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Madtowntripper
Sun-Beams out of Cucumbers
Registered: 03/06/03
Posts: 21,287
Loc: The Ocean of Notions
Last seen: 7 months, 21 days
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Space Shuttle Thoughts?
#4024103 - 04/06/05 11:06 PM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Let me just say first that I'm a huge proponent of space-flight. I think we should devote ALOT more of our resources to working on ways to get us off this planet before we kill our entire species.
That said, I hate the space shuttle. I mean, does anyone actually think anymore that this thing is doing any service that couldnt be done 100 times cheaper and 100 times more efficiently by another type of craft? I wish NASA wasnt so stuck 30 years behind any type of innovation and new ideas.
There are plenty of people in the aerospace industry who have put forth ways for us to have self-sustaining colonies, capable of generating whole new sources of trade and materials, on Mars, the Moon, and asteroids for a fraction of the amount being spent on endless shuttle launches that are nothing but national confidence boosters.
I'm somewhat happy that the shuttle is being launched this month, only because it shows that the country has not completely turned its back on space, as I expected after the last one blew up....But still, cant we do any better.....
Wow. That got long....Sorry to rant. I'm fed up. I want to live on Mars, damnit.
-------------------- After one comes, through contact with it's administrators, no longer to cherish greatly the law as a remedy in abuses, then the bottle becomes a sovereign means of direct action. If you cannot throw it at least you can always drink out of it. - Ernest Hemingway If it is life that you feel you are missing I can tell you where to find it. In the law courts, in business, in government. There is nothing occurring in the streets. Nothing but a dumbshow composed of the helpless and the impotent. -Cormac MacCarthy He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. - Aeschylus
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MarioNett
Stranger
Registered: 07/21/03
Posts: 354
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It'll be cool if the private sector keeps working on it and producing innovations like SpaceShipOne. The shuttle may be wearing out its welcome, but as long as other governments don't produce something better, the U.S. has no political reason to improve. I think the Columbia incident was due to the fact that the craft was so old and outdated. Hardly anybody drives a car that's 20+ years old, so why fly such a worn-out spacecraft?
In any case, I don't see space technology coming back into the scientific "canon," so to speak, until the energy crisis is solved. So be it.
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debianlinux
Myconerd - DBK
Registered: 12/09/02
Posts: 8,334
Loc: Over There
Last seen: 8 months, 30 days
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: MarioNett]
#4025792 - 04/07/05 11:00 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
supercollider said: Hardly anybody drives a car that's 20+ years old
I disagree wholeheartedly. I think a more pertinent point is that innovations continue to be made in the auto industry. While a large number of older vehicles are still operated for a large variety of reasons, their shortcomings are acknowledged and addressed in subsequent iterations. I think the fallacy of your analogy lies in an apples-oranges comparison but also points to a possible solution to the problem. The solution being competition. As you noted, the private sector is beginning to introduce some degree of "competition" to NASA but it is nothing compared to that witnessed in the auto industry.
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MarioNett
Stranger
Registered: 07/21/03
Posts: 354
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: debianlinux]
#4028435 - 04/07/05 08:38 PM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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With that car analogy, I wasn't talking about a 20-year-old model of car, I was talking about the car itself. Columbia was the oldest shuttle. I read somewhere that it was 50% heavier than the other two, but don't quote me on that exact number. Certainly Atlantis and Discovery are better shuttles. Based on old ideas, but they can fly and I'll be happy to see them do it.
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looner2
ABBA fan
Registered: 06/20/04
Posts: 3,849
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: MarioNett]
#4042557 - 04/11/05 07:10 PM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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I feel your sentiment.
I wish we would spend our money on space exploration and colony building to a huge extant. Elimate social security, welfare, and every social program and lets take humanity to the next level.
I don't think its a lack of vision, more a lack of funds and support that is keeping our technology back.
-------------------- I am in love with Acidic_Sloth
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Catalysis
EtherealEngineer
Registered: 04/23/02
Posts: 1,742
Last seen: 15 years, 8 months
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You would be amazed at what technologies NASA research brings to the forefront of science.
My research group is partly funded by NASA to develop space shuttle coatings but most of our reaserch actually goes to medical device coatings, which are similar. My point is that there are thousands of groups out there contributing to NASA space technology but using the advances in all facets of our life. Just do a little research into it.
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mycophyle
tool
Registered: 10/19/04
Posts: 128
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: looner2]
#4042685 - 04/11/05 07:51 PM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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The mentality that wants to mine other planets scares me. Humans haven't learned to live harmoniously with Our Given Planet Earth, and people want to extract resources from other planets or the moon!
