Obama cancels moon project

The_Minister

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8489097.stm

Link is too big to quote.

I know it's expensive, but what happened to ad astra?

We're the first species to be able to leave this planet, we should at least try.

Captain Chaos

The_Minister wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8489097.stm

Link is too big to quote.

I know it's expensive, but what happened to ad astra?

We're the first species to be able to leave this planet, we should at least try.

Old news.

There is 3 shuttle flights left before the Shuttle is retired.

After that NASA will need Russia to send its people into space for them.

Manned US space flight is over for the next 10 years at least. The US has to rely on other countries to get it's people to the ISS.

Looks like China will be the first to go back to the Moon, they are the new superpower.

Mint Sauce

the americans will get a man on the moon eventually

:rolleyes:

Dave!

/wonders how long before this thread becomes a moon landing hoax thread...

edit: oops, I was one minute too late

I'll just preemptively post this link to Phil Plait's site so that we can at least (hopefully) filter out some of the more moronic arguments such as the one about the waving flag.

http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html


On topic, this is pretty disappointing. I thought the idea of building a moon base for future space exploration was a popular one? I suppose they're gonna concentrate on exploring different planets with robots instead.

Fago!

The_Minister wrote: »

We're the first species to be able to leave this planet, we should at least try.

Actually, the first species in space was a dog named Laika!!!

Fuggin space noobz!!!!

IvySlayer

Fago! wrote: »

Actually, the first species in space was a dog named Lakai!!! Get yore facts right!

Fuggin space noobz!!!!

Wrong it was a fly

Sanjuro

They may have cancelled the moon project, but they have also begun this project.

MrStuffins

Fago! wrote: »

Actually, the first species in space was a dog named Lakai!!!

Fuggin space noobz!!!!

That dog must've gone up just before Laika then yeah? :P

Duggy747

The US are gonna be pissed while the Ruskies and the Chinese get their claim to fame in space.

I can probably see more joint efforts coming together now. They were hoping on putting way more serious work into Mars by about 2020.

Pity, I was hoping to have a crack at the space casinos and shag a few green women

Lux23

I think Space travel is a complete waste of money. How can we spend billions on looking at worms on Mars when people are starving to death everyday? I just think the whole thing is whacked and I am glad to see Obama be sensible about this crap, most Americans couldn't give a crap about it anyway.

In all fairness they're better off sending machines into space because they don't need all that oxegen/water/food etc. The machines wont come back with cancer after long space flights and will be able to travel on indefinitely sending us back more and more information the further they go.

We already sent a people to the moon, what would be different this time?

ScumLord

But we need the moon, whats going to happen to it now?

bonerm

No bucks, no Buck Rogers.

Dave!

Lux23 wrote: »

I think Space travel is a complete waste of money. How can we spend billions on looking at worms on Mars when people are starving to death everyday? I just think the whole thing is whacked and I am glad to see Obama be sensible about this crap, most Americans couldn't give a crap about it anyway.

Starvation isn't due to lack of money -- there's plenty of food and money to go around.

Ross_Mahon

http://www.virgingalactic.com/booking/

Tickets cost $200,000 and deposits start from $20,000

MrStuffins

Lux23 wrote: »

I think Space travel is a complete waste of money. How can we spend billions on looking at worms on Mars when people are starving to death everyday? I just think the whole thing is whacked and I am glad to see Obama be sensible about this crap, most Americans couldn't give a crap about it anyway.

Sorry, i was reading with interest up until there, after that i just imagines this guy saying it!

KevinVonSpiel

I, for one, will be glad to see the back of it...

ScumLord

Lux23 wrote: »

I think Space travel is a complete waste of money. How can we spend billions on looking at worms on Mars when people are starving to death everyday? I just think the whole thing is whacked and I am glad to see Obama be sensible about this crap, most Americans couldn't give a crap about it anyway.

The goal of the human race should be to get off the planet and all the problems we face as a species now are related to long term space travel, if we fix food production, recycling and population control problems we'll be much better prepared for space.

You could see earth as a very big spaceship that we need to replicate because at the moment we literally have all our eggs in one basket.

MrStuffins

So much hostility for the the moon project!

Louis Armstrong would be spinning in his grave!

Duggy747

I agree on the whole space travel thing, I'd like to know more about what's outside our planet in my lifetime.

This is insane:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U

And Nasa did give us the hoover after all

MrStuffins

ScumLord wrote: »

The goal of the human race should be to get off the planet and all the problems we face as a species now are related to long term space travel, if we fix food production, recycling and population control problems we'll be much better prepared for space.

You could see earth as a very big spaceship that we need to replicate because at the moment we literally have all our eggs in one basket.

It's not as if there was ever more than 1 basket though.

