posted
Within weeks of Sept. 11, a report was published at a four year meeting of leading military officials and the secretary of defense. This report stipulated that the equipment and personal of our nation and our allies in space has to be protected from attack by rogue nations and groups. Our country is limiting access to space to military and NASA personnel of our country, and to nationals of friendly countries.
This might mean the following: 1.) termination of tourism 2.) plans for manned mission to Mars suspended 3.) station Alpha assumes military functions
Space exploration is a casuality of this war that will last generations.
posted
Essentially yes. If anything progresses in society, it's because war requires it, the rest of the time we could give a flying flip.
-------------------- It takes 42 muscles in your face to frown. It only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and smack someone upside the head.
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OnToMars
Now on to the making of films!
Member # 621
posted
I don't really have anything useful to add to this. But I must reply.
I can only hope that the eventual outcome of this, ten/twenty years from now is that we will have gotten on with the business of perpetuating civilization. Which includes pioneering space. NASA like's it's "Right Stuff" image and doesn't want to do anything to damage it like sending up ordinary (more or less) people up there. That translates into very real discouragements of private industry in space. I fear now that NASA has yet another excuse, and a very powerful one, to keep the average person from space.
Perhaps the patriotism will last for ten/twenty years. If history is any indication, it will last the generation until or children ask us why we care so much about the flag. Patriotism translates into support for the space program. Perhaps the money that is now being thrown around to combat the current crisis will make people realize that government money actually needs to be put somewhere and used. Perhaps that somewhere will include the space program.
There are a lot of perhaps there, and I am much less optimistic than I normally like to be, but at this point, I can only hope.
-------------------- If God didn't want us to fly, he wouldn't have given us Bernoulli's Principle.
posted
The last time NASA went to put a civilian in space, she ended up in little bitty bits.
That was, of course, a PR nightmare, AND the fault of certain higher-ups who rushed the program.
That, I think, is the biggest stumbling block... we've become such pansies that we're no longer willing to accept that real progress takes sacrifice and MEANS risking death.
It's not about freedom or exploration or progress anymore. It's become about avoiding risk at all costs.
And I don't mean JUST in the Space Program.
[ October 09, 2001: Message edited by: First of Two ]
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
Registered: Mar 1999
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MIB
Ex-Member
posted
Now I am pissed. May I ask, who even has the ability to take us on in sapce? Nobody as far as I know. It makes me think about what our government is REALLY doing this for.
I'm also tired of NASA having a big stick up their ass when it comes to the commercialization of space. They should take a hint from the Russians. They have the right idea.
It is rather ironic that back 30 years ago we were the defendes of democracy and capitalism and Russia was the one trying to stomp it into the ground. Now Russia is on the fast track toward turning their space program into one gigantic business and WE'RE the ones seemingly trying to prevent capitalism in space for as long as possible. History is hardly void of ironies don't ya think?
posted
Actually, I wouldn't call the X-Prize an attempt to prevent exploitation of space.
On the other hand, our signing a UN treaty that said that no one could lay claim to any celestial body from asteroids on up was a clear impediment to commercial interests in space.
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
posted
Yes. Because we all know that humanity would be better off if whatever collections of dirt surrounded by imaginary lines that had the finances to plant a flag on space rocks and call them their own did.
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
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quote: They should take a hint from the Russians. They have the right idea.
Memo From: Dan Goldin To: Employees Re: New Focus
In recent months we have all seen NASA overtaken by our Russian counterparts. To combat this, I am putting into place the following morale-boosting programs:
1.) Astronauts will no longer be paid. 2.) Neither will anyone else.
quote:Originally posted by The_Tom: Yes. Because we all know that humanity would be better off if whatever collections of dirt surrounded by imaginary lines that had the finances to plant a flag on space rocks and call them their own did.
If you are being sarcastic, I'd like to say that we probably would be better off.
OnToMars
Now on to the making of films!
Member # 621
posted
They are, however, professional astronauts.
But the point still stands with John Glenn, though as far as the public was concerned, he was an astronaut on STS-95. There was no PR for the other guy or anybody else. Hell, even I haven't heard of him.
-------------------- If God didn't want us to fly, he wouldn't have given us Bernoulli's Principle.
quote:On the other hand, our signing a UN treaty that said that no one could lay claim to any celestial body from asteroids on up was a clear impediment to commercial interests in space.
Well, this is the first I've heard of such a treaty. However, to me it doesn't seem to be that much of an impediment to commerce in space. If you don't own an asteroid you can still mine it or whatever. You just won't be the only person to be able to mine it. So in a way I think that this would be beneficial in that it would create a race to mine the resources which, like the arms race, would further technology in general. I also think that such an agreement is absolutely necessary in preventing future possible conflicts, though I'm sure conflicts will still arise, regardless.
-------------------- "Out of doubt, out of dark to the day's rising I came singing in the sun, sword unsheathing. To hope's end I rode and to heart's breaking: Now for wrath, now for ruin and a red nightfall!"
The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
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OnToMars
Now on to the making of films!
Member # 621
posted
quote: such an agreement is absolutely necessary in preventing future possible conflicts, though I'm sure conflicts will still arise, regardless.
Then wouldn't the treaty be a failure then? If it's inevitable (which it most likely is), then lets admit it and let the colonialism begin!
-------------------- If God didn't want us to fly, he wouldn't have given us Bernoulli's Principle.
quote:If you don't own an asteroid you can still mine it or whatever.
No, you can't. Believe it or not, the legal condition of the asteroids and other objects is the same as the legal condition of Antarctica. Nobody can claim any part of it or make use of any resources that might be found there. It's a preserve.
What there is on the asteroids that might need to be preserved is beyond me, but remember, this treaty was dreamed up by the same people who wanted to prevent mining on the moon because it might 'mess up the moon's ecosystem.'
What they really wanted to prevent with this treaty was the dominion of the US over space, which would be what would happen since we're the only nation with the tech, finances and resources to make such claims.
They didn't want us going out and grabbing all the Near Earth Asteroids while they're still squabbling over their borders.
Maybe that has a silver lining... if we had, we might now be dropping rocks on Kabul.
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