Space Flight

[Seb]

Well, for all of you who want to progress in space exploration (that includes me), too bad. Obama and Congress cut off almost all funding to NASA and a huge portion of NASA's employees will be laid off.

I guess there are still the cosmonauts, maybe...

Actually, they're giving private companies the greenlight to go do space exploration themselves because private companies are much for efficient than government institutions.

Don't worry, people, there is no end to space exploration. There's just an end to government-funded space exploration. Good riddance, too, NASA's been basically scratching their balls and sending the occasional rover or space telescope for the past 42 years.

[·UηİŦ··]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

As many of you I'm sure have heard, the last space shuttle has launched today. (Much to my dismay as I was going to go fly to Florida to watch it if it launched on Sat/Sun/Mon)

This is an odd thing, because... well we really don't have a unified plan for its replacement.


I could go on for quite a while on how I feel about space exploration, what we should do, and where we should go next.


But first I would like to hear your guys' opinion first.

-How do you feel about the idea of not having any "large" human rated launch vehicles on the planet at this time?
-What do you think our next step should be?
-Does the idea of space travel even hold your interest any more?

Feel free to add anything else you want to add related to space travel.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I was wondering too. What exactly are they going to do once they reach the ISS? Will they shut it down and take all 8 members back to Earth? Or will they leave the (new) 4 up there and leave them waiting for us to develop a new vehicle capable of docking with it/even reaching it?

I heard them talking about going back to the Stage-Rockets. That actually still looks fun... just, the feeling of blasting a rocket out into the darkness. And instead of winging it, we have technology that can truly help us this time.

But now imagine. An expensive vehicle set for a 2 year Manned Mission to Mars. Just, How much of a bitch that would be to set forward?  Because really, it would cost so much unnecessary resources just to ferry supplies and people back and forth, why not leave them there on the planet to set up shop for incoming settlers first? It would be far better if the colonists or Astronauts were self-sufficient and could fend for themselves out there, and especially if we plan to stay someday. Why not start with a full-fledged operation than dipping our toes in the shallow end and running away (With technology of course, but nonetheless)?. Because, that's exactly what the Pioneers did. They never went home. And I understand, this isn't a little land mass with fresh air and water and food and such, this is a barren, cold planet of carbons and dust storms.

But look at what they did with the Arctic. What they did with getting to the Moon. Things take effort. Maybe if we really tried our hearts and souls into it...

And then, once they have a STABLE environment and information about Mars and it's effects on us (Solar Radiation, Climate, Health Hazards, Psychological effects etc), then they can focus all their attention on travel to and fro. Maybe even an elaborate bridge of stations, somewhat like train stations. A Space Train if you will, lol.

And then the issue about Mars' Makeup? If we are so good at making greenhouse gasses, why don't we just stop polluting Earth and try polluting Mars...? It's simple enough... do we really know if Mars has some sort of frozen residual Fuel lying under the ground as well? Not until we make a big fucking hole, nope :>

And if say that we will/are/can develop Technologies to render Natural Gas useless, we won't need the fuel anymore, right?

Maybe we just lug a giant machine, and burn things in it above the surface. Or launch probes there to do the job(s) for us.

A thicker Atmosphere in Mars means easier landings and more friction, less chance to just pierce right through the sky and crash.

And maybe the introduction of Earth Life (microbes surviving on the Probes and Vehicles, and even US) Will colonize and make 'new' life, though it defeats the hopes of actually finding out if life DID exist on Mars?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Now with the Lack of any large human rated launch vehicles here on Earth... I'm two-sided.

If you asked me last year, I'd be all like OMGWTFTHISSUCKS

But now that I look at it, maybe this is a good thing. It's completely evident that when people focus on one thing, it gets done quick. If we focus on all our problems here on Earth Step by Step, we can then put our complete focus on Space instead of Space and Politics and Water Shortages and War and trades and blah blah blah blah blah.

