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Aquinas11
Guest
Space exploration is no different than any exploration - its only imparted on when the place you’re at becomes dull and boring, which is false since if I’m bored with where I am the problem is with me
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whatistrue
Guest
Another of those all too rare posts that I wish I could like more than once.
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otjm
Guest
I agree with your comment about use of taxpayer money; however, I don’t think anything would ever have been done had we entertained the conversation before the “race to the moon” started. By which I mean, the unforeseen benefits were just that - unforeseen.
I have read on several occasions that the results of the fairly narrow definition of why we spent all that money was a veritable explosion of research in a multitude of ways which spilled over into many areas, resulting in a variety of advancements, research and production none of which was contemplated, let alone anticipated at the time. Wish I could put my finger on the articles; at the time my response was something like “well, of course” and I moved on without cataloging all of what was achieved because of that venture.
I have read on several occasions that the results of the fairly narrow definition of why we spent all that money was a veritable explosion of research in a multitude of ways which spilled over into many areas, resulting in a variety of advancements, research and production none of which was contemplated, let alone anticipated at the time. Wish I could put my finger on the articles; at the time my response was something like “well, of course” and I moved on without cataloging all of what was achieved because of that venture.
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jimXroberts
Guest
The Jesuits at the Gregorian University in Rome are scanning space for signs of alien life - so they can convert them to Catholicism.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
I’m totally pro-space exploration myself. The money spent on such things is a drop in the bucket compared to what the US spends on stuff like entitlements and many other things, and the US is notoriously stingy about spending on research or any sort of scientific advancement anyway. I’m just saying it’s a reasonable question for people to discuss. Many people who have no experience with military or space spending beyond reading about alleged $500,000 toilet seats do not understand how such contracts are priced, the benefits of having them such as lots of tech jobs and other private commercial uses for new technologies, getting kids and teens interested in pursuing STEM careers, etc. They just see a big dollar figure and think it all could have been given to the poor, used to pay teachers and firefighters, etc.
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whatistrue
Guest
Not trying to argue with you; I just hitched onto your post because it was the most recent to mention taxpayer money when I started this reply…use of taxpayer money
Just for some perspective, I did some quick google searches and came up with some interesting numbers. The total cost of the Apollo program was reported by NASA as $25.4 billion (about $153 billion in 2018 dollars). The budget for SNAP (Food Stamps) and other nutritional assistance programs for fiscal year 2017 was $70 billion. So for basically 2 years and a month or two of Food Stamps, we went to the moon and back several times and reaped the permanent benefits of the technology developed to do so. On a related note, in 1966 (peak year), the percentage of the total Federal budget taken up by NASA was 4.41%. It has only exceeded 1% 3 times since 1974. Some will disagree and that’s fine, but I think it was and is one of the best bargains this country has ever gotten.
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TheLittleLady
Guest
Ben Bova has written great novels about special ships that explore Jupiter and the other planets
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DeSales111
Guest
Let me see, let’s spend billions of dollars to find a SINGLE cell on another planet. Watch the world go crazy over it with every news agency reporting “Life exists on another planet.” They would protect it and cherish it like nobodies business.
Yet here we are, on this planet they can’t even recognize a baby in a mother’s womb is a life?!?!? But a single cell on another planet would be? What must God think about that?
Space travel is real cool, for the view. And of course the technology aspect of It. It even inspired one of my favorite beers here in Huntsville, Alabama, Monkeynaut.
Yet here we are, on this planet they can’t even recognize a baby in a mother’s womb is a life?!?!? But a single cell on another planet would be? What must God think about that?
Space travel is real cool, for the view. And of course the technology aspect of It. It even inspired one of my favorite beers here in Huntsville, Alabama, Monkeynaut.
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Norseman82
Guest
I saw what you did there…Part of my bucket list is seeing Saturn up close and living on Mars, so we’d better get space exploration and terraforming under way quickly. I also wouldn’t mind seeing Uranus up close, but that’s just to crack a few crude joke to whoever I’m travelling with.
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Tenzin
Guest
Anyone who wants to live on Mars has got to understand this-Acceleration due to gravity. Here on Earth it is roughly 9.8 m/s. Mars is .38g while Venus is 0.9g. Long term consequences are not known. Humans are adapted to Earth. I would recommend adding mass(asteroids) to Mars first to have Earth-like acceleration before terraforming.
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TK421
Guest
No it doesn’t.Do you ever think we will ever reach the stars? It goes against our beliefs about the day of judgement and bible.
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