"Meh, forget basing a few dudes on Jupiter,we'll all just go to Earth and if it all goes wrong, well sure feck it!"

Lux23

MrStuffins wrote: »

Sorry, i was reading with interest up until there, after that i just imagines this guy saying it!

Ha ha he is my icon after all.

I just don't have any personal interest in space travel so don't see why so much money is spent on it.

Dave!

MrStuffins wrote: »

It's not as if there was ever more than 1 basket though.

"Meh, forget basing a few dudes on Jupiter,we'll all just go to Earth and if it all goes wrong, well sure feck it!"

We'll never know if there's any more 'baskets' (planets capable of sustaining life) if we don't push on with the space program though

And by 'we', I mean 'they'...

Mark200

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Old news.

Yep. The article is dated 1st February...


But I think it's the right thing to do considering America's huge budget deficit

MaybeLogic

I had such great visions for the moon.
They could have used it as a dumping ground for all the toxic waste here on the mother-planet.

Agricola

Lux23 wrote: »

I think Space travel is a complete waste of money. How can we spend billions on looking at worms on Mars when people are starving to death everyday? I just think the whole thing is whacked and I am glad to see Obama be sensible about this crap, most Americans couldn't give a crap about it anyway.

I dont think Obama should run the US based on what most Americans do and dont give a crap about. Most Americans think India is a country full of 'native Americans'

Before I read the article, I would have said this is a short sighted move because NASA has always being a pioneer of new technology. But it seems Obama is looking at the big picture and not just the instant gratification of getting people on the moon inside 10 years using old expensive methods. Alternative propulsion technologies are where the money needs to be going.

NothingMan

This could be a cheaper alternative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfJXgKTqpdE

MrStuffins

Dave! wrote: »

We'll never know if there's any more 'baskets' (planets capable of sustaining life) if we don't push on with the space program though

And by 'we', I mean 'they'...

I agree, i was just making the point that it's not as if there was ever a choice in the past.

bonerm

MrStuffins wrote: »

So much hostility for the the moon project!

Louis Armstrong would be spinning in his grave!

Apollo Creed wouldn't be too happy either.

MrStuffins

Duggy747 wrote: »

I agree on the whole space travel thing, I'd like to know more about what's outside our planet in my lifetime.

This is insane:

And Nasa did give us the hoover after all

Great video, i also love this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1w8hKTJ2Co

Duggy747

I could never understand the hatred for space programs. Where do you think you get your Sky TV from, the trees? Or your computer on which you type to whinge about Nasa, or the composite metals on which things like golf clubs are made of, or your mobile phone, or your GPS system, etc?

Lux23

Lux23 wrote: »

I think Space travel is a complete waste of money. How can we spend billions on looking at worms on Mars when people are starving to death everyday? I just think the whole thing is whacked and I am glad to see Obama be sensible about this crap, most Americans couldn't give a crap about it anyway.

I think you're underestimating how much better our lives are at the moment due to space exploration.

If you ask me, we don't spend enough money on space exploration. At the moment we're like the earliest people who built rudimentary boats to travel to neighbouring places. In a couple of hundred years there's no telling what we will have discovered about the universe or life within it.

Take a loot at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot . Thats a picture of the earth from just past Pluto.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

ScumLord

Although, there is allot of new technology coming out now that makes things we thought could only be science fiction now possible. Maybe the 10 year break to plan new projects wouldn't be a bad idea. Shuttles could become completely redundant if the new technology they working on now works out. Carbon nano tubey things or something.

Tabnabs

No new friends for Mr Spoon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIeuY9cMauM

Duggy747

In fairness though, America does need to sort out it money woes. Space is one spicey meatball!

I don't care who furthers our knowledge of space, as long as somebody keeps it up I'll be happy.

MrStuffins

I recently watched a doc on the latest Shuttle mission, their job was simply to map Earth from Space. They got some incredible images, including images of the visible signs of the effects of polution.

They also found an Island in the South Pacific which had been previously upmapped.

To think there is a place on our OWN PLANET which we didn't know was there before, imagine what we could find in the Universe.

IvySlayer

NASA/The Russian space program are the only ones on the ball. Now Nasa are not getting enough budget.

The European Space Agency need to step up. Does the ESA have any shuttles? Perhaps we could buy one... Perhaps a world space program would be needed with a lot of money to pump into it. Space exploration is absolutely vital.

Zulu

Lux23 wrote: »

I think Space travel is a complete waste of money. How can we spend billions on looking at worms on Mars when people are starving to death everyday? ...

Seriously??

You're joking, right?

ScumLord

MrStuffins wrote: »

They also found an Island in the South Pacific which had been previously upmapped.

HA! In your face Google, in your face!

