Why we need a space program
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Why we need a space program
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Re: Why we need a space program
#2We have a space program. NASA isn't going away. It puts probes on/around planets and asteroids and advances science (but not SCIENCE! which is what people tend to get miffed about). If need be we could even start using our own rockets to get humans into space, it's just more cost effective to pay the Russians to do so.
Of course, throwing more money at NASA is actually a pretty good idea, even if the sexier things people want to do are unlikely to get off the ground in the near term (say 50 years or so). But a reusable shuttle was never cost effective for manned spaceflight at the scale that we did it at.
Re: Why we need a space program
#3I believe it was the National Research Council Canada's director who said this (I could be mistaken, correct if necessary):
"no amount of research into the oil lamp could have invented the light bulb"
Re: Why we need a space program
#4[deleted]
Re: Why we need a space program
#5I've been trying to find this quotation from Neil Degrasse Tyson but haven't been successful. It's one of my favorite perspectives on NASA's budget (and specifically the the importance of lavish, public, manned missions).
Paraphrased: Investing only $19 billion dollars a year is a no-brainer, considering the return is a generation of American kids interested in math and science.
Re: Why we need a space program
#6I've been trying to find this quotation from Neil Degrasse Tyson but haven't been successful. It's one of my favorite perspectives on NASA's budget (and specifically the the importance of lavish, public, manned missions). Paraphrased: Investing only $19 billion dollars a year is a no-brainer, considering the return is a generation of American kids interested in math and science.
>Investing only $19 billion dollars a year is a no-brainer, considering the return is a generation of American kids interested in math and science.
This attitude has brought NASA to the lack of relevance we see today. Astronauts spending hours on video chat with middle-schoolers and the use of precious payload to put ant colonies into orbit are not serious ways to advance a space program. When NASA was about exploring and colonizing the final frontier, kids would join in and dream along. When the space program became about forcing science and technology in an artificial way down the same kids' throats, they tuned out. So few youngsters with an interest in space / SF exist today.
Re: Why we need a space program
#7We need advancement towards spacefaring. We don't need space programs.
There is need for government basic research, infrastructure and science programs. There is need for healthy commercial ventures, reasonable scale and agile development with quick cycles and multiple concurrent paths.
Spaceflight could well be more routine, reliable and affordarble if there never was an Apollo or Shuttle.
Re: Why we need a space program
#8I've been trying to find this quotation from Neil Degrasse Tyson but haven't been successful. It's one of my favorite perspectives on NASA's budget (and specifically the the importance of lavish, public, manned missions). Paraphrased: Investing only $19 billion dollars a year is a no-brainer, considering the return is a generation of American kids interested in math and science.
Investing $19B a year is also a no-brainer if its other peoples money. If its that important, for profit and non-profits will fill any gap (probably producing the same or better results for less money).
Re: Why we need a space program
#9[deleted]
Re: Why we need a space program
#10I've been trying to find this quotation from Neil Degrasse Tyson but haven't been successful. It's one of my favorite perspectives on NASA's budget (and specifically the the importance of lavish, public, manned missions). Paraphrased: Investing only $19 billion dollars a year is a no-brainer, considering the return is a generation of American kids interested in math and science.
Investing $19B a year is also a no-brainer if its other peoples money. If its that important, for profit and non-profits will fill any gap (probably producing the same or better results for less money).
...and 40 years later, like they are finally starting to now, while piggybacking off of 40 years of experience and science gained by NASA and all affiliated parties along the way.