[KevinDavis]

Very short sighted ....

[KevinDavis]

[cripplecreek]

If theres one thing JFK was right about it was the need to explore space. Too bad he isn't around to slap some sense into todays democrats.

[Pelayo]

"... Blah, blah, blah, it's too hard, we can't do it, space sucks.... blah, blah, blah..."

[Names Ash Housewares]

How about forget about this fool. This country was founded on exploration and risk taking. That is why we are even here in the first place. These guys have always been around, the Earth is flat, man will never fly, will never go faster then sound, will never go to the moon. For centuries people like this make the same arguements. They were wrong everytime. Besides, he cant stop it, it is in our nature as humans beings to explore. It is inevitable. If it were not our nature we would have perished long ago.

[tet68]

This guy thinks that's a lot of money, someone
should tip him off to the MUCH vaster amount
poured down the social/welfare rat hole since
LBJ foisted the "Great Society" off on this nation.

[Technical Editor]

We have to start now to find a new home. ; ) Five hundred or so million years will pass before you know it, and this neighborhood will have degraded severely.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

I envision three ways for humans to leave this planet in the distant future.

1. Necessity.....we will use up all the raw materials and energy supplies and or be threatened with extinction from an asteroid impact.

2. World wealth will grow to where anything is affordable.

3. Earth will be visited by friendly aliens.

[tellw]

I'd hate to be stuck in a space walk having to yell, "Open the pod bay doors, Hal."

[Old Professer]

[WhirlwindAttack]

America is a nation founded on expansionism. We thrive on opening new frontiers. We stagnate without the ability to expand.

When the going gets tough the tough get going to where the going is easier.

I'd like to retire on the moon at 1/6 G. Inside a dome with some plastic wings you could fly like a bird.

[glorgau]

Yeah, why send ships to this so-called "New World"? Man is not meant to travel across vast oceans and besides, the world is flat and you'll just fall off the edge when you get there.

[Billthedrill]

Why didn’t we return to the Moon?

Because there wasn't any money in it. Or more precisely, no one was allowed to do it for a profit. When that changes the place will be crawling with people.

Good grief, the New World wasn't explored by people on NSF grants. It was explored by guys who wanted to get filthy rich, and so they did.

[Truth666]

Why didn’t we return to the Moon?
Because b&w fuzzy images won't do the job now

[FreedomCalls]

From 1911 through 1997, approximately 103,000 miners died at work. During 1911-1915, an average of 3329 mining-related deaths occurred per year among approximately 1 million miners employed annually, with an average annual fatality rate of 329 per 100,000 miners. In one incident alone On December 6, 1907, a coal mine explosion in Monongah, West Virginia, killed a reported 362 men and boys.

103,000 deaths did not stop us from pursuing coal mining. 14 deaths should not stop us from pursuing space exploration.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

The only thing he forgot was the following disclaimer.

*This ignorant rant was made possible by space technology spinoffs.

[mikrofon]

Shouldn't the author's title have read-

Da Moon? Mahs? Fuggedaboudit!

[Brett66]

I think it's safe to say we won't heed this advice. Reminds me of the NYT saying spaceflight was imposible about 4 years before Sputnik launched.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

This guy is not only short-sighted, he's way behind the times. Or does he think that we'll still be using 1970's era tech in the future? The X-Prize was a spectacular demonstration that government beuracracies and saying "It's too hard" can't stand in the way of human imagination and initiative.

[RightWhale]

Seems to be a parody of 18th century sarcastic pieces, but the science is also 18th century.

This piece? Forget about it.

[Nowhere Man]

Very short sighted ....

Agreed. If we take him back to 1500, I can see him writing about the follies of New World exploration. "That Columbus guy has rocks in his head and he will be eaten by sea monsters and Queen Isabella is a bigger sucker by throwing her money down a rathole."

Bring him to 1800, "we will never be about to go faster than 25 MPH, if we do, people will suffocate due to the force on the backs from the vehicle so it is a waste to use a steam engine to make a carriage to go fast on a road or set of rails."

1900, well, "man will never fly in a heavier than air aircraft. Those stupid Wright, well actually 'Wrong' Brothers will never get their airplane to fly. The materials are too dense and man himself has dense bones, he will never fly. Anyways if they tried, he will crash."
1940, "Airplanes will never break the sound barrier. We do fine with air travel zooming along at the speeds of 150 MPH and soon might be able to do 350 MPH, but faster than the speed of sound, the plane will crack up."

1948, "Space Travel? Bah!!!! Man isn't meant for space, the weighlessness will kill him, not to mention radiation and God knows what else. Going to the Moon, well, it will take so much stuff to get into orbit, it will be a waste of time and money even if it is doable. Maybe one day, we will make it to the Moon, but not for 100 years at least."

I know there are problems we have to overcome even today but if we take that attitude, we be all Freepin' in our caves by painting pictures on our walls, banging rocks to communicate as well as using smoke signals. If you ask me, I think maybe you can get a half decent bandwidth banging rocks together although the range will suck, but smoke signals are so slow. B-)