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[Kai Dracon]

A lot of people still don't grasp that learning to leave the nest, literally, involves pushing all boundaries of human survivability, technology, and grasp of physics. These things all pay dividends in the long run. Going into space isn't "just because".

It's also strangely ignorant to say there's literally nothing worthwhile in space, as just within this solar system by itself there are resources everywhere. Mastering space travel means opening up new resources, which is slightly relevant to a planet chewing through them.

The strangest thing though about moralizing "space isn't worth human lives" is that the people who put themselves in harm's way aren't slaves, or conscripts. They are not ignorant. Going into space requires a level of education and intelligence most people don't possess. They do so willingly. They've judged it's worth the risk and worth their lives. It's actually very condescending and disrespectful to those people to tell them they're wasting their time. And that those who have died did so in vain.

 

[Shanlei91]

Makes you wonder if it really happened doesn't it.

It's a pretty depressing thing to say, but space travel needs to stop outright.

Hope for the best for the pilots, but I would be surprised if they made it.

This sounds like stuff undercover aliens would say.

Hmmm.

 

[Ether_Snake]

This whole idea from Virgin is putting the carriage before the horses. Entertainment-related space-travel should be a residual sector, but we're really far from where we should be for it to exist.

Blame lack of funding for actual commercial and scientific space ventures for this.

 

[spindashing]

I actually somehow forgot that there was an episode of Spongebob breaking his ass.

 

[Fireblend]

Oh and it doesn't matter if these guys were piloting a scientific station or a luxurious tourism ship for rich customers - they're pioneers, paving the way for humanity's future and expansion, and should be remembered as such.

 

[KHarvey16]

This whole idea from Virgin is putting the carriage before the horses. Entertainment-related space-travel should be a residual sector, but we're really far from where we should be for it to exist.

Blame lack of funding for actual commercial and scientific space ventures for this.

Innovation in the private sector arises from competition, and you need a market for that. Tourism is one of those markets.

 

[ThusZarathustra]

Other than LEO travel, there are many materials that are cheaper and easier or just only possible to create in zero gravity. There are quite a few industrial and economic possibilities linked to reliable, manned, space flight. We're at the very beginning of the process, and those too small minded to see potential culturally, economically, industrially, scientifically, etc etc seem to me to be emotionally reactionary and lacking a sense of scale or history.

It's terrible that folks are losing their lives, of course. The real questions are did we learn anything and how can we not make the same mistakes in future? It's how we've always made progress, and it isn't about to stop now.

 

[Enron]

Some journalist who covered Virgin Galactic on cnn just said that this was VG's only spaceplane, and that they have another one that is about 20% ready or less.

Basically, this really is the end for Virgin Galactic.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Innovation in the private sector arises from competition, and you need a market for that. Tourism is one of those markets.

Innovation in the private sector arises from competition, but innovation doesn't require the private sector. There is no need to wait for the private sector to drive innovation, only an objective and government funding. Which is exactly why lack of funding by governments has led space exploration to be so far behind from where it should be, and why as a result of that the private sector is not yet in a position to involve itself in this field without excessive risk.

 

[Trouble]

Damn. Hope the injured pilot pulls through.

 

[Kinthalis]

You're okay with the human race staying on this rock for the rest of eternity?

Well, not eternity....

The Sun will cook us within the next 3 billion years as we're about half-way through the Suns' main sequence.

Not that "us" will have much meaning then. Even if our descendats are still around, they probably wouldn't resemble us very much.

 

[Javaman]

What a shitty week for private space flight.

 

[StuBurns]

That backpeddaling didn't take long!

How is it back-pedalling? I'm against it, as that post said.

If Virgin Galactic is benefitting space exploration in general, maybe, it might be an engineering project with nasa but as far I know it isn't.

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

Why not? I mean, why are they mutually exclusive to you?

they're not exclusive to me

it seems that as a country, we've begun relying only on these Private space ventures as " The Future of Space Travel".I don't think NASA even has a plan to build a new shuttle, and thid shitty Congress definitely have no interest in increasing NASA funding.

Plus those private companies involved are largely here for money. Civilian space travel right now is pure luxury.

 

[KINGofCRA5H]

It's a pretty depressing thing to say, but space travel needs to stop outright.

This is the dumbest thing I have ever read on GAF. And I usually stay in the Gaming section.

 

[Kinthalis]

How is it back-pedalling? I'm against it, as that post said.