And maybe then even THE ENTIRE WORLD will be working/supporting us. Imagine if every able person on the planet were to to come together and build. Things would get DONE. Hella fast and then some. Especially if these people have worked out their differences and had the time to talk and, for the most part, are cool with each other instead of pointing guns at children ._.

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Space still totally has me drawn in like Moths to a Flame.

It has, ever since I was 6. I loved space and I still do. It's just something wonderful.

If I had to say so, whenever I'm completely active and able-minded instead of Tired, Stressed out and Tried as I am now, Space occupies (a fairish amount of) 30%-47% of my mind.

I ponder the fuck out of it all.

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Empty Space

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I guess our next step, is to really just develop safe environments, efficient methods, and Fast-enough Technologies to truly help us.

Not things like "oh, this will do us good I guess". I mean things like "THIS WILL CERTAINLY HELP US, WITHOUT A DOUBT. WE DON'T EVEN NEED IT BUT IF WE DID IT WILL TOTALLY SAVE OUR LIVES" or something along the lines of that.

The most plausible thing I can see ahead of us in terms of speed is the Ion Engine being employed.

Then the Next thing (albeit still dangerous as hell) Is the Nuclear Method

And the most plausable ("realistic") Sci-fi form of travel is the Alcubierre Drive due to our fascination with string theory, bending space, the LCH and all that... Especially because it's still within our own Spacial Dimension, Unlike the Fictional Shaw-Fujikawa Slipspace Drive.

Still though, it's so problematic, it stays Hypothetical at best.

Truthfully, I don't like the human species, they are an abomination who destroy everything in it's path, I'm not saying everybody is like that, but most of us are. We are, how you would say, smart, but dumb at the same time. We lack the intelligence to realize we are destroying ourselves (I.E. Wars) but are smart enough to create advanced technology that we can bend to our whim. It's a bit weird IMO.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Dudebro.

We are a Paradoxical Race. We started out as wonderful builders and clever men, truly. We learned to walk on our feet, to talk to each other, we learned to use tools to our advantage, to feel, to love, to THINK. But some of us, we thought things that should have been left unsaid. We still had traces primal instinct, full of rage and hate possibly from misunderstanding of the concept of intelligence or a lack of understanding thereof, which lead to those specific peoples relying on their 'Animal Instinct' to solve their problems for them (Violence, senseless violence). And what ho, they destroyed and distorted the concept that was supposed to be Civilization, what could have come to violence being simply a quarrel or an argument that would be solved in less than the years needed to complete a War. Not one was purposely intended to die by our own doing, willingly.

It's all because of power.

Power may be Truth, but the Truth is; Power is Corruption.

And Corruption is Hella Powerful.

Either that silliness, or this is a War Universe. Everything and anything that is not energy is always being destroyed either by US or by the forces of the universe itself. Everything dies. Nothing ever stands. Not even the universe itself.

Take it as you will, I understand where you're coming from. Stupid wars for Stupid people. Innocent people losing the gift of life. The Gift of Thought and Being. Wonderful works of many things burning in a fire. And for what... Delusions? Silly.

But there's still hope.

Who do you think controls all the Technology related to such things as space exploration and possibly colonization, essentially? THE SMART PEOPLE.

Who do you think will be in charge of Space Exploration? SMART PEOPLE.

Who gets to choose who does what? SMART ASS PEOPLE.

Who usually is hired to come up with propaganda and such to fool/subliminally brainwash people? OH SHIT SMART PEOPLE.

And there are some good Smart Ass people out there, don't get me wrong. Some just became corrupt or delusional from all this raw power left untapped. The potential of everything drives them mad. But then you can just call those people Crazy.
Tyrants, Dictators, Warmongers, maybe even the occasional Citizen... Crazy. Those who know what the fuck know what the fuck they are doing... perhaps chaos can lead to temporary or even permanent order.

