A Generation Without a Moon Walk (The technology is no longer available to put a man on the moon)

Human Events ^ | 7/20/2009 | Joseph A. Rehyansky

[Shooter 2.5]

Two reasons. Atlas is shrugging and the incompetents are in charge. The second reason is there just isn't anything up there worth the time and money.

We are also going to have to face facts. We are alone in this universe and we have to keep this rock we're living on healthy so we can go on living.

[In veno, veritas]

This type of result from a government program? Who would have thought that! Now let's put them in charge of health care.

[DonaldC]

I don’t know about the technology, but I don’t think we have the intelligence to do it safely nor do we have the drive to be explorers anymore. We’re too busy moving resources to the lazy, and that will be our downfall.

[Vaquero]

if we were to use the technology set forth by Freeman Dyson in the 60’s, we could have a ship in a couple of years capable of humans traveling in style to mars in a voyage that would take a couple of weeks...no matter what the configuration of Mars is to the Earth...

we are however, afraid of nukes...so we remain earthbound....

[pnh102]

I watched the rebroadcast of the Moon landing and it just got me angry that not only was this literally the high water mark of the US space program but also that the US simply isn't producing the kind of engineering talent needed to pull this off anymore.

Of course, there are tons of business and psychology majors.

[pnh102]

We’re too busy moving resources to the lazy, and that will be our downfall.

Too bad we can't put them on a one way trip to the Moon.

[Clioman]

I can’t claim credit for the comment (which I’m recalling from memory, so it may not be exactly right), but I still can’t get it out of my mind:

Imagine the reaction if you had told someone in 1920, “Within 50 years, Americans will have walked on the moon.”

Now imagine the reaction if you followed it with, “but within another decade or so, America will abandon the project for lack of interest.”

[Kakaze]

If those in "power" wanted to relieve the pressure on this planet, we would be colonizing but it won't happen right now.

Those in power know the colonies would eventually gain power and Independence, they would rather we lived in our own filth than give up power over one individual.

[Clioman]

Oops. Left out a word: “but within another decade or so thereafter, America will abandon the project for lack of interest.”

[steve-b]

...or the insanity of Keir Dullea, in his best role ever, trying to complete the mission alone after the HAL 9000 computer (voice of Douglas Rain) has killed everyone else aboard Discovery One because it decided that they were a threat to the mission; not the absurdity of Dullea surviving several seconds unprotected in the vacuum of frozen space

Yeesh, why bother to keep reading after this display of concentrated stupidity and ignorance?

On the first point -- what's he supposed to do when the nearest assistance is a half billion miles away? On the second, there is nothing at all absurd about surviving brief exposure to vacuum -- the author appears to have mistaken bad sci-fi flicks for documentaries.

[Shooter 2.5]

The space program was a make work project for highly intelligent people. Unfortunately, it’s like spending billions of dollars to go to Death Valley.

[TexasCajun]

As far as computing power, a single IPhone probably has more ability than the room size Univacs from back in the day.

[ArrogantBustard]

I don’t know about the technology,

No, we don't have it. No current launch vehicles are suitable.
Yes, we do have it. We haven't forgotten anything about building rockets, and the engineering has improved.

but I don’t think we have the intelligence to do it safely

I think you're completely wrong, and grossly unjust to today's science and engineering community.

nor do we have the drive to be explorers anymore.

Who's "we", Kemosabe? Our political class certainly lacks such drive ... and our welfare class lacks any drive.
Then, there's the rest of us ...

-Bustard, the engineer.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[George from New England]

“The Apollo lunar voyages coincided almost precisely with my law school career.”

It also coincides almost precisely with partying activity of certain Kennedy clan.

[Clioman]

Don’t forget the sociologists, grief counselors, womens studies specialists, class-race-and-gender researchers, and community activists.

[BOBTHENAILER]

We’ve heard it all before, of course. “If we can put a man on the moon, we can . . . .” [complete the sentence with whatever benefit you can imagine bestowing on society’s parasites at taxpayer expense].

This guy's quoting you.

[Alberta's Child]

I udnerstand your frustration, but I disagree with your general premise. I think what has happened in the last 40 years is that the U.S. space program has moved away from "exploration for the sake of exploration" to a program that is focused on space activities with some strong commercial possibilities. Hence, the focus over the last couple of decades has been on "near-earth" initiatives like the space station, satellite communications, earth imaging from orbit, global positioning systems, etc.

It's hard to argue with this approach. I mean, space exploration DOES have to "pay off" at some point.

[George from New England]

“Leno said, “Good. What’s his first name?” She replied: “Louis!”

Leno looked directly into the camera and said, “I can’t do this anymore.” “

If it were a black guy it would be in the text books. But white guys can’t jump and don’t make history no more. Or better yet, are erased from history by publishers.