Why go where no man has gone before?

[Valka D'Ur]

I don't think we have the moral right to say no to manned space missions just because the current generations find it too expensive, unimportant, inconvenient, or whatever other "too _____" justifications some people like to use. By refusing to take these baby steps now, we would be condemning our descendants to a struggle that need not have happened if we had been less selfish.

I know that I will never go to the Moon. I will never go to the Space Station. Heck, I doubt I will ever even get on an airplane (once was enough, thanks). But that doesn't mean I don't want HUMANS to do all that.

Many years ago at a science fiction convention, I bought a button that said this:

If we don't continue exploring beyond our current boundaries, we might as well never have left the trees for the plains. For that matter, we might as well never have left the primordial soup.

 

[Donny]

Well is the ultimate goal to have humans or robots to populate the universe?

If we, as a specie, want to survive we have to get away from here sooner or later. Seems stupid to see that the research is questioned because of money, which is just an invention of humans.

 

[El_Machinae]

I think there should be a nice and predictable split. 50% manned, 50% unmanned (though 50:50 is not essential). The amount given, too, should just be a function of the economy. That way, as the economy grows, the space agencies get more money.

Unmanned does roughly 100x the science for each manned dollar, which is pretty impressive. However, manned space flight generates research data for the private industry, which will be getting roughly 10x the benefits that are invested into the manned space program.

Both are good, both generate science, both generate feedback benefits.

If the common person wants to help be part of the process, purchase articles that describe the results of the robot missions and then save some money up to purchase tourist trips when they are available

 

[FoxURA]

Well of course space exploration isn't going to yield any immediate positive benefits. That's why private industry doesn't really want to waste its money there. That's why the government will step in and do it for us. Because knowledge is a good thing! Yayyy.

Baby formula, modern ski boots, cardiac monitor, velcro, night vision camera, scratch resistant lenses, and many more things all came from NASA's quest to explore space. How are these not immediate benefits?

Check out these sites for more:
NASA Spinoff homepage
Spinoffs and Technology Transfer--Space Research and Society

Also, as for the private industry remark... Ever hear of a thing called Space Ship One? What about the booming space tourism industry? Yes I said space tourism. For a couple grand just about anybody can now charter a flight with a growing number of private companies for a trip to space. In fact, a trip to the moon is already planned to be launched in a few years.

Then besides tourism, you have the literally hundreds of companies in the US alone putting satellites in orbit around the earth. It isn't NASA or the military that owns space, it's us.

 

[Bill3000]

Baby formula, modern ski boots, cardiac monitor, velcro, night vision camera, scratch resistant lenses, and many more things all came from NASA's quest to explore space. How are these not immediate benefits?

Because those were not the goals of exploration? They were side benefits.

Also, as for the private industry remark... Ever hear of a thing called Space Ship One? What about the booming space tourism industry? Yes I said space tourism. For a couple grand just about anybody can now charter a flight with a growing number of private companies for a trip to space. In fact, a trip to the moon is already planned to be launched in a few years.

When it cost a couple of million dollars to launch a draft, and "only" a couple of grand to space, then it isn't profitable. Besides, few are going to be willing to pay for a trip for a couple million dollars.

 

[FoxURA]

Because those were not the goals of exploration? They were side benefits.

That would not exist if not for the quest to explore space.

When it cost a couple of million dollars to launch a draft, and "only" a couple of grand to space, then it isn't profitable. Besides, few are going to be willing to pay for a trip for a couple million dollars.

Those million dollar trips do far more than put a few people into a low orbit. They put men and cargo the size of train box cars into high orbit. Still, what is that worth compared to the lives that have been saved by technology developed for space exploration? Also, if I remember right, a lot of biological research for farming was done in space because it offers different circumstances and a more controlled environment than on earth.

 

[Bill3000]

That would not exist if not for the quest to explore space.

Yeah, but businesses don't care about side benefits.

Those million dollar trips do far more than put a few people into a low orbit. They put men and cargo the size of train box cars into high orbit. Still, what is that worth compared to the lives that have been saved by technology developed for space exploration?

I'm not even remotely denying the worth that technology developed by space has, or simply doing space exploration for the sake of increasing knowledge itself. I am completely pro-space. My point was that businesses, by definition, only care about profits, so in its current state, private space exploration and tourism isn't going to be developed enough by businesses right now. The technology needs to be innovated further enough so that there is a manageable cost - such as a space elevator.

Hell, I can simply point out to the colonial age - exploration expeditions were all funded by the government for the most part, especially early on, and for the most part were money sinks for quite a while.

 

[crabapple]

Yeah, but businesses don't care about side benefits.

Actually this is wrong, many side benefits are profitable, thereby some buisnesses are intrested in them

 

[FoxURA]

My point was that businesses, by definition, only care about profits, so in its current state, private space exploration and tourism isn't going to be developed enough by businesses right now. The technology needs to be innovated further enough so that there is a manageable cost - such as a space elevator.

Hell, I can simply point out to the colonial age - exploration expeditions were all funded by the government for the most part, especially early on, and for the most part were money sinks for quite a while.

The difference is that private companies are already seeing profit from private ventures into space otherwise there wouldn't be any space tourism.

