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Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

theatlantic.com

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Re: Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

#131

Post by em-bee »

trackone wrote: post #73
Zanni wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. I'm happy to see NASA get back in the game, but this is basically just a test flight. I'll get excited for the next one. ("Hey, kids! We're going to Disneyland! We're going to drive all the way around it before we head home!")

Even the next one isn't landing on the moon. It is still a test flight. Good that they are testing things obviously, but it is hard to get excited about testing...

the apollo program had 5 crewed flights, two of which went to the moon without landing. after 50 years of not going there, it is exciting that something is happening. i don't actually care about landing on the moon. i care about what is being tested and learned from these flights, whether they do land on the moon or not.

the moonlanding better be a test for base building for example and not just collecting samples. we can do that with robots already.

Re: Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

#132

Post by kavok »

palata wrote: post #11

I grew up admiring the Apollo mission and the likes. Nowadays, I recognise that it is heavy engineering, but I am not so impressed by the fact that we are throwing so much resources at something that we already know we can do. In fact, we have had humans surviving in space for decades now. It's costing a lot, it's not bringing much. But more than that: we have much more important problems to solve, starting with our…

> It's costing a lot, it's not bringing much.

It kinda depends on what you mean by “much”, but we’ve certainly had advances from the ISS in the last decade.

Several experiments with microgravity manufacturing such as ZBLAN fiber optics, 3D bioprinting, and other medical technologies. Microgravity manufacturing can offer some significant quality improvements and prevent settling.

There are other improvements as well. Foundational research is very important and space has a solid track record of delivering science that we turn into very useful technology on earth.

Sources:

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/out-of-th...

https://issnationallab.org/press-releases/2024-iss-national-...

Re: Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

#133

Post by expedition32 »

siliconpotato wrote: post #114

1) nobody's landing on the moon this time 2) the article was an awful piece of hype, that felt like it was sponsored by the Whitehouse. 3) it's hard to see beyond the US imperialism that hangs heavy over space missions. Trump said "the US is winning in space" and he summed up the intent here 4) I might be a nerd but I really don't get the excitement from my fellow nerds. I wonder if they are simply taken in by the hy…

Yeah the flag waving is very off putting. Why would non USians care? It's like the Superbowl.

More interesting is the possible Chinese moon landing. It would be their first and a good gauge to monitor their progress as a superpower.

Re: Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

#134

Post by ghighi7878 »

expedition32 wrote: post #129
ghighi7878 wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A big difference from 1960s and 70s in US is that 60s and 70s were a time of hope. Today that hope is not there. I am a scientist and I am stoked about moon missions. But I can see why todays people won't care about it much. Today mesaaging around space feels like rich peoples hobby and war weapns more than science. Just see how stoked people were about JWST

There's no scientific reason to go back to the moon though. It's just American chest thumping. I am interested in space, I would prefer we are spamming drones to explore the solar system. But science is boring.

Artemis is chest thumping. Sending robots on the other hand, very cool and interesting.

Re: Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

#135

Post by UncleMeat »

throw0101c wrote: post #55
Gagarin1917 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

During the Apollo missions, the US was melting babies in Vietnam, amongst other war crimes. Young men were being drafted, taken from home, and forced to kill people across the world. African Americans were fighting for basic rights and equality. A President, a major Presidential candidate, and the most prominent civil rights leader were all assassinated. It’s not like Apollo was happening during the golden age of Ame…

Commentary at the time: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitey_on_the_Moon

An absolute classic.

Re: Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

#136

Post by adjejmxbdjdn »

What exactly are we supposed to get excited about?

- The headline mission “Going to the moon” was done 60 years ago - Any scientific research could be done better and cheaper with robots. No humans required. - If it’s supposed to be a step forward in space travel, well, it’s just a step forward. Let’s get real space travel going and people might be excited for that. - If it’s the technological progress then we are seeing a lot of technological progress all the time. It’s questionable that any of it is making our lives better.

So, what are people supposed to be excited about?

