OT :Space exploration

Anonymous-0 · Mar 22, 2009

My father was just telling me about some space ship that keeps orbiting the earth, hes been over here every other knight watching for it. How many of you think this space program is a wast of money? If they cut it out would it really hurt us? I dont want to start trouble, but I think it is a waste of money.

rrlund · Mar 22, 2009

How is it a waste of money? Do you have any idea of the scientific advancements that have come from the Space Program? It amazes me that some people seem to think that we are loading bushel baskets of money in rockets and blasting it into space. That money is spent right here in high tech jobs with huge benifits to mankind. The more I see this country slip toward third world socialist status,the harder it is for me to believe that I really saw what I saw late that night in July of 1969.

ldj · Mar 22, 2009

I don't know about now but in the beginning of the program there were many many things we take for granite that was developed for the program. Thing we wouldn't have had it not been for the program. Now the political part!! Most if not all that money is spent here stays here and as long as it is here and keeps circulating, sooner or later I'll probably get some. That is unlike buying foreign oil where the money leaves never to come back.

Bill Shafer · Mar 22, 2009

I think the space program is worth the money. A lot of things that we take for granted came out of the space program. I know it was just a tv show. But if you remember when Star Trek first came out. Everyone said the things on that show could never happen. Such as computers,cell phones,DVD players about the only thing we don't have today is the transporter. And I hear they have made one but a very small version.

Vito · Mar 22, 2009

rrlund,
My youngest brother,30,believes it was a hollywood stage presentation.Then again he's been known to hit outer space via wacky tobacco.

Vito

OldFarmTractor · Mar 22, 2009

I agree with the scientific advancements we have, many can be linked to the space program. Here are a few:

Weather satellites
Solid state electronics and IC's
High temperature ceramics
Dish network
Global studies from space
"Space blanets"
Tang
Improved medications
Better relationships with other nations

Now, please explain to me the benefits we gain from professional football, baseball and basketball. I would bet we spend a heck of alot more money on those activities when you consider players' salaries, the salaries of staff, building costs, travel costs and gambling losses. And then consider the time lost at work discussing yesterdays game.

Priorities?

kyhayman · Mar 22, 2009

I support the space program for a lot of reasons. In a practical sense there are so many things we use every day that are possible because of the basic research done in the space program such as plastics, metallurgy, fuels, etc. Also, its a practical provingground for military hardware. After all, the space race wasnt about exploration, it was about targeting ICBM's. The applied science used to put a man on the moon is the same that puts an artillery shell on a pie pan at 10 miles or an ICBM on a missle silo in Asia. Cell phones, satellite TV and internet, all these things come from the lauch and use of satellites. Lastly, and to me most important is the future of the human race. No matter if global warming is real or not, pollution is real or not, or anything else mankind does sometime the sun will cease to exisit and so will life on earth. By continuing to explore and eventually colonize in space humanity is no loner limited to depending on this one tiny planet for its survival.

ldj · Mar 22, 2009

Hay oldfarmtractor. I especially like your last paragraph. Never thought about that.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 22, 2009

I understand alot of good things came out of the space program, weather, sattalite ect. But seeing if mars will support life,or if there is water on mars and so on is folly. What about puting the resources into our planet, Earth??? Im not against it, I just think the money could be better spent elsewere.

arm bar · Mar 22, 2009

Stars eventually die out and the sun will too in about 5 billion years and about 1 billion before it gets too hot here on earth. So if humans are to survive they need to colonize space. Space exploration is important.

Jerry/MT · Mar 22, 2009

I support the NASA space effort but the problem that I have with it is that takes up so much of the total NASA budget.

In my other life, I was a member of an industry advisory committee to NASA Aeronautics(the first A in NASA) and the Aeronautics Branch recieved less than 6% of the NASA budget and had to really fight for that. The other 94+% went to the Space branch. The argument was that , A) the taxpayer is very much for the Shuttle, space flight, etc, and B) the aviation industry can do pay for there own advanced research, or use military research. Well the military stuf is often too costly to pay it's way onto a non-military airplane and the non-space and non military avaiation industry provides more jobs that the space effort and military avaition and was the single biggest contibutor to helping the to reduce the balance of payments in the export markets for many years.(It still may be that way but I don't follow it anymore.)
I'd like to see a little more balance in the Aronautics budget, maybe to 8-10%, but it won't happen because the average person is not that enamored by this. The major competitor to the US aviation indusry is EADS of which Airbus is a part and France, Germany, England, Italy, Spain, etc provide direct support to new airplane development program, plus provide research support also.
So that's my opinion on this subject for wahatever it's worth.

KEB1 · Mar 22, 2009

Where do you think humanity would be today if our ancestors never ventured beyond their comfort zone? Space exploration is the modern day equivalent of the great explorer's of the past; Christopher Columbus, Lewis & Clark, Admiral Byrd, Magellan, and any number of others come to mind.

