Posted on 07/17/2015 4:43:58 AM PDT by Kaslin
We may have the will to explore the universe, but we lack the means.
Barring an apocalyptic celestial event to scare the pants off the world collectively, there’s little we can do to convince a majority of world leaders that it makes sense to leave the planet.
Little boy’s hearts are broken when they realize that robots do this better—no personal glory for that. The dirty little secret is that the human body cannot survive long, protracted space journeys. It has been shown over, and over, but the science won’t convince the childish and the obsessed. The bones dissolve.
how about V ger?
that was means
I’m mixed on even the “will” part of that. ‘Collective’ will, most certainly not.
We, this country and this world is so far embroiled in a spate of petty symbolism (e.g., removing anything sight, acknowledgement or history that ‘upsets’ victim groups), mindless personal needs and wants, hatred for traditional religion [you could make that with ‘white’ religion], and an overall drive to ‘equalize’ this world. Frankly, the last thing on its mind is space exploration - unless that involved a Muslim astronaut or something.
You don't know what you're talking about. Bone loss in microgravity has been stopped by demonstrated countermeasures. Even if that were not the case, all it means is that we would have to use artificial gravity (i.e., rotating spacecraft) for long-duration trips.
This remains the primary obstacle. We just don't have the horsepower to go very far very fast. A trip to Mars would take, what, three years round trip?
I'm all for going but we just don't have many places we can get to with current technology.
Why not just send robots, and forget about your magic rotating space ship? Robots don’t need to return. you might as well insist upon warp speed...the problem all science fiction writers encounter is the time for travel—the years in flight, with the bones and other vital organs deteriorating. Exercise helps—but only a little. Suspended animation, worm holes— even the new entrepreneurs like elin musk are stuck reinventing the wheel.
Technology moves on. The plasma engine bumped up in size from the little ones used for probes....... and in large ships, kept in orbit, can get us to Mars in weeks rather than months and progress moves on.....if we ever figure out workable fusion reactors we can make feasible generation ships to alpha century and if we are ever able to dope the making and safe storage of antimatter.....we can go even faster.
Some of “we” do have the will at least, but it doesn’t include Obunga. He turned NASA over to the ragheads. They are working frantically on a new vehicle that will achieve liftoff much more rapidly. Their latest attempt will be a cherry bomb in a camel’s butt. Science marches on.
Wake me when the US of A, as a country, finds the political will to do anything dramatic again, let alone manned space exploration.
Robotic NASA missions will last only as long as the discretionary fund do, which given the state of and demand for free stuff, isn’t long before that goes as manned missions did and with the same justifications.
At what point in the future will American generations to come look back on the robotic missions as Hollywood fakes as many current generations now see past manned missions?
Because robots can only do what they are programmed to do and cannot think. The difference between a machine and a competent scientific observer is the difference between collecting bits of data and solving complex, scientific problems.
your magic rotating space ship?
Yeah, centrifugal force. Magic.
You're the one who brought up wormholes and warp drive. So who's fixated on science fiction as opposed to science fact?
Yeah bone loss is relatively easy to deal with. The biggest problem as I see it is the fact that we’re limited to what we can lift into orbit which isn’t very much.
As far as propulsion is concerned we’re again limited by what we can hoist to orbit. Something as simple as steam exhaust can carry you to a significant percentage of the speed of light but requires billions of gallons of water.
Project Deadelus would have used nuclear pulse engines but ION drives or VASMIR drives could be scaled up 1000 fold or so.
http://news.discovery.com/space/private-spaceflight/tau-zero-project-daedalus-icarus-110119.htm
Ok, I guess I’m feeling overly cynical this morning. However... given the direction our nation is going this article seems like an attempt at naive diversion.
“And if we are fortunate enough to elect leaders who can truly blast through the mountains of unnecessary and wasteful spending that is sinking our nation, we will have the money to do it.”
Nothing like a little romantic fantasy to start off the day with. Nothing wrong with a curious mind and a thirst for knowledge but to what ends?
The verse, “…ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth,” comes to mind. Whether we go into cosmic space, the complexity of the human gnome or drill down into the sub-atomic world of pentaquarks we see a complexity and design that can only come from an intelligence that is frightfully above our own. Yet, it never seems to convince us of the Creator’s glory, majesty, honor or what should be our own thankfulness and submission to His perfect plan.
Perhaps if we would allow Him to address the real problem - our selfish, egotistical and darkened little hearts, where all the problems spring from to begin with, we might have lots more resources, time and freedom to truly live more productive lives, help those in need and even satisfy our itch for what’s out there in the universe. But when our government is sending billions to those who are cutting off heads, fomenting class warfare and sucking little babies out of mothers, I just can’t get too excited about space exploration right now.
Appropriate Everest as the end of an electromagnetic rail launch platform?
Freeman Dyson?
How about hollowing out a large asteroid or small planetoid. Then you’ve got bus service to all the planets.
Nice. Let's build a border fence and secure it. First things first.
Some of us have the will. And, eventually, we WILL. As for the rest ? Well, that’s the Meek inheriting the Earth.
The Bold are going to the Stars. . .
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