Chinese...in...space!
<div class="IPBDescription">opinions?</div> So, after launching four non-manned probes in preparation, the Chinese are set to be the third nation in history to send men into space. I think the launch is like next week or something, but the story on NPR got me thinking. Is this crap even necessary? China is going through the same thing the U.S. and U.S.S.R. went through fourty years ago and now the U.S. is talking about scrapping our space program indefinitely because it really has little use. We haven't even learned to take care of our planet, how are we supposed to deal with the infinite realm of space? And, if and when we get there, what would be the point? Are their minable resources out there we could utilize?
What do the rest of you think about this? Should we bother we space?
And don't say, "Certainly! How else are we going to find aliens to fight?" or I'll probably beat you up.
What do the rest of you think about this? Should we bother we space?
And don't say, "Certainly! How else are we going to find aliens to fight?" or I'll probably beat you up.
Comments
Satellites, the world would be screwed without them at this point.
1) Political demonstration -- they are capable of sending people into space, an enormous task. It's a statement that says "NASA (USA), you're no longer alone."
2) Advancements in engineering and science -- with the problems they are faced with launching space missions, they will have to make advancements. These advancements will lead to an improved growth in many chinese industries, and China will thrive on it.
I cant wait to see the looks on their faces when they see that hurtling asteroid coming down...
"Mr. President, An asteroid is coming to pwn us all!"
"Launch all zig!"
"Mr. President?"
"For Great justice!"
"Awwww crap, I knew we should have had a space program..."
**Boom**
In all seriousness though, space has a lot to offer us. We cant take care of the planet, thats true. We use oils and all sorts of messy stuff that makes nasty bi-products. In space, you cant really have that. You need to conserve and watch what you got carefully. Fusion power is the only truly viable power source for long term missions, so it fuels advancement there, materials need to be as light and strong as possible, so you have another advantage there. Also, the space program virtually drove the effort of miniaturisation. Without the space program, your box would probably take up the entire room and would still be using vacuum tubes.
The challenges that space offers will force us to improve and get better. When you think about it, solar power is fairly pointless, I mean, whats wrong with coal? Yet, solar panels were spurred forward for the space program, and now we have a new alternative source for power.
Also, earths resources are fairly limited. IE, there is only a fixed amount of metal, oxygen etc. All of these can be recycled, but what happens when we need more then we have?
Another thing, the population is ever expanding. What do you propose we do when we have 30 Billion people taking up room? Expand upwards into sky scrapers? You can only do that so far before it becomes impractical. Expand into the earth itself? Again, you can only go so far before you hit your upper limit. Proposing we do these things, the earth could only ever support 80 Billion people, and for only a limited time in any case. Why not package a billion colonists in a ship and send it off to another star system?
This quote fits the picture perfectly, and it was said over a hundred years ago...
Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky (Space pioneer) - "<i>The Earth is but the cradle of mankind, but one cannot remain in the cradle forever</i>"
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This is what the party is saying and getting everyone hyped up on.
And of course there will be hype -- it would not really be a point without it, would it?
I second that.
AH! hahaha
*DAHM MONGOWLIANS!* (Remembers southpark...)
*cough* Mars iron mining *cough*...
I claim Mars in the name of Geckos....and NS players everywhere!
No Bureaucrats or Politician.
The entire planet will be Iron Mines mined by robots, and a gigantic LAN running Half-Life 2 based NS! Supoort the 'From the Earth to Mars, Geckos AWAY!' program today. Then we'll break out the Total Recall ice melting machine and have water and stuff. Then we'll build a giant gravity based tractor beam to whip one of the two moons at earth (permitting a patent on the tractor beam doesn't cost to much).
Also, we'll have robots (made from our awesome iron) to grow food and cook for us. So, NS LAN, food and water. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
No one is talking about scrapping our space program.
Good luck to the chinese, and anyone who puts man into space.
I'll go! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Mankind's nihilistic tendencies will wipe this planet clean of all life in a couple hundred years. We need a Voidship or seven. then we can learn how to WorShip.
Mankind's nihilistic tendencies will wipe this planet clean of all life in a couple hundred years. We need a Voidship or seven. then we can learn how to WorShip.
Actually, we pbly COULD mine SOMETHING from Mars, and it's true that it wont be long now before the Earth will be no longer livable. If all countries worked together on one space program, then we'd pbly have better luck at doing such things.
If your refering to Jupiter's moon Europa then yes they do need to go take a look I read somewhere that NASA are testing some robot in the Antarctic that will be able to drill down once it gets there then have a look, should work as long as the <!--emo&::nerdy::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/nerd.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd.gif'><!--endemo--> at NASA don't give it imperial mesurments to used when it's programed with the metric system <!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif'><!--endemo--> .
<a href='http://www.redzero.demon.co.uk/moonhoax/' target='_blank'>Sorry, we landed.</a> I used to be really confused about it: there was enough evidence to make me unsure if we really landed. But then I did some research, and boom. No question about it.
Obviously australia <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Ba-ZING! :-)