Colonization of Moon Titan: Pros and Cons

[Radrook]

How long ago is that now? Almost fifty years? And apart from a few return trips, in the years immediately following, what has become of it?

Nothing. I could have predicted that, even as a callow youth back in 1969.

The only reason it was funded was as a propaganda coup against the Soviet Union, and once that was no longer a motivating factor.....

So you suspect that the astronaut saying those words was aware that it was all just temporary political propaganda and nothing more?

 

[lesliedellow]

So you suspect that the astronaut saying those words was aware that it was all just temporary political propaganda and nothing more?

I suspect he knew he had to come up with some cliche or other.

 

[Radrook]

I suspect he knew he had to come up with some cliche or other.

Of course! He probably went over all the possible things he might say months or even many years before the actual event. The question is did he really believe at that moment that the accomplishment was just to be a flash in the pan. Did he know that soon all efforts to further explore the moon would cease for all; these decades simply because of a dearth of politically oriented motivation? Was he privy to some inside information that he knew made those words mere bluster? Of course I don't expect you to read the man's soul and know what he was thinking. I am merely;y wondering if indeed he was in on some type of national scheme to dupe us all into some false sense of space exploration expectation only;y to disappoint us with almost NOTHING for decades later.

After all, expectations were indeed very optimistic after those missions as is evidenced by the film 2001 A Space Odyssey which depicted a moon base a space station as well as a spacious ship that puts the present ones to utter shame in both their scope and technological magnificence.

 

[lesliedellow]

Of course! He probably went over all the possible things he might say months or even many years before the actual event.

Something that corny, he probably came up with on the spur of the moment.

The question is did he really believe at that moment that the accomplishment was just to be a flash in the pan. Did he know that soon all efforts to further explore the moon would cease for all; these decades simply because of a dearth of politically oriented motivation?

I doubt if he was innocent of the political motivations. He would have been able to remember the reaction when the Russians were the first to put somebody into space.

I am merely;y wondering if indeed he was in on some type of national scheme to dupe us all into some false sense of space exploration expectation only to disappoint us with almost NOTHING for decades later.

If American presidents had thought they could win elections by promising more trips into space, I suspect they would have done so. They didn't because public interest soon waned, after national pride had been restored by beating the Russians to the Moon.[/QUOTE]

 

[Radrook]

Something that corny, he probably came up with on the spur of the moment.



I doubt if he was innocent of the political motivations. He would have been able to remember the reaction when the Russians were the first to put somebody into space.



If American presidents had thought they could win elections by promising more trips into space, I suspect they would have done so. They didn't because public interest soon waned, after national pride had been restored by beating the Russians to the Moon.

[/QUOTE]

So it was just mere politics! That is a true pity considering all that could have been accomplished otherwise during that time and wasn't.

 

[Radrook]

And also extremely flammable.

Absent-mindedly light a match for a smoke on Titan and you go up in a burst of glory along with the rest of that God- forsaken atmosphere. : )

 

[brinny]

Absent-mindedly light a match for a smoke on Titan and you go up in a burst of glory along with the rest of that God- forsaken atmosphere. : )

LOL! To say the least

 

[Radrook]

LOL! To say the least

The max would be the methane seas and lakes adding more havoc to the ensuing mayhem by going up in flames as well.

 

[brinny]

The max would be the methane seas and lakes adding more havoc to the ensuing mayhem by going up in flames as well.

That's horrible

 

[Radrook]

That's horrible

Actually, we would need some oxidizer such as oxygen or a substitute such as
fluorine or Cl 2 Cl2, or Chlorine to get the whole thing going and these are absent from the Titan atmosphere so we are pretty safe.


Why does Titan's atmosphere not start to burn?

 

[brinny]

Actually, we would need some oxidizer such as oxygen or a substitute such as
fluorine or Cl 2 Cl2, or Chlorine to get the whole thing going and these are absent from the Titan atmosphere so we are pretty safe.


Why does Titan's atmosphere not start to burn?

That is good to know

 

[Radrook]

Titan has lakes of liquid methane, which means its surface temperature is somewhere below -162C. Sounds like just the place to take my holidays.

It would save on maintenance costs for those who choose to be cryogenically preserved in order to be resuscitated later when science makes it possible.

Cryonics Institute

 

[Radrook]

That is good to know

Especially if one is addicted to smoking.

BTW
What is your take on why the Lord God would create a place such as Titan?

 

[brinny]

Especially if one is addicted to smoking.

BTW
What is your take on why the Lord God would create a place such as Titan?

Yeah, that would be a baaaaaad place to be

My take on it?

God didn't put us there. He seems to prefer that we be in human-friendly environments that He custom-made for us.

He's kinda' wise as a Creator, isn't He?

 

[Radrook]

Yeah, that would be a baaaaaad place to be

My take on it?

God didn't put us there. He seems to prefer that we be in human-friendly environments that He custom-made for us.

He's kinda' wise as a Creator, isn't He?

True! Otherwise we would be in a state of discomfort which I strongly suspect would be inimical to our health.

 

[brinny]

True! Otherwise we would be in a state of discomfort which I strongly suspect would be inimical to our health.

Hahaaaaa! Yes, that would've been rather diabolical if our Creator put us in such an environment.

 

[Radrook]

Hahaaaaa! Yes, that would've been rather diabolical if our Creator put us in such an environment.

Maybe we escaped that scenario by the skin of our teeth and don't know it.

 

[brinny]

Maybe we escaped that scenario by the skin of our teeth and don't know it.

by God's grace?

 

[Radrook]

by God's grace?

By the good fortune of not having a diabolical creator!

 

[brinny]

By the good fortune of not having a diabolical creator!

We have much to be thankful for then, yes?