Actually this is wrong, many side benefits are profitable, thereby some buisnesses are intrested in them

True. Just take a look at who make the products featured in the links in my earlier post. It isn't the government. All the manufacturers are private companies that make a lot of money off of making these 'side benefits'.

 

[El_Machinae]

None of the space tourism businesses are seeing profits yet, nowhere near. That said, they expect profits and are being funded by visionaries. Bless 'em.

 

[Julian Delphiki]

Baby formula, modern ski boots, cardiac monitor, velcro, night vision camera, scratch resistant lenses, and many more things all came from NASA's quest to explore space. How are these not immediate benefits?

Nasa had space program already in 1941? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velcro

We need to go space.. it's not like earth will be suitable for us forever.

 

[warpus]

Actually, velcro was invented by the Vulcans.

 

[Yuri2356]

All we need to do is find ftl travel. And allthough it seems impossible at the moment, that doesn't mean it is

No, all we need is patience and really big engines.

 

[MobBoss]

Humanitys future is the stars. However, we have plenty of time to work on it. Earth isnt near to being overcrowded yet - and there are plenty of ways to expand even on that. For example, designing and constructing citys beneath the seas and/or the polar areas are entirely feasible, given the appropriate advances in science.

We can also take our baby steps in advancements by colonizing the moon.

I disagree with those who state our current space programs havent given us anything. They most certainly have. They have expanded our knowledge in regards to space and the problems encountered immensely and such baby steps are indeed required of us as a people prior to taking on much larger goals.

 

[JohnRM]

Why go where no man has gone before?

To get away from everyone else.

 

[fishjie]

The waste of money in premature attempts to put people in space simply delays the scientific progress that might make space colonization possible.

um, the trial and error of sending people into space is what will perfect our space travel program. it wouldn't be wasted money, since we would learn lessons from our mistakes and finally have a space ship capable of lasting the journey to mars.

"Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself"

did you have a point with this smug quote? i dont know if you are trying to imply that colonizing mars is impossible or if you are saying im trivializing it. if its the latter, i'm not trivializing it, I'm saying it will take time and money, which is why we need to continue funding space programs.

if its the former, you are a fool and you will get left behind as humanity makes further progress and advances in tech. fools thought we could never fly. it was impossible! the head of the american patent office in 1800 said in a few decades it would probably get shut down cause everything had pretty much been invented. that guy goes down in history as a unimaginative fool. i think xerox said that PCs were worthless and had no future. of course back then, they fit the size of a football stadium. fools would have said its impossible that my cell phone today has more computational power than ones back in the day that were hundreds of times bigger.

just take a look at history. man will keep inventing new things that will completely revolutionize the world. we will colonize mars, assuming we do not kill each other first with a nuclear holocaust.

 

[warpus]

Humanitys future is the stars. However, we have plenty of time to work on it.

I think you give the current state of our planet too much credit

btw, if there's people on other planets, how will that affect the rapture?

 

[MobBoss]

I think you give the current state of our planet too much credit

Not in the least. If anything, you henny penny types overreact to the slightest change in the weather as if the world is going to end any day now. That aint happening - the world isnt going to end, despite what Al Gore says.

btw, if there's people on other planets, how will that affect the rapture?

Not something I worry about.

 

[Smidlee]

Baby formula, modern ski boots, cardiac monitor, velcro, night vision camera, scratch resistant lenses, and many more things all came from NASA's quest to explore space. How are these not immediate benefits?

Yet none of these were the result of going to the moon. The moon trip was nothing but billions of dollars ego trip. (Thus not all space programs are useful) I can see where the space station has been very useful yet going to the moon or Mars to live in a bubble is a waste of resources.
The thing about space travel/ exploring space is 'space is very huge where even the speed of light is slow'.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

did you have a point with this smug quote? i dont know if you are trying to imply that colonizing mars is impossible or if you are saying im trivializing it. if its the latter, i'm not trivializing it, I'm saying it will take time and money, which is why we need to continue funding space programs.

You are trivializing it, extremely so. The vast majority of the people here have no idea the costs and benefits of setting up a colony on Mars outside a bad sci-fi novel. You are among this majority as evidenced by your post I was replying to.

its called mars. its right next door. should not be that hard. the only techs needed are terraforming and knowledge on how to create an atmosphere. the only problem is surviving the journey to mars, which will be perfected if we continue the space program.

Believe it or not going to Mars doesn't just require putting the science slider to 100%.

if its the former, you are a fool and you will get left behind as humanity makes further progress and advances in tech. fools thought we could never fly. it was impossible! the head of the american patent office in 1800 said in a few decades it would probably get shut down cause everything had pretty much been invented. that guy goes down in history as a unimaginative fool. i think xerox said that PCs were worthless and had no future. of course back then, they fit the size of a football stadium. fools would have said its impossible that my cell phone today has more computational power than ones back in the day that were hundreds of times bigger.

just take a look at history. man will keep inventing new things that will completely revolutionize the world. we will colonize mars, assuming we do not kill each other first with a nuclear holocaust.

The advantage I have over you is a better understanding of physics and the natural world. Even with a "nuclear holocaust" (out of more sci-fi novels) Earth would still be a helluva better place than Mars to live in.