Why are we still here?

[Redwolf]

I just watched Apollo 13 on the History Channel and had recently watched 'Failure is not an Option' on the same channel. It got me to thinking...why are we still here? Why aren't we still flying to the moon? Why aren't we flying to Mars? Why not to Venus, or whatever other planet we see fit to take a close look at? Is it just too expensive, not enough return, what?

We definately have better technology then we did in the 60s, but NASA is a shell of what it once was. There is no doubt that space exploration has had a positive impact on everyone's life, from the poorest in Africa (discovery and mapping of underground streams) to the pilot in the air needing direction (GPS). And that's just from exploration around the earth.

This isn't a retorical question. Why aren't we funding a larger space program?

[Telexen]

Why are we spending so much on funding stupid studies to tell us what common sense can tell us? That's why we don't have a larger funding for the space program

[no1_vern]

Many of the plans that the space exploration teams have arent practical now, but in 15 or 25 years the products will be available to do it cheaply.

Right now the best program(the shuttle) is still having big setbacks(like the shuttle reentry disaster). Discounting the cost to human lives(and I wouldnt for anything else but a simple discussion) it cost MANY Billions for EACH mission.

Lest you forget, MOST of the world is poor. The USA WASTES most of its resources whether through incompetence, mismanagement, or apathy, it happens(Telexens' observations). Right now it is considered more important to be humane to people.

To feed each child dying from hunger, And his family,community, or nation etc. is more important that going to the moon.

NOT to mention healing the sick, exploring the "inner space"(the oceans, the earths mantle, our weather so we can prevent people dying from hurricanes, tornados etc) all of those have a greater chance of improving more peoples chance of survival NOW than the space program will.

Have no doubt, space is somewhere we will need to go.

But, until The chance of a big catastrophe happening killing off our species is proven, we wont.

As suggested here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/...in516570.shtml
And
http://slate.msn.com/id/2078157/

Different space exploration forum discussion:
http://www.matthewyglesias.com/archives/000261.html


But not until everyone here on this earth is taken care of to the best of our abilities. Or until a THREAT IS PROVEN emminent that we need to leave our Earth.

[Bizkitkid2001]

We are still here becasue we don't have the technology to really go to other planets. We are sending probes(Just recently a one to mars) to check out other planets. Although it might seem to be a dumb idea, its really not.

As everyone knows one day we will use up all of the earth's recourse. All the water will be contaminated to the point it can't be cleaned. All animals will be extinct, all the fossil fuels will be used up, etc.... Well people say "That won't be for thousands and thousands of years" Although that is true, its going to take us that long to figure out a way to civilize another planet, and transport the whole earth's population(Wich might be int he hundreds of billions by then) If we don't start now, when will we start? We need the biggest headstart we can get with space exploration, cause according to "space" time we don't have that much time to figure out fast ways to get through space, civilize other planets, etc...

[Epidemic]

Feeding the starving, Makes more starving children to suffer, which uses more natural resources, which hurts the earth. Space offers more resources and alternatives.

Save one starving kid and make 500 more mouths to feed in 200 years. save 500,000 starving kids and well have a whole lotso mouths to feed.

Space program also holds the key to survival of more species than perhaps any environmental problem. one little space rock hits us and blots out the sun for a year and you gots a problem. The hump back whale and spotted owl are toast, billions of people will die. and we are almost guaranteed an impact with something in the next few thousand years

[shahani]

Bush has committed so many resources to Iraq that no wonder other non-war programs are suffering.

The Iraqi occupation is estimated to cost $29 Billion a year. Imagine what this could do in eduction, health care and scientific research.

This is the price to be paid for such foolhardy war initiatives.

The only people having the last laugh are the folks at Halliburton and the oil corporations.

And, of course, Bush.

[Hey-Todd]

[Epidemic]

MMMMM, ok!

Can't disagree that the money could have done a little bit for education or research.

But of course the fact that sanctions against iraq would someday have been lifted giving the bathists a free hand to begin all overagain makes me feel the 29 billion spent now will probably save several hundred million later. Big if as well if iraq turns out good perhaps it would bring some stability to the region again saving billions. It may be a waste to free 26 million people, from the tyrany of a brutal dictator. Perhaps we should just cut our losses and leave not and let them fall into a nice civil war. That would surely promote harmony in the middle east.

[ben-the-slacker]

Space exploration doesn't bring any immediate profits. All it does is allow scientists to learn more about the space that surrounds our earth and those politicians up on capitol hill aren't really interested in scientific knowledge. They're more interested in power and control.

[Epidemic]

Actually ben I am not sure if people would support a large investment in space. Trips to mars do not peak as many peoples interests any more. I am all for space exploration but I get kinda pissy when I see it is stagnate. We fly up in 1960 technology space craft and have not even begun to explore artificial gravitys effects on the body. You know making a small space station perhaps 1/4 the size of that bastardized spacestation they have up there now. Take two modules from that stupid thing and spin them with 300 yards of cable between them. It aint all that complicated .