How would you advance our manned space program?

[ScienceRocks]

How would you advance our space program? Firstly I believe that Obama is partly right with handing most of the construction and R@D over to private corporations. They really can do that part cheaper and more effiencly then the government. Next I'd strengthen nasa into our scientific arm of 99.9999->to infinity of everything. They would work with governments to construct science space stations, outpost, etc. The private corporations will be working to build the private side of things of course.

I'd build a planetary ship within our planets orbit as that's the best way forward as far as I'm concern. Who the fuck wants to go to the moon, asteroids or onto mars within a tiny tube? Not me. This one would be powered by a nuclear reactor that drives a ion engine. This way it would be reusable. So we could go back and forth from where we wanted to go many times throughout the time spend of a few decades. We'd go to the sea faring ship model of doing things.
-Big enough to hold 5-8 people
-Enough food to last a year
-Nuclear reactor could last 10-20 years
-small area to grow food

We could make it capable for the mars mission with attaching a solar sail... (60k+!)

Sure the 110 ton rocket is still good. Still good to bring up the pieces to build what I described above.

I feel we must build a few of these and work with the private sector; asteroid mining, and other governments. Maybe asteroid mining corporations that are thinking of going ahead in doing so should build these? But make them capable of carrying material back.

This is of course would be the start of my man space program. Later I'd add a base on the moon, mars and asteroids. I'm sick of these one time use and throw away tin cans that aren't going to advance us in space no matter how hard we try.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

By privatizing it completely.

 

[ScienceRocks]

I think corporations like Space-X should take the lead but also I believe that all the governments should work to pay for the planetary work horses. At least with the funding.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

I think corporations like Space-X should take the lead but also I believe that all the governments should work to pay for the planetary work horses. At least with the funding.

Government simply diverts capital from its most productive use.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Do you think all the resources of our solar system is on this planet? If not then I'd think that we could get this up and going until we can start bringing those resources back to earth. Once we started the process successfully we could hand it totally to the private sector.

I believe there's limitless potential for growth once we tap into our solar systems resources. Our entire planet could become as rich as America if we did this within time.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Do you think all the resources of our solar system is on this planet? If not then I'd think that we could get this up and going until we can start bringing those resources back to earth. Once we started the process successfully we could hand it totally to the private sector.

I believe there's limitless potential for growth once we tap into our solar systems resources. Our entire planet could become as rich as America if we did this within time.

It's not a question of what gains there are to be had. You wouldn't argue that Thomas Jefferson should have funded the creation of automobiles because it would have made transportation so much easier. When the technology and capital are there to make it happen it will happen. Government forcing the issue simply wastes resources.

 

[rightwinger]

I would push for less Buck Rogers and more R2D2

 

[Desperado]

How would you advance our manned space program?

We have a manned space program? Who knew? We are catching rides to Space Station with the Russians. Since Obama killed the Shuttle and all of it's successor programs, I did not think the US has a manned space program. In fact I believe they said they were leaving it up to private enterprise to keep us in space.

 

[whitehall]

First of all what do we gain by a "manned space program" today? You tell me.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Knowledge
technology
possibly tripling our gdp one day

You're uneducated Whitehall. I'm starting to agree with some on the left on this issue.

What do we gain from protecting half of this planet from its self?

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Knowledge
technology
possibly tripling our gdp one day

You're uneducated Whitehall. I'm starting to agree with some on the left on this issue.

What do we gain from protecting half of this planet from its self?

Irony.

Regardless, GDP for the sake of GDP is meaningless.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Knowledge
technology
possibly tripling our gdp one day

You're uneducated Whitehall. I'm starting to agree with some on the left on this issue.

What do we gain from protecting half of this planet from its self?

Irony.

Regardless, GDP for the sake of GDP is meaningless.

So you believe humanity shouldn't explore our universe and seek to learn about it?

 

[Politico]

I would advance it back to Earth and focus on what's going on here.

 

[rightwinger]

Knowledge
technology
possibly tripling our gdp one day

You're uneducated Whitehall. I'm starting to agree with some on the left on this issue.

What do we gain from protecting half of this planet from its self?

Irony.

Regardless, GDP for the sake of GDP is meaningless.

So you believe humanity shouldn't explore our universe and seek to learn about it?

At what cost?

What do we gain from this knowledge? If we learn about galaxies we can never reach, how does it improve our lives?

I love the Hubble Telescope and think we should expand it. Dollar for dollar it has provided more information about our universe than any manned program

Exploration should be done by robots. Humans in space need oxygen, food, water, room to move, healthcare.....none of which add to the mission

If a robot gets destroyed, nobody cares
With humans, it is different

 

[Decus]

We are missing a clear and compelling objective for government funded manned space exploration. In the sixties it was a moon landing to prove one ideology over another and like many sporting events it attracted significant support. The benefit for many however was only emotional.

All these many years of man's presence in space - ISS - and very few people can list the discoveries astronauts brought back to improve life on earth.

A new vision would have to show a clear benefit, ie:
- new source of energy to preserve the planet
- needed minerals, ores....that can best be found off-world
- inventions that will improve economies and human life
- a new home (and why we need it)
- ???

I agree that satellites and robots are presently capable of the great majority of analysis and data gathering needed. Therefore we should let private entreprise prove there is a compelling need to send humans into space, and to pursue new discoveries. Blazing new trails is what private entreprise does best.

 

[editec]

How would you advance our manned space program?

Send Johnny Depp into space.

The female support for more NASA funding would be overwhelming.

 

[editec]

How would you advance our manned space program?

DE-man it and draft the Dallas Cheerleaders into the the first geocentric orbiting nudist space-station.. complete with 24 hour live pay-for-view TV coverage.

 

[Desperado]

First of all what do we gain by a "manned space program" today? You tell me.

Technology........The Manned Space Program has always been a catalyst for Technology.
That has always been the main benefit from our manned space program.

NASA - Space Program Benefits: NASA?s Positive Impact on Society

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Knowledge
technology
possibly tripling our gdp one day

You're uneducated Whitehall. I'm starting to agree with some on the left on this issue.

What do we gain from protecting half of this planet from its self?

Irony.

Regardless, GDP for the sake of GDP is meaningless.

So you believe humanity shouldn't explore our universe and seek to learn about it?

"Every time we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude that we object to its being done at all. We disapprove of state education. Then the socialists say that we are opposed to any education. We object to a state religion. Then the socialists say that we want no religion at all. We object to a state-enforced equality. Then they say that we are against equality. And so on, and so on. It is as if the socialists were to accuse us of not wanting persons to eat because we do not want the state to raise grain.” - Frédéric Bastiat

No, that's not what I believe, in other words.

 

[editec]

Imagine where mankind would be if the American people had spent 1/10th what we've spend killing people in foreign lands on NASA.

Just think how many difference flavors of TANG we'd have by now.