Spending Billions for Nothing going to Mars.

[Mac6yver]

The space program is the least of our worries as far as money goes. How about things like the Anti Ballistic Missile Shield, which drain billions of dollars, yet have not shown to even be 50% effective.

 

[Johnboy60]

I don't push for wars or spending on the war machine. I'm for saving mankind by making life alot less stressful. I'm for the poor and middle class and I'm not a democrat. I vote for the best man or woman for president.

Robert

 

[Mac6yver]

The space program may one day save humanity's future.

 

[TScott]

It's hard to understand exactly why we want to go to Mars. Same with the moon. Forty-one years ago another president tried to answer that question in addressing the student body of Rice University in Houston Texas. He said:

We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours.

There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?
​

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.​

What did we get out of going to the moon? All I can say is that you just had to be there. It was a heady time indeed. It made us feel like we could do just about anything. In the amount of time that it took Bill Gates to go from Windows 3.1 to Windows XP we went from having never sent a man in space to landing two men on the moon.​

 

[InnerPhyre]

Inventions created as a result of the Space Program:

Personal ComputersColorization of black and white movies, "Sound Guard" record cleaner, Solar powered calculators, Aluminized bags for snack food, Weather satellites, Halogen lights for cars, Sports domes, Microwave Ovens Pocket calculators, Satellite Phones, Laser guided missiles, "Mylar" balloons, "Blue Blocker" sunglasses, Digital watches and thermometers, "DirecTV", "Dish Network", etc, "Kevlar" for bullet proof vests, "Mini Mag" flashlights and fishing line, Fiber optics, "Vortec" engines in cars, "Ovation" guitars and helicopter blades, Pacemaker batteries that last 20 years, Compact Disks, M R I medical scanners, Electronic ignition in automobiles, Laser scanners in stores, "Bulb Miser" devices for long life light bulbs, Weather Maps on television, Juice boxes, "The Patch" medical device, Breathing systems for mountainclimbers and firefighters, "Flexon" eyeglasses, and "Invisiline" dental braces, Cellular phones and beepers, Cable Television, Sunglasses that block 99% of U. V. light, Pens that write upside down and under water, Anti corrosive paint, Scratch resistant coatings on sunglasses, Football helmets for the NFL, GPS Navigation Systems The list goes on.....still think we should abandon the space prograM?

 

[InnerPhyre]

The space program is the least of our worries as far as money goes. How about things like the Anti Ballistic Missile Shield, which drain billions of dollars, yet have not shown to even be 50% effective.

If there are 2 nuclear missiles heading toward New York and DC, 50% is better than no shield at all. The 8,000,000 people in New York at least might think so.

 

[Zlex]

Could you imagine the economical boom if we, one day, colonized mars, or another planet?

 

[kermit]

In my book a Atheist is no diffient than an animal. Animals don't have morals. Atheist need to get away from Christian values and following of christian laws. Animals don't go to a afterlife after death and Atheist believe when they die they are just like a animal.



Robert.

Are you implying that anyone who supports the space program is an atheist? That, my friend, is a faulty assumption.

 

[foolsparade]

We need a world wide vote on the space program. Instead of spending billions on space programs around the world. Spend the money on research of medicine for a cure of AIDS and cancer. When people have to dish out money out of their saving account people will not give. Robert

I am pleasantly surprised that you want to rely on science to solve problems. Human nature being what it is, we will always want to explore, as my biology teacher told me; "curiosity shows intelligence." thank God, humanity hasn't relied on religious fanatics, becuase we all might still be living in clay huts with no electricity and no cablle TV .

 

[Mac6yver]

If there are 2 nuclear missiles heading toward New York and DC, 50% is better than no shield at all. The 8,000,000 people in New York at least might think so.

Well, I do not won't this thread to go off topic, but I must reply to this. First of all, we signed a treaty in the 80's stating that we would not develop such a missile shield. mainly because if we succeed that means we can launch nukes without fear of retaliation. All it does is cause another arms race, where the country with the best defense wins. if you wish to continue this subject, please start a new thread.

 

[MattS]

Before I post this I need to make one thing clear as I'm sure it will matter to some, and I'm also sure, not others. Here it is anyway.