If Virgin Galactic is benefitting space exploration in general, maybe, it might be an engineering project with nasa but as far I know it isn't.

This isn't so much space travel really as it is LOE travel in order to get somewhere else on EARTH quicker. Not atmosphere = very high speed possibility.

 

[GUN-NAC]

This is worth a read -

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2014/10/30/apollo-ansari-hobbling-effects-giant-leaps/#more-53751

 

[faridmon]

Agreed. Space is a waste of time.

Love your avatar.

Sad about the accidents, but I disagree on the whole being a waste. Taking advantage of the whole thing financially is kind of iffy, but we have start somewhere in order for us to actually take space travel seriously.

 

[Ether_Snake]

This isn't so much space travel really as it is LOE travel in order to get somewhere else on EARTH quicker. Not atmosphere = very high speed possibility.

Let's not pretend this is what you describe. How many passengers? At what cost? It's a roller coaster ride for a CEO, from Europe to Sidney, that ends with a cup of 5000$ bottle of wine and a selfie.

 

[Spaghetti]

as long as branson is enthusiastic about the idea and rich as all fuck, virgin galactic will not be over.

 

[Kinthalis]

Let's not pretend this is what you describe. How many passengers? At what cost? It's a roller coaster ride for a CEO, from Europe to Sidney, that ends with a cup of 5000$ bottle of wine and a selfie.

Well, sure, NOW, and in the near future. Just like atmospheric flight was at one time something only the rich or adventurous could do or would want to do.

But the hope is to improve the technology so that at some point in the future it will be a cheaper, easier thing to accomplish.

And you can't get there without first going through these stages of trial and error and limited availability, high cost, etc.

 

[Maninthemirror]

Agreed. Space is a waste of time.

Space is a waste of time only to those who don't want to explore beyond the confines of their homes

Makes you wonder if it really happened doesn't it.

Good God.....are you really one of those Moon Landing deniers? I was told they exist but I didn't believe it.

 

[Oozer3993]

Let's not pretend this is what you describe. How many passengers? At what cost? It's a roller coaster ride for a CEO, from Europe to Sidney, that ends with a cup of 5000$ bottle of wine and a selfie.

Virgin Galactic has talked about a London to Sydney route.

As well as SS2, developed under Scaled Composites’ Tier 1b programme (SpaceShipOne was developed under Tier 1), Virgin Galctic’s president Will Whitehorn has spoken of a hypersonic point-to-point service. This would provide a rapid trans-Atlantic trip or the oft mooted 2h London, England to Sydney, Australia journey. - See more at: http://seradata.com/SSI/2008/02/spaceshipthree_revealed/#sthash.jtrZaUUg.dpuf

 

[Subv3rsi0n]

A former Washington Post journalist who was embedded with Virgin Galactic claiming that the engine was never going to work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtOD5s0MT3E

 

[Lamel]

RIP, that's really sad.

I actually somehow forgot that there was an episode of Spongebob breaking his ass.

Same, glad he mentioned it.

 

[Darth Pinche]

Terrible news. I hope that this will only lead to a momentary slow down and lead to better safer flights to space.

RIP brave pilot .

 

[Spongebob]

no you loon

classy

Space is a waste of time only to those who don't want to explore beyond the confines of their homes

How can one establish salat if they're chasing space?

 

[Maninthemirror]

classy


How can one establish salat if they're chasing space?

facepalm. that is a fundamentalist view. if anything your religion is telling you to explore, not to neglect. how do you pray when sitting on the bus, do you go on the roof and find a compass? if you ever stop over analyzing everything there are wonders that you dont know and the gifts your religion itself states are out there. Keep neglecting, those with open minds will keep progressing.

 

[Graphics Horse]

How is it back-pedalling? I'm against it, as that post said.

If Virgin Galactic is benefitting space exploration in general, maybe, it might be an engineering project with nasa but as far I know it isn't.

The idea that it needs to stop because you don't travel anywhere is naive, you could say jetskis need to stop as most people tend to park them where they started from.

The goal would be things like this:
http://hartzellprop.com/virgin-galactic-may-send-l-tokyo-1-hour/

 

[JetBlackPanda]

I don't really understand this Washington Post reporter that keeps going on and saying that VG knew the engine would fail and that they killed her friend.

is she trying to blow the whistle on something or is this just friend loss grief?

