Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#471

Post by Gagarin1917 » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 3:15 PM UTC

bluebarbet wrote: post #466

Gagarin1917 wrote: post #398

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m sorry but things are definitely better than they were in the 2000’s. Even this war is smaller scale than Iraq/Afghanistan, and seems like it will be over much quicker. Even the economy isn’t nearly as bad. But the Mars missions, the ISS, and all the rest was not indecent. You were not wrong to enjoy those things back then. And you wouldn’t be wrong to enjoy this now. It’s perfectly healthy to accept that the worl…

The condescension is uncalled for, this is simply a difference of priorities. In terms of our various ecological crises, the situation is absolutely not better than 20 years ago. My view is that the opportunity cost of manned space exploration is now unjustifiable. The resources consumed would be better allocated elsewhere.

> In terms of our various ecological crises, the situation is absolutely not better than 20 years ago.

The situation is objectively better, renewables are now seen as not only a viable alternative but a superior financial alternative as well. It’s literally cheaper to go green than to build more fossil fuels. That’s why 92% of new capacity is renewables… globally!

The trends are much more encouraging than they were when Al Gore released an Inconvenient Truth. Instead of renewables and EVs being seen as jokes, they’re almost universally seen as the path forward.

We spend literal trillions on renewables, we spend less on war, billion of people are in a better financial situation… I just don’t see much that would preclude spending a few billion on this type of mission every few years.

On top of the science and spending on highly technical jobs, technology and experience like this is not useless, and building on it will reap rewards that you cannot even imagine yet.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#472

Post by nomel » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 4:53 PM UTC

paulryanrogers wrote: post #468

nomel wrote: post #451

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alternatively, if we don't become a multi-planetary species, we will be exterminated by a meteor. There's enough excess to do a bit of species saving multi-tasking. For an alternate perspective, the development for this (which includes future launches) was only 80% the cost of ~500 miles of railway in California! [1] [1] https://www.kabc.com/2026/04/06/high-speed-rail-cost-now-at-...

It's unlikely we'll be exterminated by a meteor for many millions of years. Life as we know it is already facing existential risks here and now. Doubtful we'll ever establish permanent residency anywhere else when we cannot sustain ourselves on the rock we evolved on.

> when we cannot sustain ourselves on the rock we evolved on.

The population is as big as it has ever been, and growing. Hunger index is steady [1], with low scores concentrated in the usual failed African states. We are sustaining ourselves just fine, by all metrics.

There are future problems, but there are also future solutions. A surprise meteor from the blackness of space has no solution. Both are bad. Multiple efforts for multiple problems can take place at once. One does not negate or even influence the other. Corruption in our government it's a much bigger money sink, and risk to our future, than a moon mission.

[1] https://public.flourish.studio/published_thumbnails/visualis...

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#473

Post by Shocka1 » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 6:01 PM UTC

moogly wrote: post #306

foxglacier wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Solving poverty and inequality is for the short term - they'll come back and need solving again no matter how many times you already solved them. But once the stars are explored, they stay explored forever. So yea, that's moving forwards and the other isn't.

> they'll come back and need solving again So like "whitey going to the moon" again on Artemis II?

Only 75%

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#474

Post by whackernews » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 6:43 PM UTC

SmirkingRevenge wrote: post #465

whackernews wrote: post #461

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah you’re one of those people where it’s like talking to a wall. Well you seem to have an intimate relationship with Putin so maybe you can just ring him up and have a chat with him or something. Let me put it this way. Imagine you’re at school and there are two kids that have a long history starting to shout and even throw fists at each other. You come over from the other end of the playground, try to understand the…

> Everyone’s sold this skewed reality that bombing people is the only way we can resolve conflict and you’ve been sold it by massive companies that make bombs. Yes, Ukraine can only resolve the conflict by winning - which means killing lots of Russians and driving Russia out. Russia can resolve the conflict by... leaving. That's it. They just have to go home. No bombs necessary.

> winning

That’s such retarded language, no one “wins” in a war.

Anyway you don’t seem to be actually be reading anything I’m writing so peace and love mate. Hope you realise our war waging ways are unwise one day.

It’s been fun at least!

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#475

Post by SmirkingRevenge » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 8:50 PM UTC

whackernews wrote: post #474

SmirkingRevenge wrote: post #465

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Everyone’s sold this skewed reality that bombing people is the only way we can resolve conflict and you’ve been sold it by massive companies that make bombs. Yes, Ukraine can only resolve the conflict by winning - which means killing lots of Russians and driving Russia out. Russia can resolve the conflict by... leaving. That's it. They just have to go home. No bombs necessary.

> winning That’s such retarded language, no one “wins” in a war. Anyway you don’t seem to be actually be reading anything I’m writing so peace and love mate. Hope you realise our war waging ways are unwise one day. It’s been fun at least!

Alas, then it seems this exchange is ending where it started - with the reality inverting insinuation that Ukraine and it's allies are the bloodthirsty warmongers here, because they continue to defend themselves from an invading army.

