John Glenn has gone

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'Over the long arc of John Glenn’s life, it proved impossible to ever ask him to do something for his country. No matter the mission, no matter the risk, he had already stepped forward, his hand raised, his jaw set, ready to go.'

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/12/08/publ...

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scubadude said:

It makes me wonder which news worthy individuals who're young and beginning their public lives now will we remember in such exalted terms... no one off Gogglebox probably?

I think the great age of exploration and heroes is over.

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Eric Mc said:

It's not even started.

Well, with your 'realistic vision' specs on, what do you foresee for the 21st century? Earthwise there's not much left to visit that hasn't been visited. Africa, Poles, Everest, tick. Looking out towards space we were going to be on Mars in 1980, but 36 years later we're back to where we were in John Glenn's day. OK the craft is bigger and packed with 'tech' but that's all. Man hasn't been out of Earth orbit since 1972.

At least in another 200 years or so Captain Kirk will come along.

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Eric Mc said:

There is plenty of territory in the Solar System waiting for us.

And we're most definitely are NOT back where Glenn was in 1962 from a technical point of view. OK, we may be roughly in the same location at the moment but we are in MUCH more sophisticated vehicles.

I don't count technical sophistication as exploration or heroes though. If half the manpower that had gone into 'sophistication' had been spent on pushing the boundaries then we'd be on Mars and Titan by now.

Given that man's push into the solar system fell flat on its face in 1972 and is curently still there, what (literal) further goal do you envisage happening this century?

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AshVX220 said:

If it really is all a pipe-dream for Mr Musk, then we'll be watching the Indian's or Chinese go to Mars (in my very naive and starry eyed opinion).

I temd to agree. I think it comes down to determination and national chest-beating to get beyond earth orbit!

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You're right but the spirit of John Glenn is about being first, and pushing the boundaries, putting his life at risk etc etc. By the time 'tech' has got bus trips going to the moon, well frankly that's like the modern cruise liner vs Columbus and nothing to do with pioneering.

A true pioneer will always do things as soon as it's possible, or sometimes before. Scott didn't think 'Well I can probably do it but I'll stay home for 20 years until tractors get better'. Lindbergh didn't think 'Hmm it's a bit risky, I'll wait until Sperry's made a gyro'. You go as soon as you can, not least beacuse you want to be first and famous.

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Eric Mc said:

Don't you count the International Space Station as a spacecraft? It's the largest and most sophisticated space vehicle put into space so far. Within its confines we are learning how to go about living and working in space for months and even years at a time. All this is basic knowledge which will serve us well when we start moving out.

The means of getting to the space station is almost irrelevant. Hopefully, within two years there will be a choice of at least three ferry craft to get to the Space Station - or any other stations that may follow.

'A ship in a harbour is safe. But that is not what ships are built for'.

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Eric Mc said:

Look on it as a learning aid.

Best to learn to sail in the harbour first before you venture out on the high seas.

But if we took that advice we'd have been stuck in Earth orbit from 1961 to the present day. Either you want to get out into space or you want to sit in a tin can admiring the earth. I agree Apollo was exceptional but let's face it, we should have and could have been on Mars a long time ago.

My allegory was slightly inaccuate - there are no ships, only buoys.