Re: Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

#137

Post by adjejmxbdjdn »

outworlder wrote: post #41
palata wrote: post #11

I grew up admiring the Apollo mission and the likes. Nowadays, I recognise that it is heavy engineering, but I am not so impressed by the fact that we are throwing so much resources at something that we already know we can do. In fact, we have had humans surviving in space for decades now. It's costing a lot, it's not bringing much. But more than that: we have much more important problems to solve, starting with our…

> it's just a matter of wasting enough money for some people to have the time of their life. That's such a cynical viewpoint. We are not doing this so that astronauts can have fun. Yes, we have been screwing up our planet. On that note alone, we should develop capabilities to access resources beyond our planet. We could have made that same argument before we had the capability of launching satellites ("why are we was…

> Yes, we have been screwing up our planet. On that note alone, we should develop capabilities to access resources beyond our planet.

The second absolutely does not follow from the first.

But even if it did it doesn’t justify manned missions.

Re: Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

#138

Post by padjo »

palata wrote: post #69
majkinetor wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> we are throwing so much resources at something that we already know we can do. No, "we" knew how to do it with 10x more money and people on the board, in a very unsafely manner. It was a few times muscle flex and thats why it stopped. Making entire thing routine, cheap and safe is something else, and "we" don't know yet how to do that, or we would have at least few scientists constantly on the Moon. It's a differen…

I am not sure what you are trying to say. So people should be ecstatic about it because "it's almost the same thing, but this time the people having fun onboard are not taking remotely as much risk (other than NASA sending them knowing that the heat shield is unsafe), and the whole thing is a lot cheaper"? And then should we invest billions do go there in 3 days instead of 6, and expect that people will be impressed?…

> That money could go to... I don't know... feed people? Just one example.

Or even keep it in NASA and do something where we actually learn something new. It's crazy to me that we've still only sent one craft to Neptune and it was nearly 40 years ago.

Re: Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

#139

Post by ottah »

majkinetor wrote: post #62
palata wrote: post #11

I grew up admiring the Apollo mission and the likes. Nowadays, I recognise that it is heavy engineering, but I am not so impressed by the fact that we are throwing so much resources at something that we already know we can do. In fact, we have had humans surviving in space for decades now. It's costing a lot, it's not bringing much. But more than that: we have much more important problems to solve, starting with our…

> we are throwing so much resources at something that we already know we can do. No, "we" knew how to do it with 10x more money and people on the board, in a very unsafely manner. It was a few times muscle flex and thats why it stopped. Making entire thing routine, cheap and safe is something else, and "we" don't know yet how to do that, or we would have at least few scientists constantly on the Moon. It's a differen…

Everyone has a right to feel about this however they please. In my opinion, it's an extravagant waste of shared government resources, from a state that is underserving it's citizen's basic needs. I for one am angry at the billions of dollars and engineering capacity put into a vanity project that doesn't improve the daily lives of anyone besides people selling rockets.

Re: Why Doesn't Anybody Realize We're Going Back to the Moon?

#140

Post by npilk »

ghighi7878 wrote: post #126
Gagarin1917 wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not sure I’m following. Do most people not care because of the environment? Because that’s certainly not the case. Most people don’t care about the environment either. Plus, do you not have any other interests besides the state of the world? No interest in entertainment or sports or tech news at all? I doubt that if you’re on HN. My bet is that you wouldn’t care even if the world was objectively better than ever.…

A big difference from 1960s and 70s in US is that 60s and 70s were a time of hope. Today that hope is not there. I am a scientist and I am stoked about moon missions. But I can see why todays people won't care about it much. Today mesaaging around space feels like rich peoples hobby and war weapns more than science. Just see how stoked people were about JWST

The 1960s and 70s were extremely turbulent, chaotic times in the US - the Civil Rights era, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, multiple high-profile assassinations, etc. Apollo 8 launched at the end of 1968, which was a famously challenging year with many disruptive events.

Of course we have many challenges today as well, but I don't think the political environment is unprecedented. One could easily have argued in the 60s that we should be focusing on civil rights, ending the Vietnam War, etc. instead of going to the moon. In fact, much of the messaging around space in the 60s that allowed those missions to happen was based around "war weapons" and the Space Race with the Soviets.

One could argue the Apollo program itself was responsible for creating a lot of the hope you mention.

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