 

[Krejlooc]

Who knew that Spongebob has hidden pro-Nasa messages.

uh, isn't one of the main characters an astronaut squirrel who wears a NASA jumpsuit?

 

[Gambit 1138]

I just heard there was a car accident. People driving cars needs to STOP!

These pilots deserve a memorial as heroes and pioneers

 

[Veritigo_X]

How can one establish salat if they're chasing space?

This guy managed just fine.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

What incredible timing. Shit.
After that rocket exploded the other day, people were pointing fingers at Galactic and Branson saying they just can't be safe enough....then 2 days later this. Wow.

 

[Trouble]

classy

I would have used a worse word than 'loon'.

 

[Spongebob]

http://i.imgur.com/JqQJBI0.gif[IMG]

facepalm. that is a fundamentalist view. if anything your religion is telling you to explore, not to neglect. how do you pray when sitting on the bus, do you go on the roof and find a compass? if you ever stop over analyzing everything there are wonders that you dont know and the gifts your religion itself states are out there. Keep neglecting, those with open minds will keep progressing.[/QUOTE]

So now I'm a "fundamentalist" for prioritizing salat above the affairs of dunya?

 

[Volimar]

I hope the other pilot makes it. Really hope that this doesn't mean another moratorium on manned space flight.

 

[Ferrio]

This guy managed just fine.

I assume facing Mecca would be pretty damn easy from space. Alot easier than on earth.

 

[elrechazado]

I'm fine with space exploration, and space travel when something is established to get to, of course, it's an inevitability. But space tourism? People dying so rich people can float for an hour, no.

People die cliff diving and hot air ballooning and surfing too, so?

 

[Dosia]

Well thats the end of that experiment. RIP to the pilot

 

[Dilly]

So now I'm a "fundamentalist" for prioritizing salat above the affairs of dunya?

Yes. That combined with nonsense like questioning the moon landing.

Space is essential to the survival of the human species.

 

[Maninthemirror]

So now I'm a "fundamentalist" for prioritizing salat above the affairs of dunya?

You are hardline in your view that you cannot conceive that prayer CAN happen anywhere you are. stop treating it like a brick and start treating it like water which can touch anything and applied to anything.

 

[Trouble]

So now I'm a "fundamentalist" for prioritizing salat above the affairs of dunya?

You pretty much just defined fundamentalism.

 

[Spongebob]

You are hardline in your view that you cannot conceive that prayer CAN happen anywhere you are. stop treating it like a brick and start treating it like water which can touch anything and applied to anything.

Bro, some of us actually are trying to adhere to the Qur'an and Sunnah. If you don't like that, that's okay, but please stop trying to introduce bid'ah into this deen.

You pretty much just defined fundamentalism.

What I defined is a Muslim. Everyone else is either transgressing the balance or falling short of it.

 

[3phemeral]

No, it's not. Every other form of transport exists to get you somewhere, space travel exists purely for the traveling, it has no practical application.

Isn't one of the most practical applications of orbital space travel the idea that you can get almost anywhere in Earth in as little as 90 minutes?

 

[Darth Pinche]

Well thats the end of that experiment. RIP to the pilot

Nope, the Apollo program had its setbacks and we still made it to the Moon. I met Burt Rutan back int he Voyager aircraft days (fly around the world non stop on one tank of gas) and this will be a terrible experience, but one that will lead to a stronger and safer program.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

I don't really understand this Washington Post reporter that keeps going on and saying that VG knew the engine would fail and that they killed her friend.

is she trying to blow the whistle on something or is this just friend loss grief?

It certainly sounds that way. I feel absolutely horrible for her loss, but there will be channels and processes to go through if she legitimately thinks they put the life of one of their staff in danger knowingly.

 

[IndoAssassin]

This is corporations battling for a monopoly in a potential multi-billion dollar industry in the next few decades. This won't phase them. If it was NASA, however then I would be concerned about the future plans.

 

[Khalifa Jayy]

Not to mention sub-orbital travel could take the time from London to Sydney down to 2 hours.

Wait, what? For real?

 

[entremet]

RIP.

Really sad someone died, but any student of history knows that many new endeavors sometimes take human life sadly. We've lived in pretty prosperous times if you're from the first world.

But you don't want to know the death tolls for things like the Brooklyn Bridge and Golden State Bridge for example.

Wait, what? For real?

Definitely.

These are spaceships, bro.