Space Expansion
Mantrid
Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
in Discussions
Why is it we haven't made any major leaps in terms of space exploration? Sure, we have the ISS, but we had space stations in the 70's. The shuttles have been around for 20 years.
What are the major boundries? Is it simply a matter of cost? Is it politics? And, what do you think the next obtainable goal is (manned Mars landing, lunar colony, construction of <a href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clanking_replicator' target='_blank'>Clanking replicators</a>)?
As a final note, 2001: A Space Post.
What are the major boundries? Is it simply a matter of cost? Is it politics? And, what do you think the next obtainable goal is (manned Mars landing, lunar colony, construction of <a href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clanking_replicator' target='_blank'>Clanking replicators</a>)?
As a final note, 2001: A Space Post.
Comments
1.) America is the most active country involved in actively exploring, and spending time in, space.
2.) America's entire view of space is controlled by NASA.
Therein lies the problem: American companies, who would be very interested in going more to space, are held back by the monopoly of space by NASA. If America let companies begin to create profit by the expansion of space, through things such as tourism, space stations, etc, the desire by Americans to be active in space would jump like crazy. Other countries would soon follow suit.
Either that, or we can wait around until the EU decides to do it first, which won't happen for a long time. Russia's already started a little bit, but seriously, no offense to Russia or anything, but they've too many issues to even actively consider something like actively pursuing space commerce.
Why are we trying to conquer space when there are so many problems on Earth?
Earth, has been sodded up by previous generations over the past 1/200 years, although that doesn't mean exploring space will "find us a new home".
I think the 3 main ideas for the exploration of space for me, and hopefully scientists are:
1- The ability to obtain materials not richly found on Earth.
2- The possibility to find and obtain new elements.
3- A.I.
Honestly, even if it is possible within the next 100 years to keep powering the space program (considering current Earth events including resources such as fossil fuels running out etc.) I do not think we will begin to go any further than our own solar system, unless there was some kind and thoughtful 'alien' species out there that was just strolling through our solar system one day.
What? You live in an amazing time in space exploration and discovery. These recent years have been an astronomer's dream!
- We're probing Titan as we type. Waiting for feedback tonight ...
- We've rendevouzed with the sun to collect particles from it.
- Mars is being explored and evidence of water has been found.
- Sedna and Quaoar, planetoids outside pluto, has been discovered. Sedna gives us clues about the Oort cloud .. exciting stuff.
- Solid planets with neptun's mass has very recently been discovered outside the solar system, and the number of exo-solar planets discovered is rising rapidly.
- Extensive work in cosmology and theoretical physics are questioning the posibility of the Big Bang and our perception of the universe we're living in.
This is but a few of the recent happenings in space exploration. And I haven't even touched the future plans like humans to mars etc.
But, yes. There are challenges as you say:
It's hard to get money for space exploration, simply because it's not something that interests everyone, and the benefits aren't something that concerns the average Joe. Warfare, taxes, education, etc. have an easier time capturing the audience, votes and budget posts.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I really fail to see why people are so anxious to go "explore space". I'm sorry, you aren't doing any "exploring" by going into space for 3 minutes and then faling back down (I'm talking about the latest cruises into space, sold for about $100,000 each). Waste of money and time, in my opinion.
Why are we trying to conquer space when there are so many problems on Earth?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Space exploration gives a tremendous pay-off in technological advances. Methods, tools, theories, materials, alloys, constructions, flight, engines, human psychology and whatnot.
The 3 minute "exploration" you spoke of is a tourist, not research. And it's not so much about conquering as it is about understanding.
And at last: We actually do need to evaluate long-term plans for alternate human/post-human worlds to live on/in. We're not gonna stay on earth forever, and mass human extinction on earth is not impossible, if we're looking far ahead.
Perhaps a friendly GSV will come and pick us up before then? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
America has all the tactical advantage it requires at the moment, whereas in days gone by NASA could always secure funding by exclaiming that the commies make the breakthrough first. China isn't sufficiently advanced to provide America with a sufficient threat at the moment, so development is a bit on the quiet side.
<a href='http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/01/14/deep.impact.ap/index.html' target='_blank'>Deep Impact(not the movie)</a>
well, in some cases, travelling 2.2 BILLION miles takes time, LOTS of time.
its moving, and when you think about it, a craft who's design was almost 20 years in the making, lived in space on course for 7 years, travelled farther than you can pretend to understand and is now sending BACK information. This IS a giant leap.
Then, in a few days, we are gonna ram a VW Beetle into a moving comet and see what the inside looks like? and you dont think progress is moving?? what do you want?
The real big issue for me with that one is the impact of the instrument on the comet. I read somewhere there is a possibility that we could see "fireworks" in the sky, and it just makes me wonder if an instrument is hitting that hard on the surface, won't it just explode without being able to send back data? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> Maybe someone could clear up exactly how its supposed to work, my unintelligent mind doesn't perceive it.
