This is a kickstarter project for a film investigating just what happened to our space program, and why it seems likely to die a slow death.

http://io9.com/5928681/neil-degrasse-ty ... -for-space

Is this what we want?

Do we want to be like the serfs of the dark ages who pointed at Roman aquaducts and said, "look at what they used to do"?

johnson1010 wrote:This is a kickstarter project for a film investigating just what happened to our space program, and why it seems likely to die a slow death.

http://io9.com/5928681/neil-degrasse-ty ... -for-space

Is this what we want?

Do we want to be like the serfs of the dark ages who pointed at Roman aquaducts and said, "look at what they used to do"?

I sometimes wonder if we would actually be able to land a man on the moon today. I'm not sure we could.

It is a travesty what's happened to the space program. I think it represents the worst of partisan politics. The space program is always a long-term goal, but our political system is short-sighted. And there you have it.

When i was a kid i assumed we were going to the moon all the time. If you'd asked me how many people had been to the moon, i would have said close to a hundred. Why not? Once you've been there, why would you stop going?

Its sad to think that we havent been there in decades, and that it seems likely we, the US, won't likely be there again any time soon.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson speaks eloquently on the use of exploratory space travel, and i agree.

johnson1010 wrote:Is this what we want?

Yes!

Do we want to be like the serfs of the dark ages who pointed at Roman aquaducts and said, "look at what they used to do"?

I doubt many serfs pointed at Roman aquaducts and said "look at what they used to do." But maybe they did. The larger point, that of the rich and the military setting up shop on... wherever it is you want to fly off to... while here on Earth people are living in a manner resembling those of your dark age serfs (except with perhaps not so much available time to sightsee) makes for a fitting image of this age. Since you asked I'll mention that I'm against it.

Kevin wrote:

johnson1010 wrote:Is this what we want?

Yes!

Do we want to be like the serfs of the dark ages who pointed at Roman aquaducts and said, "look at what they used to do"?

I doubt many serfs pointed at Roman aquaducts and said "look at what they used to do." But maybe they did. The larger point, that of the rich and the military setting up shop on... wherever it is you want to fly off to... while here on Earth people are living in a manner resembling those of your dark age serfs (except with perhaps not so much available time to sightsee) makes for a fitting image of this age. Since you asked I'll mention that I'm against it.

Like most who oppose the space program, you see the money spent as 'wasted' as if we stuffed the nose cones of rockets with hundred dollar bills and shot them into space. All the money spent on space travel is spent here on Earth, and generates real jobs, not like welfare. Which, by the way, exceeds the space budged by about 100 times.

No, I will not stand idly by while we withdraw and turn ourselves inward.

Remember, a turtle makes no progress until he sticks his neck out.

The future of space flight belongs to the private companies. I predict that In 20 years we will travell to mars using a Craft not created using public funds

Cattleman wrote:Like most who oppose the space program, you see the money spent as 'wasted' as if we stuffed the nose cones of rockets with hundred dollar bills and shot them into space.

Well! Actually I see it as being something worse than wasted .. put to a decidedly nefarious purpose. I was recently watching 2001: A Space Odyssey and one of the special features was a talk given by Arthur C Clarke promoting the film (I can't recall the book being mentioned) and he had such hopes for the space program though he did claearly see the potential for malaise to set in... I wonder how he still feels about it, if he's still so enthusiastic about space flight or if he sees significant problems associated with it that that he didn't back then. Anyway, he's someone I admire to some degree... but that's besides the point. The point being that he was very naive about vacuums (which is odd!) and how power fills them.

All the money spent on space travel is spent here on Earth, and generates real jobs, not like welfare.

Actually all money spent on welfare goes to create and maintain jobs - either it's that or these welfare recipiants are hoarding their money rather than spending it at the grocery store or wherever... this is assuming you're talking about welfare to individuals exclusively and not including that given to corporations. haha no, as usual the probem with society lies with those who have the power to shape it not the ones who do not have that power.

which, by the way, exceeds the space budged by about 100 times.

Wow! I did not realize this! And since I look unfavorably on space flight and favorably on welfare you can probably imagine how this makes me feel... do you happen to have those numbers close at hand? I'd love to look at them!

No, I will not stand idly by while we withdraw and turn ourselves inward.

Remember, a turtle makes no progress until he sticks his neck out.

OK. I think Durzo has it right, the (short-term, I'll add) future belongs to private industry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TX3pPOu ... re=related



as one guy said in the op clip "we dont have an ambitious space program because we dont have the money..."

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

priorities?

Kevin: I do not have the figures at hand, but I will do my best to find them; as they are all part of the federal budget they should be available.

As Arthur C. Clarke died in 2008, I doubt he is saying much these days.

I fully support a private space program, but some government involvment is inevitable. I know it is a crude analogy, but would you want a private armed forces?

Cattleman wrote:Kevin: I do not have the figures at hand, but I will do my best to find them; as they are all part of the federal budget they should be available.

It's OK. I'lll assume you're right.

As Arthur C. Clarke died in 2008, I doubt he is saying much these days.

I didn't know this (obviously I guess)... it reminds me of a time when I was watching one of the huge charity concerts and out comes George Michael on stage to join Paul McCartney - -I was sure George Michael had died, and I had to Google that too.

I fully support a private space program, but some government involvment is inevitable.

I'm entirely against it (both of them) but can see that it's going to happen. There is an Outer Space Treaty, signed by the USA, UK, and the then Soviet Union among others which says that it's the "common heritage of mankind" and therefore decidedly not private domain. It also prohibits its use for testing weapons of any kind, conducting military maneuvers, or establishing military bases, installations, and fortifications. It will be ignored and then ripped to shreds but does provide an interesing peek into a former viewpoint.

I know it is a crude analogy, but would you want a private armed forces?

No, I wouldn't but we have this already with Blackwater et al... I can't see any particular reason to exclude the military from privatization.