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hubie writes:
"U.S. House of Representatives's Science, Space and Technology Committee had a meeting to discuss whether NASA should help out the Mars Foundation. The Mars Foundation scrapped their earlier plans to send two humans to Mars, and revised it to do a two-person fly-by. However, they want NASA help. They want a design modification to the Orion spacecraft and they want use of the Space Launch System. If this goes anywhere, it will be interesting how it is proposed that funding get allocated."
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Mars Foundation Solicits Congressional Help
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I'm not a robot like you. I don't like having disks crammed into me... unless they're Oreos, and then only in the mouth.
-- Fry
(Score: 2) by TWiTfan on Tuesday March 04 2014, @09:41AM
Every one of these "private" space foundations starts off talking big shit about how they're going to do all this amazing shit with private funding. And EVER SINGLE ONE OF THEM ends up running to the government in the end, begging with my tax dollars to fund their ridiculous pipe dreams.
Face it, there is no private funding for space. Everyone in the private sector long ago realized that there is no money to be made in space. It's a money sink, a void that goes nowhere.
Okay, I grew up during the space race. And that was great and all. But it was a political fluke--and interesting side-effect of the Cold War that produced a lot of entertainment and a little science. But it's over. And that science is much easier and cheaper to produce on earth.
Earth is our home. It's the only home we will ever be able to survive on in any sustainable way. If we screw it up, there is nowhere for us to go. Deal with it.
If real life were like D&D, my Charisma score would be a negative number
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Sir Garlon on Tuesday March 04 2014, @09:57AM
Umm, satellites?
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight who is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 04 2014, @01:52PM
Solar panels too. A lot of the tech developed for space exploration is used today for things other than space. If you factor all that in, the ROI is probably great. You just need to wait a while.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by jcd on Tuesday March 04 2014, @01:57PM
I can't say I agree with this line of thinking. And I'm of the generation where nothing is worth it because I'm totally disillusioned about everything (even this comment). But I do have to say that we aren't doing very well at advancing and doing worthwhile things on this planet. So why not reach out? Inspire? 1969 style? I'd frankly rather they spend my tax dollars inventing stuff and sending people to other planets than blowing up people on this one.
"What good's an honest soldier if he can be ordered to behave like a terrorist?"
(Score: 2, Insightful) by rts008 on Tuesday March 04 2014, @02:15PM
We won't know if this is the only world we can live on in any sustainable way, unless we look for one.
And considering expanding the human race to other worlds could be a prudent idea, considering how we've buggered this planet, and continue to do so in the name of profit.
"Don't keep all your eggs in one basket", as the old saying goes...
Not even taking the above reason into consideration, we could be wiped out by an asteroid or such. It's not like we know of every potential 'dinosaur killer' out there, we get surprised all the time by near earth trajectories by these things. Who knows how close we came to being wiped out in the past, before we had the ability to spot them. It's probably best for our sanity we don't know how close it might of been!
Regardless of the above, there are some of us that can't help but explore the unknown out of insatiable curiosity.
I suspect that urge may be a subconscious manifestation of some 'hard wired survival instinct' that appears to be inherent in most(if not all) living things in this world.
"Deal with it."
They/we are, in our own fashion....Deal with it.
(Score: 1) by emg on Tuesday March 04 2014, @02:29PM
"Everyone in the private sector long ago realized that there is no money to be made in space."
Not when you're launching on NASA rockets that cost billions a flight. If SpaceX get a Falcon launch down to a few million, as they're suggesting they should be able to with reusable stages, we'll be well on the way to making good money up there.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday March 04 2014, @10:22PM
NASA attracts young minds to science, like professional sports attracts young minds to the skills of throwing a ball into some hoop, hitting it, or throwing it between two goalposts. I am a bit INTP here, as I see no real benefit to society of winning some sports game, as after the game is played, what is left?
On another thread, I have discussed with several other Soylenters about China's problem with air pollution and possible ways to fix it. Maybe I am full of crap on my suggestions... maybe I have some merit... but after all is said and done, if anything we did resulted in cleaner air for the Chinese, we have left something of value.
Same for things like water desalination. I have had a particular interest in magnetically desalinating water by using passing water with DC flowing in it in magnetic fields, trying to take advantage of the fact that salt water conducts electricity, while pure water does not.
NASA gives kids dreams. They helped start me off in Engineering. As a science fair winner, I was invited to Melboure, Florida to view the NASA launch facilities. That was like a kid being wooed into sports by being invited into a major league game.
I know I am being very nerdy here, but I feel I have wasted my life if I leave nothing behind but a bunch of trophies where I demonstrated I could throw a ball into some hoop, or could acquire large tracts of rental houses by taking advantage of laws that make ownership of things one does not use profitable. I feel I am of worth only if I leave something truly meaningful behind... like how to clean the air, have fresh water to drink, or maybe I can arrange refrigeration systems to make us more comfortable.
Maybe in and of itself, what I leave on the moon does not mean all that much, but many of the same technologies we play around with trying to make an inhospitable place survivable can be used right here.
I am in awe of what generations before me have done and to this day wonder how they did it. ( very massive stone structures come to mind ), and wonder how I could harness the energy provided by nature to better our own condition without creating an environmental mess. I find this to be far more of a challenge worthy of my time than say participation in what passes for entertainment these days. Quite frankly, this stuff the media panders to me is sheer boredom, as I feel I have far more meaningful things to work on than what is offered.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]