There's a lot more to being human than simply existing. Our need to understand our universe is what drives us to achieve...if we didn't have that need, we'd all still be hunter/gatherers.

The point that a lot of people miss is that there are benefits to major achievements and advances in technology that extend way beyond the simple direct cost/benefits that people tend to ascribe to things like the space program. From the standpoint of humanity as a whole, the intangible benefits greatly exceed the direct output.

Keith

KEB1 · Mar 22, 2009

Proof of extraterrestrial life, even if its just microbes, will be the most profound discovery man has ever made, because it will mean that we are in all probability not alone in the universe.

The UFO nut cases aside, of course. We're focusing on Mars, because its most likely to harbor life with chemistry similar to what's on earth, and because its reachable with current technology.

Keith

Wild Bill Caldwell · Mar 22, 2009

When I consider the struggle to fight everyday to survive on this planet I just can't find it in My heart to worry what those comein' along a billon years from now will contend with

Wild Bill

Anonymous-0 · Mar 22, 2009

I hate the space shuttle and hope they stop flying them. It is a shuttle that only goes from Florida to California, it dosen't make any stops, it takes 2 weeks, only can carry about 6 people and 50,000 pounds, costs about $179 million a trip, blows up every 80 or so launches, it is the most dangerous, unreliable and expensive way of getting into space anyone ever dreamed up. The fact is the era of space exploration by man flights is over. It is time to bring back those big Saturn 5 rockets with robot passengers.

buickddeere · Mar 22, 2009

I'm for space research. The part that irritates me is the bureaucrats and contractors milking the system. Making a $1000.00 project cost $100,000

Leon R · Mar 22, 2009

I do believe that space exploration is important for the continued existence of the human race. That being said, I also believe that the human race is doomed on this planet. We are just another animal living here along with all the rest of the others on the earth. We supposedly have the most intelligence of all the creatures but we don't seem to be able to stop our destructive ways of using up the earths resources. Our populations are steadily increasing which requires more and more resources to sustain our life here on this plant. Old mother nature has a way of dealing with problems of overpopulation and we could very well be the masters of our own destruction long before we are able to populate another planet.

Traditional Farmer · Mar 22, 2009

Probably the money would be better spent exploring the really deep parts of the ocean.
Its a moot argument anyway the way the gov't is throwing money away and trashing the currency the US won't be able to afford to feed itself much less go into space anymore

Anonymous-0 · Mar 22, 2009

TDF Good point. I like your way of thinking,.

RobMD · Mar 22, 2009

You think Christopher Columbus could breathe in space? Is there any land to conquer in outer space? Any Gold on Mars? Trade with Martian businessmen? Any jobs in outer space? Can someone in outer space help our healthcare problems? Get better prescription drug care? Will the Mars rover help poverty?

what about John F. Kennedy giving money to the space program instead of to the troops to kill the vietcong a-holes?

You DO give good reasons for space exploration.. but you do NOT show reasons why space exploration will help the sad and depressing state of this world... and our country.

paul · Mar 22, 2009

Space exploration is our future, our hope, our way to go forward.

Shut that down, and we have nothing.

Could the govt do better at it? Sure. Most space work has been a cover for military advancements.

But still, why take away one of the few positive, forward looking things that govt does?

Just my opinion.

--->Paul

Anonymous-0 · Mar 22, 2009

Waste of money!

Spook · Mar 22, 2009

I think it represents the best of our society. Really surprised me that some people think that the moon landing was a hollywood special effects deal. But what the heck, Elvis seems to like Burger Kings in Kalamazoo!!

ericlb · Mar 22, 2009

well we need some of it, but at less cost and more exploration, and less pointless experiments, [ who cares if a frog can break wind in space ect] we know there are "others"out there we just dont know where or who,or if theyll ever return, we have evidence all over the planet,im not talking about roswell or some kook out in his yard filming the UFO that is actually a 737 on landing approach, but for example, we have the ancient lines in the peru desert, which were not even recognizable as shapes untill we developed the science of flight, then there are references to space craft on the egyptian paramids, even the bible has several references to them, for all the nay sayers, the bible says we were created in gods image, BUT it never said we were the only ones created,lol

tlak · Mar 23, 2009

God was an alien. Explains a lot more than books written by rag head camel jockeys.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 23, 2009

We going to slow into space. If only to have a seed of life elsewhere if the earth gets struck by a 25 mile wide snowball.

Kentb of SWMO · Mar 23, 2009

The spacechraft that keeps orbiting the Earth is THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. The Space Shuttle is dock there NOW to install some more solar collectors or as they call the "Solar Wings".

Kent

northener · Mar 23, 2009

So it looks like Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) was right on when he told Alice his wife he was gonna send her to outer space.

rrlund · Mar 23, 2009

Excellent!

OT :Space exploration

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