And about Pluto and "planetoids" beyond, they're nothing special. Just the remains of comets which have been covered in mainly layers of ice. For some scientists, and me, do not believe Pluto to be a planet.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->[...]Deep Impact is carrying the most powerful telescope ever sent into deep space. It will remain with the mother ship when the copper-fortified impactor springs free the day before the comet strike, and will observe the event from a safe 300 miles away.
NASA space telescopes like the Hubble will also watch the collision, along with ground observatories and amateur astronomers. The impactor will have a camera, too, that will snap pictures virtually all the way in.[...]<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The spacecraft actually consists of two modules, mother ship and impactor. The impactor seperates from the mother ship one day before the impact (I guess that the impactor either accelerates ahead, or that the mother ship changes course to prevent collision with the comet) and hits the comet (probably being completely and utterly pulverized in the process), while the mother ship takes readings from a safe distance. I guess the mother ship will just be orbiting space debris after returning the readings to earth.
They're special alright. They're ancient mostly untouched relics from a time when the earth was forming, and possibly objects flung from other stars trapped by the sun's gravity.
As for pluto being a planet, that's mostly a thing for definitions. No set size for planets have been set, but the general consensus is that if Pluto was discovered today, it'd not be classified as a planet.
Therein lies the problem: American companies, who would be very interested in going more to space, are held back by the monopoly of space by NASA. If America let companies begin to create profit by the expansion of space, through things such as tourism, space stations, etc, the desire by Americans to be active in space would jump like crazy. Other countries would soon follow suit. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
X-Prize, anyone? It's not a giant milestone or anything, but it's a step in the right direction towards privatization of space.
But seriously, humans are going to have to be content with out own solar system for a good long while. With current technology, we could reach the edge of our solar system in 10,000 years. I ain't making that trip, thank you very much.
"Practical" and large scale space exploration will have to wait until we can either find a way of getting into space that is much cheaper then chemical rockets (NASA recently alocated $1 million to examine the feasability of a carbon nanotube space elevator, which would make going into space dirt cheap, and allow for realistic colonization of space at some point in the future) or humanity has the resorces and will to fork over hundreds of billions of dollars for space programs with limited payoff.
A- were kinda attached to earth, it's been pretty good to us
B- if china and india can fit 1 Billion people each onto their land mases, we have plenty of room to grow
C- why launch a rocket inot space when you can launch a rocket at some terrorists
and finally D- the game NS was so influencail on the world that NASA is afriad space exploration will lead to phase techknolowogly and then the aliens will arise and kill us all.
Isn't a probe that was sent up in the 70s already out of the solar system?
Isn't a probe that was sent up in the 70s already out of the solar system? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
No, it's already past Pluto, which is <i>not</i> the edge of the solar system. I'm talking about the time it would take it to pass the Oort Cloud / Kupiter Belt, which are part of our solar system, and stretch FAR past Pluto.
That question is the exact reason why space exploration has been so slow. You need look no further. Everyone's attitude is that there are already plenty of problems here with poverty, disease, prejudice, war, etc. etc. Why waste all this money 'in space' when we've got problems to deal with here on earth?
Of course the obvious arguments are 1 - no money is being wasted 'in space'. We're not, in fact, building giant cannons that launch the world's material wealth into the vast beyond. The money is spent here, on earth, and it creates jobs and skilled workers and bolsters economies. 2 - We've always had problems, and we always will. Using them as an excuse to stop advancement of the species is nearly suicidally foolish. And 3 - The value of space travel is likely unmeasurable. Offshoots of the space program already are common in everyday life. And much more remains to be found. Of course, in the modern mindset of 'tell me how much money it will make me and then I'll dedicate resources to it,' this sort of 'pure science' becomes a problem.
The government isn't much worth relying on anymore. Even if Bush did push through a nice space bill (hey, something I respect the man for, who knew?) it will still stagnate in the world of government time wasting and big spending. My sights are firmly set on the commercial side of things. And <i>yes</i> that starts with the overly rich paying thousands of dollars for a few minute novelty trip into space. So what? What's wrong with that if it eventually leads to high altitude ships capable of zipping people from one side of earth to the other in a fraction of the time it takes now? Airlines are destined for extinction eventually.
When some farsighted purely for-profit venture finally starts making massive money in space and everyone else realizes what they're missing out on, and then the second, more important space race begins, you'll find me right there on the sidelines cheering them on. (And applying for any jobs they have open)
Rant mode off.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Why are we trying to conquer space when there are so many problems on Earth?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
well those problums you speak of can be summed up into 2 catagories. Religion and greed. I can see none of which being eradicated ever . Meanwhile I will look at the stars and hope that humans get over there own ego and work as a team. HAHAHAHAHAHA
escapism ftw
(i.e. "This place is all ****ed up, im outta here!!!!")