Moon 2.0 dead?

[Shep]

Looks as if NASA not going to the moon now. Maybe it's me, but "Earth-based missions" don't sound like NASA at all.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,6969808.story

[Uncle Cracker]

I live in an area where many people depend on the space industry, so I feel for them. Hopefully, their talents, rather than being put out to pasture, can be re-tasked to function on those "Earth-based missions". There's already too many part-times and out-of-work pros around here, stuck in houses they can no longer afford, and cannot get a buyer for.

[germdoc]

I have mixed feelings about this, because I was a "NASA kid"--saw the moon landing with my class in 3rd grade, gave book reports on astronauts, wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid.

But--I think we accomplished all we could have by going to the moon once. I don't see any earthly (pun intended) reason to go back. It's just a political talking point. There is no practical goal to be accomplished with sending men to a rock out there, either the moon or Mars--another big boondoggle.

As far as mercenary interests, I am against exploiting our satellite or other planets for mining or other purposes. (We used up the resources on our planet, what gives us the right to use up someone else's?) The technology is not there yet for large-scale industry in space, in any event.

Call me a space curmudgeon, but that's the way I see it--no reason to send people out beyond earth's orbit.

[cabinetman]

Call me a space curmudgeon, but that's the way I see it--no reason to send people out beyond earth's orbit.

Maybe just some prisoners.
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[fbrend123]

I think it's terrible that this is happening. After all, there may be some indigenous populations out there that we can exploit for their supplies of "unobtanium". What is our evil military-industrial complex to do?

[Shep]

[QUOTE=germdoc;447470]

But--I think we accomplished all we could have by going to the moon once. I don't see any earthly (pun intended) reason to go back. It's just a political talking point. There is no practical goal to be accomplished with sending men to a rock out there, either the moon or Mars--another big boondoggle.

QUOTE]

Agreed. I thought it was stupid to go to the moon again; however, it sounds like we might not have much in the way of rockets available in the near future.

[Uncle Cracker]

As far as mercenary interests, I am against exploiting our satellite or other planets for mining or other purposes. (We used up the resources on our planet, what gives us the right to use up someone else's?)

Just curious... Who else's???

[billwmeyer]

Well, I guess I respectfully disagree. I think we should have a permanant base on the moon and should have landed on Mars by now.

I grew up reading Heinlen, Norton, Assamov (sp) and any other science fiction novel I could find, including Superman Comic books. I want to know what is out there. We are discovering new planets almost daily it seems around far star systems. There is knowledge outside of our atmosphere that we need.

Great things have been invented and developed due to our space program. It is usually the intangebles that come out of research that makes a difference, and sometimes not the main goal.

China is working on a space program. Do we really want them ahead of us? This is a National Security risk.

I know the economy stinks, and costs need to be curtailed, but I think we need a strong space program, and it should be developed as soon as this down turn is curtailed.

Bill

[germdoc]

Well, I guess I respectfully disagree. I think we should have a permanant base on the moon and should have landed on Mars by now.

I grew up reading Heinlen, Norton, Assamov (sp) and any other science fiction novel I could find, including Superman Comic books. I want to know what is out there. We are discovering new planets almost daily it seems around far star systems. There is knowledge outside of our atmosphere that we need.

Great things have been invented and developed due to our space program. It is usually the intangebles that come out of research that makes a difference, and sometimes not the main goal.

China is working on a space program. Do we really want them ahead of us? This is a National Security risk.

I know the economy stinks, and costs need to be curtailed, but I think we need a strong space program, and it should be developed as soon as this down turn is curtailed.

Bill

To respectfully disagree with your disagreements Bill...

I grew up on Asimov and Star Trek too. However, sci fi doesn't justify an effort that is illogical. We went there (to the moon) once. We learned something from those manned missions but have learned immeasurably more from unmanned missions. I think there is more to be gained by continuing unmanned missions.

I don't think there is any point to sending a man into space except for satellite work and industrial production that might benefit from a weightless environment. That doesn't mean we would give up on rockets or space research, only that we wouldn't strap humans to them and shoot them off toward some distant rock.

[phi1l]

I am against exploiting our satellite or other planets for mining or other purposes. (We used up the resources on our planet, what gives us the right to use up someone else's?)

I totally agree, it the Martians & Moon People exploit their own resources!!!

[JR]

Speaking of Heinlein and unobtanium - how about those Starship Trooper-like robots in Avatar. Bada$$!

JR

[phi1l]

Actually, at this point, what we can do with robotics is so amazing that I think providing the the life support necessary to send actual people to the moon or Mars is hard to justify.

[dkerfoot]

China is working on a space program. Do we really want them ahead of us? This is a National Security risk.

I am not sure how having the Chinese repeat our 1969 accomplishment fifty years later is a national security risk...

War brings lots of intangible advancements too - historically, far more than the space program. Rather than sending a man back to a desolate rock, perhaps we should make a more useful land grab - perhaps some place with lots of oil?

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[mpc]

With the unmanned probes, we typically learn a lot about the question we asked - the reason we sent the probe out there in the first place... and often find a whole lot of unexpected stuff. The current Mars rovers are a prime example: several of their big discoveries came about from unplanned "oops" like the stuck wheel dragging a trench - scientists discovered a lot of stuff via this unplanned testing.

The manned space program though pushed a lot of other research & technology - just what do we need to do/learn so a person can survive in space? NASA made a whole lot of inventions, discoveries, etc. in the research leading up to the moon walks. What the astronauts learned on the moon might be just as learnable (and probably cheaper too) with robotic explorers... but we gained so much more leading up to the mission. That technology & health knowledge is paying dividends today.

mpc

[sparkeyjames]

The thing that gets me P.O.ed about it is that NASA is THE pinnacle of the engineering mountain. This takes away some of the interest in the field of aeronautical engineering. Just when this country is in need of more scientists and engineers they take away the one thing that you can point at and say this is what you can aspire too if your good.