orlandosentinel.com — As the uselessness of the shuttle becomes more and more apparent, it's good to see that there is actual progress being made of the human return to the moon and future expeditions to Mars. This is a preview of the report that will be released by NASA in the next few weeks.
Jul 31, 2005 View in Crawl 4
opticsnakeJul 31, 2005
I obviously need to further clarify my first post. Which makes more sense, sending 4 or 5 guys to Mars or spending that same money on research here on earth to further civilization and fund cleaner, less environmentally un-friendly sources of energy? Lets figure out how to clean up our own home rather than moving into a new house so that we can destroy that one too.
chrisdeltaJul 31, 2005Submitter
The shuttle program has kept us in Earth's orbit for the past thirty years yet they continue to call it space "exploration." That's akin to driving around your block a few times and calling that exploration. Exploration involves expanding human presence outward. Looking forward into the future, humans mastering the art of spaceflight is the only way to ensure our continued survival. NASA costs $0.15 a day for each taxpayer. This is quite a cheap insurance policy, if you ask me.As for robotic exploration, I'm not against that in any way, shape or form. It has it's place and the mars rovers have done a fantastic job. However, a single astronaut of the surface of Mars could accomplish more in a week than the rover could in years. It's difficult to control rovers from millions of miles away with a 20 minute time lag. A human on the surface makes decisions real time.And opticsnake, what benefits do you think we have gained from the shuttle program? It is and always has been a failed EXPERIMENTAL vehicle. Don't even get me started on the incredible waste of money that the International Space Station is... It was originally slated to house seven people. Now, in its final configuration it will hold at most four. If you want to complain about money wasted, nearly $100 billion, complain about that.
manvsmonsterJul 31, 2005
I wish I could think of a great witty response. It seems like the question begs for it!Well, someone said, this one thing is of necessity, and this other thing is not. Then another person says the other thing is necessary. Then one person said that their prioritized position was ironically logic. Then the actually deduction pointed to each one having a valid point; thus, both things are quite necessary, and deduction is logic; furthering the metaphorical wedgie.Adieu.
manvsmonsterJul 31, 2005
The actual deduction that is... and that wasn't supposed to be the witty response.And furthermore, the clarity is that the reality of life is complex, and cannot be prioritized or be drawn simplistically because the situation does not afford it, and perception doesn't change circumstances. Whenever that is the case, evolution is necessary. --Not dropping to the ground like a bitch and saying, "I didn't ask for this," like all the ladies in the movies. The wisdom says, you didn't, but that's the situation. Work at it the only way you can. Both.Le poulet est dans le mélangeur.
armitageAug 1, 2005
Bush shouldn't have cut other countries out of this, we should work together to get there faster.
chrisdeltaAug 1, 2005Submitter
He hasn't. There are talks going on right now with Russia and China.
reddog_x2000Aug 1, 2005
We did all this ass backwards. We should have done the low earth orbit stuff first, then gone to the moon & planets. But, we were obsessed with showing up the USSR. So, we did the exciting stuff first and THEN got to the more mundane stuff. Well, who's interested in doing the boring stuff after you've already done the fun stuff? IMHO we'd be much further ahead if we'd just done things right in the first place. Side note, I'd really prefer we be doing this with private money rather than forcing the taxpayers to do it.