Why bother to restock? The Space Station is worthless, pointless, useless except as a potential hotel for the rich and self-indulgent. Let's give it to the Russians and forget the whole thing. Right now we're paying to fly American *cosmonaut* passengers to the SSI to do--what? Repair the Space Sation? For what, more repairs? The Space Station was always pointless, useless, worthless. It is in low orbit, and has not gotten men one inch farther into the solar system.
We have private rockets to manage satellites, which do provide an essential service and product.
We do not need manned space travel. You may need it, may long for it, but I don't want to pay for it.
“Why bother to restock? The Space Station is worthless, pointless, useless except as a potential hotel for the rich and self-indulgent. Let’s give it to the Russians and forget the whole thing. Right now we’re paying to fly American *cosmonaut* passengers to the SSI to do—what? Repair the Space Sation? For what, more repairs? The Space Station was always pointless, useless, worthless. It is in low orbit, and has not gotten men one inch farther into the solar system.”
Some of the research done on the Space Station is worthwhile, as is some of the engineering. Has the government managed it optimally? No. I can’t believe after all these years there have been no experiments on centrifugal force as a gravity replacement. Just how little gravity is needed to eliminate the adverse effects of microgravity? We have no idea.
Regardless, it is a matter of national prestige, and has other benefits as I note below. In the big scheme of the US budget, it’s negligible in cost.
“We have private rockets to manage satellites, which do provide an essential service and product.”
SpaceX is a major player there.
“We do not need manned space travel. You may need it, may long for it, but I don’t want to pay for it.”
There are a whole lot of government expenditures that I’d eliminate first. Manned space travel is above all else inspirational. Even one child that’s inspired to pursue a technology career can change the world, and add billions to the economy.
I think there need to be major changes to some of people’s ideas about space travel for things to really improve. One of those is that the necessity of nuclear powered spacecraft needs to be recognized. Those have the potential to make manned travel anywhere in the Solar System practical and profitable.
The way things look to me right now, the Chinese will likely be the ones to make it happen.