When you get rid of/subdue all the loud Crazy Redundant Men/Madmen/Delusional Hopeless Trolls with Issues starting wars/problems (possibly when they kill themselves), the Naive (The majority of the planet whom don't want to think for themselves) will be forced to listen to the quiet, small, yet powerful voices of the Wise and/or Knowledgeable.

And then we can actually get somewhere with ourselves, instead of waiting for the Doomsday Clock to hit Midnight.

It still does for me. There has to be other life out there in the universe, and I really want us to discover it.

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Me too. Space is just wonderful. It's something, really.

And if you look at it, it's funny, too.

The smallest building block of the Universe is Atoms.

Atoms, they have electrons orbiting them, in a sort of shell-like order.

Now, those atoms, they make up molecules, CLUSTERS of atoms, right?

Those Molecules make up Fibers, those fibers make up clustered layers, and those layers of fibers make up small bits of matter, and so forth.

Now, as we travel out farther and farther, We have Earth. Complex as hell, right? Nope, it's only a speck of dust of a speck of dust in the known universe.

The Earth, has a satellite called The Moon, and uncannily enough, it orbits the earth akin to how a Hydrogen Atom has one Electron 'Orbiting' it. (I could make reference to the elements of the universe and their significance but that would be tl;dr overkill)

Most of the planets have moons, too. Many, even. Like Saturn and Jupiter.

Now what blows my mind is that now the Earth also orbits the SUN, with all the other planets, JUST LIKE A GROUP OF ATOMS.

Holy crap. And now the Sun is just but many of other suns, in one of the many arms of the Galaxy, in a Group of Galaxies called the Local Clusters, among a group of clusters of galaxies, whom could form something so elaborate and mind blowing like fibers or strands of infinite-numbered clusters, which form a complex web of these, which form a dense cloud of matter, which form something so mind blowing it just...

It's amazing.

Anyways I want to see life too. What's been out there, what is out there, maybe even what will be out there.

It would be interesting if WE ourselves are the most advanced civilization in our region of space, that has not killed itself/died out yet. Which is also saddening because of the points that Hotgreensoldier made.
But nonetheless it would be an interesting concept if we were the aliens. I really want to explore that more.

How would they take us? What do we seem like as aliens? Our giant, faceless, reflective Helmets, Clad in instruments glowing in shades of white.

Just something to think about. How do we make our first appearance?

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This isn't really what I could have typed... I could have said so much more, and expanded further and more clearly on my thoughts but ATM my head is somewhere else... so, yeah.

In reality I fucking love space. I breathe it. It is the Estacy of my Thoughts. Boundless, Empty, yet plentiful and full of surprises and wonders. And even Disasters. But that's just what it is.

I wouldn't even care if I was at my dying breath, I would have wanted to die in space... Maybe even just fly into the sun if I had to

Space.

[Frank]

I think first we should focus on our earthly troubles.


THEN, maybe, dare go 10 metres up.

[Arcoyle]

On the subject of human space travel I have 2 words: private sector. SpaceX and virgin galactic are the main ones I know of who are far enough along to get things done. Hope I have those company names right...

[Seb]

Truthfully, I don't like the human species, they are an abomination who destroy everything in it's path, I'm not saying everybody is like that, but most of us are. We are, how you would say, smart, but dumb at the same time. We lack the intelligence to realize we are destroying ourselves (I.E. Wars) but are smart enough to create advanced technology that we can bend to our whim. It's a bit weird IMO.

Hotgreen, I like you. You're a cool guy. But this post is so full of shit it defies logical explanation. The human species is doing a ton better than it was centuries ago, and anybody complaining that we are gradually making the world go to shit has no idea what they're talking about.

For example, wars aren't as destructive anymore. Back in the ages, if you got wounded you died. No exception. Nowadays, a wounded soldier dies 1/8th of the time. Ultimately, boundaries are now forever set by diplomacy and politics, so the national boundaries aren't going to change unless there's some huge anarchy movement.

