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Zeebadee · Aug 9, 2005, 10:30 pm

The U.S. space program has been stagnant for years now. The shuttle is old technology, the International Space Station hasn't really accomplished much. The last moon landing was more than 30 years ago. In 2003, we launched twin robots to soft land on Mars, and got pictures and data that pretty much duplicated what we got with the Viking soft landing of 1973. I think it's time to curtail manned missions and devote those resources to developing A) new propulsion technologies, and B) the theoretical physics required to break the speed of light barrier. Chemical rockets will never acheive the efficiencies required to make solar system exploration and exploitation viable, and will certainly never be effective for interstellar travel. Re-doing the same missions with newer equipment is hardly to be considered scientific advancement.

**Chris** · Aug 9, 2005, 10:38 pm

I tend to agree. But the space station (I think) is a step into the right direction. I agree on the propulsion issue. But also in order to build such vehicles, we need to build them in space. Clearing one hurdle (escaping earth) and therefore the design is not limited to a vehicle that must break escape velocity (i.e. have an aerodynamic vehcile that must use rocket power) We can have a vehicle that is just built in space and not limited by design.

tman_ndsu08 · Aug 10, 2005, 02:59 pm

Quote:

Quote by: |Chris|

yup

I asked "why".

monty of ll · Aug 10, 2005, 03:06 pm

The U.S. needs to send unmanned flights up to finish the space station and develop cheap smaller means of getting people into space to do the work. The same technology as is now being developed by commercial enterprises. Cheap and simple!

**Chris** · Aug 10, 2005, 03:09 pm

Quote:

Quote by: tman_ndsu08

I asked "why".

Sorry I just misread you. I thought you just asked "Do you..."

I don't mind using the budget to pay for Nasa we just need oversight. There is a lot of waste in govt. and Nasa is not free of it. I have really no problem though. I can't even remember what thread I was reading, maybe this one. But they said Nasa only took up a small percentage of the budget. If the reference link was correct, the money isn't really an issue.

Aug 9, 2005, 09:37 pm	#41 (permalink) (top)
Chris Gamma-ray burst Location: Nashville Posts: 6,376	yup I voted against the theocratic psychopaths Shared

Aug 9, 2005, 10:30 pm	#42 (permalink) (top)
Zeebadee Volcanic Erupter Posts: 3,805	The U.S. space program has been stagnant for years now. The shuttle is old technology, the International Space Station hasn't really accomplished much. The last moon landing was more than 30 years ago. In 2003, we launched twin robots to soft land on Mars, and got pictures and data that pretty much duplicated what we got with the Viking soft landing of 1973. I think it's time to curtail manned missions and devote those resources to developing A) new propulsion technologies, and B) the theoretical physics required to break the speed of light barrier. Chemical rockets will never acheive the efficiencies required to make solar system exploration and exploitation viable, and will certainly never be effective for interstellar travel. Re-doing the same missions with newer equipment is hardly to be considered scientific advancement. "Everybody knows that the boat is leaking Everybody knows that the captain lied." - Leonard Cohen

Aug 9, 2005, 10:38 pm	#43 (permalink) (top)
Chris Gamma-ray burst Location: Nashville Posts: 6,376	I tend to agree. But the space station (I think) is a step into the right direction. I agree on the propulsion issue. But also in order to build such vehicles, we need to build them in space. Clearing one hurdle (escaping earth) and therefore the design is not limited to a vehicle that must break escape velocity (i.e. have an aerodynamic vehcile that must use rocket power) We can have a vehicle that is just built in space and not limited by design. I voted against the theocratic psychopaths Shared

Aug 10, 2005, 03:06 pm	#45 (permalink) (top)
monty of ll Igneous Magma Posts: 169	The U.S. needs to send unmanned flights up to finish the space station and develop cheap smaller means of getting people into space to do the work. The same technology as is now being developed by commercial enterprises. Cheap and simple!