everything America?

I don't care who's the first to Mars, I just care we get to Mars. We're all humans in the end. The fact that a lot of people here are bitching about how the US isn't doing enough, it's funny and ironic if these people are Europeans.

Look to your own rich country to do what you want, and stop trying to think the US should be doing everything. We aint got the money for it.

And yes, our defense money isn't just for our defense. It's for Asia's, Europe's, Africa's, and the Middle East.

If you don't like it, sak yourself this: Would you rather we be replaced by China? Cuz here's another news fact. The world cannot defend itself from one another.

IF the US cuts back our defense budget and give it ALL to NAsa, how fast do you think Taiwan would become China? I'd say...1 weekend.
 
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