toldailytopic: Is space exploration worth the expense for our country?
- Thread starter Nathon Detroit
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Not as long as you can use a space program as a weapons platform, that is why the government oversees it now.
Maybe if this person has this much money he might be able to launch from a third world country but, chances are they couldn't, not because they are not allowed but, for lack of any support infrastructure. Where would this said company be getting it's commodities meaning Liquid Oxygen, RP1 (Rocket fuel), helium, GN^2, hypergolic fuels if needed for attitude control or satellite fuel. These are just a few commodities needed to run a launch program with any size for getting into Low Earth orbit, you may not need them all but, you would still need some and where are these found in some third world country? Some of these commodities are cryogenic how do you intend to store them? If you have to bring them in from elsewhere, what is the cost? and how will I transport it ?As you see there is a lot more to this launch gig than meets the eye.
If Trad and the other socialists want to move to Mars, why stop them?
:darwinsm: Stop them? Heck I'd help them.
Many scientists have been trying to solve this dilemma for a long time but overcoming gravity economically is quite difficult. I imagine as propulsion technology advances it will become a reality but, for now this is the best and cheapest way.
john_aurelius
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I hope at least some of it remains, the whole world learns when we discover and explore other parts of the universe God created.
Newman
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No. It's not worth it. Space exploration and space flight should be financed on a voluntary basis, not with stolen money. The only way this can be accomplished is through a market system.
Many people here that say that the government's program is worth it don't realize that the same, if not more or better, functions would be performed in a free market. And it would be more cost effective, too.
Many people here that say that the government's program is worth it don't realize that the same, if not more or better, functions would be performed in a free market. And it would be more cost effective, too.
BabyChristian
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No, we have enough that we can't handle already on earth.
The Berean,
Since you're intimately involved with this industry, I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on the value of space exploration.
Thanks,
Randy
Since you're intimately involved with this industry, I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on the value of space exploration.
Thanks,
Randy
In our current economic state? :nono:
If we can get our financial affairs together again? Then yes, we should start it back up.
Good point. It's just hard for me to justify it considering our economic woes. :think:
Does anyone know how much of the budget NASA gets each year?
It is about $18.7 billion for 2011-2012, there are a lot of jobs that come from this budget. Space flight is actually a small part of NASA's budget, there are a lot of NASA funds that go into science, and research besides the space flight side of the house. These are jobs and technology that America would be foolish to lose. When we talk about money the government spends we should look at the returns to society in jobs and advancement in the private sector as a result of spending these funds, I would rather see that than a loss of jobs and a money grab with no return such as Cash For Clunkers or the millions spent on road signs for the shovel ready jobs that were not shovel ready. The point is when America spends money there should be a return, NASA money has always given back to society and America as a whole.
I don't know, specifically, but I do know that NASA's non-space programs are extensive. I know a couple of people who work for them indirectly, and I also know of a few people who went to work there after other jobs were cut in other areas. A lot of those people do climate and weather research.
This is correct, I have worked on many climate, ocean, and earth observing research satellite launches. Many of these are not just funded by NASA but, a cooperation of many country's research interests.
It depends of what is being done with the space program--whether it is worth being funded or not. Uses pertaining to National Defense are worthwhile. Space exploration is a waste of public funds. There is no life out there to be found. If people want to try and find alien life forms, let the private sector do that.
Yes. Not only in terms of development of new technology, but as an expression of who and what we are...that and man needs to get off this wonderful ball of mud and expand his horizons. 
Also, NASA is an inspiration to generations of scientists. Part of that is bound to the wonder of space exploration.
Also, NASA is an inspiration to generations of scientists. Part of that is bound to the wonder of space exploration.
The Berean
Well-known member
There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding between space "exploration" and space "business". I'd like to give my two cents on the matter. Space "exploration" isn't about finding "aliens". Never has been. Space exploration is about expanding scientific knowledge of the universe and looking for new resources for future use. Though most people tend to think of America's manned space program as part of space" exploration", it's really not. I would conisder the Apollo program as the only true manned space "exploration" program. The Shuttle program is not space "exploration". All the Shuttle missions were to low Earth orbit only. The majority of the true space "exploration" programs are the unmanned space probes that have been launched since the early 1960's. Some of the most famous ones include:
Mariner Program (1963-1973): Interplantetary research probes that flew by Mars, Venus, and Mercury.
Pioneer Program (1965-1978): Interplantetary research probes that flew by Venus, Juipter and Saturn.
Voyager Program (1976-1982): Two Viking landers studied the surface of Mars. Gathered an incredible amount of scientific data that was important for future Mars' missions.
Voyager Program (1977-1989): Probably the most famous American unmanned space probes. The two Voyager probes exploreed the outher planets.
I can go on and on with other programs. In the late 1990's two rovers landed on Mars. Another much larger rover in on it's way to Mars now. A few months ago a new space probe reached Mercury to begin the first in-depth study of Mercury. There have been various lunar missions over the past 15 years or so as well. Space exploration is important because it expands our understanding of our local "neighborhood", our Solar System. One day, perhaps later this century, humanity will push out into space. The scientific knowedge gained from these unmanned space probe will be invaluable.
Space "business" is something diffferent. They only sector of the space industry that makes any real money today is commercial telecommunications satellies. I happen to work in this sector. As more and more nations become developed they will require satellite communications to modernize their telecommunications systems (telephone, direct-broadcast cable TV, Internet, satellite radio, etc). My company is booming in business right now despite the economic downturn. We keep hiring new people to try to keep up with the work. There is a new kind of aerospace company, called alt.space, that is leading the drive to commericalize space. Space tourism is about to become a reality. College students are building and launching small cubesats into space. Companies like Armadillo Aerospace and Masten Space Systems are developing new, small, luanch systems in the hopes of bring down the cost of launch. We are living in exciting times as the push to open up space to a far greater number of people is going full bore.
The government will never be out of the space "business" entirely. Government plays a key roll in creating incentives to create new space technolgoies. This is very important. Annually, NASA grants Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants to small compnaies to develop technologies that NASA consider key future technlogies. This creates great incentives for small companies to work towards developing new space technologies.
And government isn't the only entity creating incentives. Private groups like the X-Prize Foundation are also driving innovation. In the late 1990's the Ansari X-Prive was created offering a $10 million prize to the first wholy private (non-govermental) team to develop and launch a sub-orbital spacecraft. The prize was won in 2004 when Sclaed Composites launched SpaceShipOne. This led to Richard Branson to partner with Scaled Composites to create Vigin Galatic. Virgin Galatic is building SpaceShipTwo that will eventually carry tourists into space.
The X-Prize Foundation continues to offer prizes in various fields, including the Google Lunar X-Prize. This is a $20 million prize for the first wholy-private team to land on the moon, take photos and near-real time video. Over 20 teams from across the world have paid a $10,000 entry fee to compete for the $20 million prize.
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