I do agree that waging war is generally unwise and tragic - but the people waging the war here are the Russians. The obstacle to a peaceful resolution to the war are - once again - the Russians.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#476

Post by Eji1700 » Thu, Apr 09, 2026, 9:30 PM UTC

kQq9oHeAz6wLLS wrote: post #270

Eji1700 wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have family who worked for NASA until the 70s. They’re one of the biggest sources of criticism of this project. There are negative things to observe about this project. They should not be ignored

I'd love to read your family member(s) criticisms; anywhere to do so? The perspective of a former NASA employee could be fascinating. If you don't mind me asking, what did they do for NASA?

> I'd love to read your family member(s) criticisms; anywhere to do so? The perspective of a former NASA employee could be fascinating.

Personal emails? These aren't the kind of people to blog.

If you want a brief summary they, like many, feel this whole thing is a farce due to how the project has be designed and spec'd. I think smarter every day did a wonderful youtube video comparing what kind of documentation and planning they had for the past launches, and how it sure as shit doesn't look like they're anywhere near that right now (he's much nicer about it). NASA is doing their best, but the simple truth is the actual "landing" plan feels like it vomited out by a bunch a suits who don't understand reality and wanted headlines.

A decent anecdote from the discussion that summarizes feelings:

One of them got to spend a week in Cape Kennedy due to winning an Essay contest and met Frank Borman. To quote him

> The topic of the essay was, What is man's future in space?

> I believe that, had I written, 55 years from now we will beat the Chinese to the Moon, I would not have won.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#477

Post by pigpop » Fri, Apr 10, 2026, 3:24 PM UTC

throwaway25231 wrote: post #154

pigpop wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm more worried about Chinese fascism than the American kind.

Can you explain what "Chinese fascism" is? Not citizen of any super-power, but how can you be sure you're not fallen under some propaganda where you see "them" as being evil and not just some other-way-of-living?

I didn't say I see China as evil. You're conflating the word fascism with the word evil. They have distinct definitions, at least when you're not spreading propaganda.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#478

Post by mempko » Fri, Apr 10, 2026, 9:21 PM UTC

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #277

mempko wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually a lot of the enlightenment ideas (which our government is based on) came from native American critiques of European societies. Read The Dawn of Everything for the details.

This is a bold claim that would do better than a throwaway source.

The Dawn of Everything is not a throw away source. It's one of the most well researched anthropological and sociological works.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#479

Post by foxglacier » Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 6:25 PM UTC

westmeal wrote: post #207

foxglacier wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Solving poverty and inequality is for the short term - they'll come back and need solving again no matter how many times you already solved them. But once the stars are explored, they stay explored forever. So yea, that's moving forwards and the other isn't.

The closest stars are way too far to reach on any reasonable timescale. That's not even mentioning the fact that moving forwards is a vague goal. Moving forwards towards what exactly? And if the US government got off of it's ass to... Oh I don't know, maybe fix the bullshit healthcare system we have and help people with tax money instead of bombing people for Israel things would improve quite a bit in a very short ti…

It's not optimism and defeatism, it's recognizing that one of them lasts and the other doesn't. Political changes like you listed can easily be reversed in future, but if we discover something in space, we'll keep that discovery forever even if we stop exploring.

Re: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon [video]

#480

Post by Teever » Sat, Apr 18, 2026, 2:59 AM UTC

WalterBright wrote: post #460

Teever wrote: post #458

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Musk can be both an successful entrepreneur and a conman. Just like how Musk can be a successful entrepreneur and an absolutely terrible father. These things often go together like peanut butter and jam. Ten amazing goals, and delivers on three is exactly how a con works -- The con-man over promises massively, delivers on the easier or more profitable stuff and then glosses over the stuff that they didn't deliver on.…

> Ten amazing goals, and delivers on three is exactly how a con works A very cynical take. I've tried and failed at many things, and succeeded here and there. Does that make me a con man? If you're not failing, then you aren't trying. > is the cool stuff he does worth the negative externalities that he dumps on society? Musk's Tesla is estimated to have saved 20,000 lives. And then there's Neuralink. And Starlink, wh…

I've taken some time to reflect on the comments that you've written here before responding.

You asked rhetorically what I would do if I was placed in Von Braun's shoes, as if it were the kind of thing that I had never taken the time to think about. But boy let me tell you it is definitely something that I've thought about. Far more than you I'm quite certain.

As it has been told to me, my grandfather was forcibly conscripted into the SS after the Nazis invaded Estonia. The choice was "Join up with the side that has better food and better weapons. Join the winning side and fight the Russians -- your sworn enemies. Or die." So he picked the better food and weapons. It worked out okay for him. Just like Von Braun. but not so much the side that he picked. Just like Von Braun.

I'm skeptical of the noble story that Von Braun tells about his arrest for dreaming about space too much or whatever. It's pretty self serving.

The truth of the matter is that Von Braun had many off roads before he wound up in the situation where he was made to don an SS uniform. And more off roads before he wound up under the SS gun. He didn't take them.

Why? Because he didn't care about that shit. He cared about space more than he cared about people. That's how every empire falls.[0]

I wonder what your father would say about that Walter.

[0] https://genius.com/John-prine-thats-how-every-empire-falls-l...