IvySlayer

Lux23 wrote: »

I think Space travel is a complete waste of money. How can we spend billions on looking at worms on Mars when people are starving to death everyday? I just think the whole thing is whacked and I am glad to see Obama be sensible about this crap, most Americans couldn't give a crap about it anyway.

Worms? :mad:

It was a Gorilla!

hal9000

Lux23 wrote: »

I think Space travel is a complete waste of money. How can we spend billions on looking at worms on Mars when people are starving to death everyday? I just think the whole thing is whacked and I am glad to see Obama be sensible about this crap, most Americans couldn't give a crap about it anyway.

How can we spend $7 Billion a year globally on cosmetics? seems to me it has a lot less worth than what nasa spent $17 Billion in 2009 (it represents 0.6% of the American 2009 Budget).


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d4/Fy2009spendingbycategory2.png

sink

For the moment the benefits of manned space exploration aren't really there, we can learn just as much with robots at a fraction of the cost. Scientifically speaking astronauts aren't really necessary and their real appeal lies in the emotion and inspiration we draw from seeing man in space.

Wibbs

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

I think you're underestimating how much better our lives are at the moment due to space exploration.

If you ask me, we don't spend enough money on space exploration. At the moment we're like the earliest people who built rudimentary boats to travel to neighbouring places. In a couple of hundred years there's no telling what we will have discovered about the universe or life within it.

+1000000

Science wise? Robot probes are great. Cheap and we get great info for the money, but you cant beat the mark 1 human eyeball on the ground. We have more info on the moon from the guys who walked on it than from all the probe data before or since.

The bigger issue is if we dont make an effort to get off earth we are very very vulnerable to dying out. Even one colony would massively improve our survival as a species. We have a window now where we can do it. That will pass. Its passing as we speak. People seem to think more and more that technology will save us. Our technology and lifestyle is actually very delicate today. If aristotle had used a PC we wouldnt have his stuff. We're becoming more and more insular and inward looking even with all the great leaps forward.

We could have a dark ages tomorrow. Dont believe me? A disease that took out just 10% of our population would screw us up so badly. Never mind something like the black death. Europe survived back then because it was a much simpler less specialised society. If trucks, ordinary trucks stopped rolling tomorrow, no power, no food, no medicines, within a fortnight. Tops. We think of people like doctors etc as very important and they are, but globally, truckers and the like are far more so.

Religious change. You could have a luddite style faith take over in imprtant areas and game over. Islam was at the forefront of scientific thought for centuries while europe floundered. Now? Among the biggest graduate numbers in the muslim world are in religious studies. Look at the US. The amount of christians who disbelieve evolution etc. A huge proportion over there.

Climate change. I mean the real deal too. Big volcano kicks off and we're in trouble.

The end may not be nigh, but its closer than we think or imagine.

ScumLord

sink wrote: »

For the moment the benefits of manned space exploration aren't really there, we can learn just as much with robots at a fraction of the cost. Scientifically speaking astronauts aren't really necessary and their real appeal lies in the emotion and inspiration we draw from seeing man in space.

Once people can survive in space (they can't really now), we can start manufacturing in space which will make it more convenient to live in space as that's where all the resources will be.

drdeadlift

ScumLord wrote: »

The goal of the human race should be to get off the planet and all the problems we face as a species now are related to long term space travel, if we fix food production, recycling and population control problems we'll be much better prepared for space.

You could see earth as a very big spaceship that we need to replicate because at the moment we literally have all our eggs in one basket.

Thats a fine theory but we just aren't that advanced yet.I don't believe mankind will ever get that far without destroying planet earth first.

giggsy664

The_Minister wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8489097.stm

Link is too big to quote.

I know it's expensive, but what happened to ad astra?

We're the first species to be able to leave this planet, we should at least try.

But the Woviets sent a dog up before any other living thing...

IvySlayer

I can't wait until we explore Titan properly. Amino acids in the atmosphere, potential for life!

And there's also another moon with a frozen surface, but a huge sea under it, possible life, can't remember the name.

IvySlayer

giggsy664 wrote: »

But the Woviets sent a dog up before any other living thing...

QI said it was a fly even before the dog

epgc3fyqirnbsx

He can't cancel the moon project, I have an acre there that I was hoping to build on one day :eek:

Buy your own acre

hal9000

IvySlayer wrote: »

I can't wait until we explore Titan properly. Amino acids in the atmosphere, potential for life!

And there's also another moon with a frozen surface, but a huge sea under it, possible life, can't remember the name.

Europa

sink

IvySlayer wrote: »

I can't wait until we explore Titan properly. Amino acids in the atmosphere, potential for life!

And there's also another moon with a frozen surface, but a huge sea under it, possible life, can't remember the name.

Europa