-------------------- Fight Apathy. Or Don't.
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DieCommie
Registered: 12/11/03
Posts: 29,258
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: mycophyle]
#4042692 - 04/11/05 07:52 PM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
mycophyle said: The mentality that wants to mine other planets scares me. Humans haven't learned to live harmoniously with Our Given Planet Earth, and people want to extract resources from other planets or the moon!
Wouldnt it be better to mine on a plante without an eco-system? That way we would be less likley to destroy our eco-system?
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looner2
ABBA fan
Registered: 06/20/04
Posts: 3,849
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: mycophyle]
#4043629 - 04/11/05 11:54 PM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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The mentality that wants to mine other planets scares me. Humans haven't learned to live harmoniously with Our Given Planet Earth, and people want to extract resources from other planets or the moon!
I'm sorry your scared, but I embrace human advancement. Earth is pretty cool, but there are a lot of planets out there, and a lot of space. Extracting resources from other planets sounds like a pretty good idea in order to solve the problems we are having with energy on earth.
-------------------- I am in love with Acidic_Sloth
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faslimy
Dead Man
Registered: 04/04/04
Posts: 3,436
Last seen: 8 years, 3 months
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straight up, NASA are put there to stop space travel not faciliate it
they are the exact opposite of what the human mentality believes idolized with the "to further mankinds exploration into space" mantra.. try the exact fucking opposite
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mycophyle
tool
Registered: 10/19/04
Posts: 128
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: faslimy]
#4044462 - 04/12/05 05:33 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Well it's kinda like this:
"Hey! We F'd up Earth pretty bad, let's f' up another planet, too!"
-------------------- Fight Apathy. Or Don't.
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Madtowntripper
Sun-Beams out of Cucumbers
Registered: 03/06/03
Posts: 21,287
Loc: The Ocean of Notions
Last seen: 7 months, 21 days
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: mycophyle]
#4045353 - 04/12/05 11:17 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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The human race has a ton of potential. We're relatively young right now. A million or so years old in a 6 billion year old solar system. Would you advocate killing a toddler who wets her bed or throws a temper tantrum? No, you'd let her mature and she'll probably grow up to be a beautiful, level-headed young lady.
Humanity is the same. Sure, at this point we're nothing to be proud of. But dont write us off yet. Let us mature a little bit as a species, and see what kind of progress we make. But one thing I know is that we will NOT grow up if we're stuck on this planet. Resources are going to be running out soon, and physical space will be at a premium in not too long. We need to go somewhere.
-------------------- After one comes, through contact with it's administrators, no longer to cherish greatly the law as a remedy in abuses, then the bottle becomes a sovereign means of direct action. If you cannot throw it at least you can always drink out of it. - Ernest Hemingway If it is life that you feel you are missing I can tell you where to find it. In the law courts, in business, in government. There is nothing occurring in the streets. Nothing but a dumbshow composed of the helpless and the impotent. -Cormac MacCarthy He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. - Aeschylus
Edited by Madtowntripper (04/12/05 02:33 PM)
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Anno
Experimenter
Registered: 06/17/99
Posts: 24,166
Loc: my room
Last seen: 19 days, 7 hours
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> I mean, does anyone actually think anymore that this thing is doing any service that >couldnt be done 100 times cheaper and 100 times more efficiently by another type of craft?
What is this "another type of craft" supposed to be?
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Diploid
Cuban
Registered: 01/09/03
Posts: 19,274
Loc: Rabbit Hole
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: Anno]
#4060629 - 04/15/05 09:03 PM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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The French Ariane launch system does a pretty good job.
-------------------- Republican Values: 1) You can't get married to your spouse who is the same sex as you. 2) You can't have an abortion no matter how much you don't want a child. 3) You can't have a certain plant in your possession or you'll get locked up with a rapist and a murderer. 4) We need a smaller, less-intrusive government.
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Anno
Experimenter
Registered: 06/17/99
Posts: 24,166
Loc: my room
Last seen: 19 days, 7 hours
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: Diploid]
#4061694 - 04/16/05 03:40 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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This wasn't the question. The question was which another type of craft does the job Space Shuttle does 100 times cheaper and 100 times more efficiently.
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ivi
Registered: 01/30/03
Posts: 9,089
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: Anno]
#4061706 - 04/16/05 04:02 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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The Jupiter 2 from Lost in Space
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Anno
Experimenter
Registered: 06/17/99
Posts: 24,166
Loc: my room
Last seen: 19 days, 7 hours
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Re: Space Shuttle Thoughts? [Re: ivi]
#4061728 - 04/16/05 05:07 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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I ment today
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