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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.

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[Deleted User]

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

IvySlayer

Avalynn Short Thunderstorm wrote: »

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

Is that even legal :pac:

Tempting....

MaybeLogic

Avalynn Short Thunderstorm wrote: »

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

You could use it for growing space cakes.

Sykk

This thread is so full of uneducated posts it makes me want to.... Laugh?

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.

This one especially tickles me. We haven't yet found life on mars, not single celled never mind something like a worm.

TV, Phones, Sattelite (Which plays some ridiculous % in how crime is prevented nowadays)

Don't give your opinion on something in which you know nothing about, it's pretty embarrasing.

Le King

Holy crap, no wonder it was jarred.

opinion guy

Sanjuro wrote: »

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

Looking at that Death Star photo I see two problems I never thought of before 1. How in the hell did they contain an atmosphere in it with most of the skin not finished. 2. How did it remain structurally sound with that big chasm along the bottom ?

Lux23 wrote: »

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.

Don't have any personal interest ? Ever used the phone ? Sat-nav/GPS ? The internet ? Not too mention Sky TV. Weather forecast. All your personal interests in space travel every day. This is not to mention all the spin-off technologies.

Funny thing is - I will use your argument against things like the LHC. Largely because it has no practical application and there are more pressing problems that need solving than coming up with a unified field theory. But space travel is a large part of why modern life is the way it is and simply put - we need it.

MrStuffins wrote: »

Great video, i also love this one

Great vid MrStuffins

MrStuffins wrote: »

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.

Maybe it's new ?

ScumLord wrote: »

HA! In your face Google, in your face!

Hahaha I give you 6 weeks until they have a mapping car there :P

mikom

"Gentlemen, welcome to my moon base"

Zulu

opinion guy wrote: »

Looking at that Death Star photo I see two problems I never thought of before 1. How in the hell did they contain an atmosphere in it with most of the skin not finished.

My guess is that there are air tight bulk heads at a number of levels behind the skin.
...but it could also be fancy shields, or is it possible that it could be so massive that it could retain it's own athmosphere? If so, it'd either have to remain in the "night"/shadow of the planet, or have anti-solar wind shields.

2. How did it remain structurally sound with that big chasm along the bottom ?

It's in zero gravity. Although if it was massive enough to hold an athmoxphere, that probably wouldn't wash.

hooradiation

hal9000 wrote: »

Europa

All of these worlds are yours except Europa. Attempt no landings there.

Overheal

Zulu wrote: »

It's in zero gravity. Although if it was massive enough to hold an athmoxphere, that probably wouldn't wash.

Inertial Dampeners! Artificial Gravity mahoojits! duh.

aidan24326

IvySlayer wrote: »

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

Though it will be fascinating if life is ever discovered elsewhere, it will also be dangerous. An alien microbe could be lethal to us and would need to be handled with extreme care.