I live by a set of moral values that although I haven't written down infront of me or ever really fully expressed in words, operate pretty predictably. I want poeple to be happy and to live for a long time. One thing I am is an atheist. I also believe in the space program for all the advances it has brought us and the knowledge that humans will need to find another rock to plunder at some point. Hopefully a little more responsibly than this time around. Umm can't really say much else on the topic. Just that I hope any alien life is not found by an american. This american would almost certainly be a part of the military (I'm *** uming they find in on an outbound mission) and would either shoot it or have it cut up and boiled in test tubes. I feel if we think about it, that that is probably what would happen. I'm not trying to crack a joke. Also, physiology permitting, I wouldn't mind seeing what these aliens are like in bed. In a stable relationship of course...

 

[La Belle France]

MattS: What a first post. Strange, off the wall and yet intriguing all at the same time.

Keep it up mate....

 

[its-me-again-777]

I don't push for wars or spending on the war machine. I'm for saving mankind by making life alot less stressful. I'm for the poor and middle class and I'm not a democrat. I vote for the best man or woman for president.

Robert

It seems just a little ironic to me to say " I am not for bush. then use the reason " I'm for saving mankind by making life alot less stressful. I'm for the poor and middle class."

What about the 25 million members of mankind that were deliverd from the tortures of a evil dictator? Do you wish these people to go back to being raped and murderd and the hands of a evil regime?

In case you do not remember I believe Bush was in florida on a meaningless political rally when we were attacked by what appears to be the next global conflict. (Islam against the world). His job to protect america started this mission of preimtive strikes aginst likely enemies.

" All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."


I am not even a big support of bush. but these bleeding hearts that by into " the war machine " and are for mankind but yet dont give one thought to the liberation of the Iraqi people just get on my nerves.

 

[Haethurn]

When Mac6yver and Kelly and others pay $10,000 a year out of their wages it will change their minds for sure. The space program should be run on donations instead of tax payers money. We would see real fast who wants NASA and who doesn't. Kelly said Moses sending out men on earth was on earth and not the out in space. BIG QUESTION HERE, Why doesn't the Bible say anything about people going out and exploration of space? The Bible says nothing about space travel only talks about earth itself. Another thing with God's help I will be here at long time before dieing. Are you ready to die?


Robert.

Probably because space travel did not even exist as a concept back then.

 

[Kelly]

Perhaps Moses and his people even thought the stars were just holes or points of light in the firmanent.

 

[MattS]

Hmm, everything seems to take us back to war these days.
Not that I mind, I think it is relevant to everything, it's probably the most important point we will ever discuss in our lifetimes.

I was, am and unless LONG RANGE weapons of mass distruction are found, always will be against the assault on Iraq.

Sounds harsh i know but it has set the most dangerous precedent imaginable.

A superpower can now, rightfully it seems, attack a country, invade its capital and capture its leader because they 'THINK', that it has the ability to START BUILDING weapons against them. EVERYONE has the ability to TRY and build WMD's. So why just attack Iraq? Because they gassed Kurds in Iran? Did you know that in the same year, America was funding Iraq's weapons programmes and Donald Rumsfeld was shaking hands with its leaders (I think Hussein but I'm not saying for definite it can be checked though) and endorsed the attacks because the US government didn't like the doctrine of leadership in Iran. Al-qaieda don't like the doctrine of leadership in the US, so why is it ok for one to attack and not the other?

I'm just responding to the 'bleeding hearts' comment. War is wrong, immoral and to do it for God and Country is blasphemous, it's not my place to say that I know but it's true. Things should have been done differently, war was the wrong way for people today and people tomorrow. The Iraqi people needed help to overthrow their leader, not to have it done for them. They are so used to showing their 'fanatical support' for the men in uniform with machine guns that they may not see america as any different from saddam, only they have better tailored suits and bigger guns. But that's speculative, I don't know.

How this ties in with the space program I also don't know. Maybe it's a useful thing to have because we may not have anywhere safe left.

On space exploration in General, what if we found an alien species, only to find that they were more intelligent than us? What would happen?

 

[stevieok]

This thread makes me sad

Oh, hi Matt!

 

[watt]

 

[antigoat]

I have been torn about the Mars/space/ man on moon again issues recently. My first reaction was "What a horrible waste of time and money!" and I still largely feel that way. But then, I am also agains the $396 billion military budget also. So it seems like crying about money spent on space is a bit misplaced, though I do think this money could be spent in areas more helpful of the people of the US and the rest of the world.

Like, for example, why don't we find a cure for cancer, or AIDS, or malaria? Not as glamorous I know, but the millions of people who die every year from these diseases might appreciate it more than a few pretty pictures and getting 10% closer to being able to put a man some planet thousands of miles away.

 

[watt]

the private sector is putting the money into reasearch for the cure of AIDS and/or cancer
why?
the payback will be immense, i suggest you jump into biotech if you are into the stock market