Furthermore, you might bitch and moan about sickness and disease and cancer and crimes and everything when it's been the best it's been since a hundred years ago. Teen pregnancy rates last year were the lowest since 1940-something. Crime rates are a similar story, although it's a different year. So are general sickness rates. Never before in the entire human history have we been able to completely eradicate a disease. We've eliminated countless diseases in the past hundred years.

So please, don't be one of the people that bitch and moan about the state the world is in.

[Frank]

Hotgreen, I like you. You're a cool guy. But this post is so full of shit it defies logical explanation. The human species is doing a ton better than it was centuries ago, and anybody complaining that we are gradually making the world go to shit has no idea what they're talking about.

For example, wars aren't as destructive anymore. Back in the ages, if you got wounded you died. No exception. Nowadays, a wounded soldier dies 1/8th of the time. Ultimately, boundaries are now forever set by diplomacy and politics, so the national boundaries aren't going to change unless there's some huge anarchy movement.

Furthermore, you might bitch and moan about sickness and disease and cancer and crimes and everything when it's been the best it's been since a hundred years ago. Teen pregnancy rates last year were the lowest since 1940-something. Crime rates are a similar story, although it's a different year. So are general sickness rates. Never before in the entire human history have we been able to completely eradicate a disease. We've eliminated countless diseases in the past hundred years.

So please, don't be one of the people that bitch and moan about the state the world is in.

Yeah, wars are cool now. Either 6 guys come in and kill 'the most evil terrorist in the world', or they push a button and your city suddenly disappears.

[Seb]

Yeah, wars are cool now. Either 6 guys come in and kill 'the most evil terrorist in the world', or they push a button and your city suddenly disappears.

>implying the nuclear arms race isn't like ten year olds going "i'll beat you up" "no i'll beat you up" but nothing happens

[Mr. Franklin]

Space exploration is something that is not far away and possibly in the near future. Our only problem is that most countries are in huge dept and cannot create the programs like NASA or something even better. I guess you can intertwine this with World Peace. You would have the whole earth working as one to further enhance the human race, by space travel and NASA programs.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

If you ever played SID5 and won a game, you know what im talking about.

[ursus]

Portal 2 - Personality Core 01 "Space Core"

[Hotgreensoldier]

@Smith Wesson

Like I said in the edited post, I posted that at midnight and was really sleepy, I think all the shit I said is retarded now too. Can we please forget about those posts and talk about space? Who else here thinks that if we find another form of life in space they are not going to try to go all out and kill us..

Actually, can an admin move those posts to bin? It's causing too much shit and I don't want it to continue T_T

[Rocket50]

Seb, no. You can't just look at the human side of improvements. There are other things beside people on earth you know. Co2 is at an all-time high and in the ozone there are gaping holes hovering above major cities. The rate of deforestation, destruction of habitats, the diverting of water bodies to dam is increasing with every passing year. And you know what's the worst part?

We know this. We know it well. And yet, we haven't made any signification changes. At least, not a world-wide impact.

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This is the graph of progress Seb.

Sure you could argue that there aren't any major wars, as well as the reduction of deaths rates during birth and diseases but at what cost? Basically, we're steam rolling through the earth for our own gains, and if we don't gain anything from doing it, we dont do it.

The main problem is the fact that we too conscious about convenience and commerence to do any large-scale fixing.

But I digress.

-Removed-

Progress can't be measured solely by the improvements on the human scale. I.e

Cars: Good for us, sucks for the atmosphere

Fertilizer: Good for us, sucks for the fish in the bodies of water polluted with it

Computers: Good for us, sucks for the land around the city dump

[» Magic «]

I always wonder what's on the other side of the Sun...

[Supertoaster]

Scrubs: I don't believe in the moon

[Captain Communism]

Uh, problem!

>Space technology progresses

>Wars happen

> (I know this particular craft will never happen, but the concept remains)

>

[Tomcat]

Uh, problem!

>Space technology progresses

>Wars happen

> (I know this particular craft will never happen, but the concept remains)

>

it would probably be easy to see and bring down