Yes we can't! Obummer cancels moon mission

[s2art]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8565243.stm

[Eric Mc]

Not new "news". It was announced back in February. There have been lots of comments (chiefly by me ) over in the Planes, Boats, Trains forum.

[Mclovin]

if ron paul was in charge they would be getting ready to go to mars by now lol.....

[grumbledoak]

Why is this 'news' today? I thought it had been announced and raked over months ago.

It is 'kinda sad'. But, at the same time, we've been and as far as we know that there isn't a compelling reason to go back. As long as money is spent on equally ambitious projects in different directions all is not lost.

[Eric Mc]

The "new" aspect to this story is because three famous astronauts were giving a speech in London last night - Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and Gene Cernan.

There is MUCH to see and do on the moon. We haven't even BEGUN to explore it propeerly.

[ErnestM]

There is also some work being done on a piece of legislation in Congress that would actually extend the life of the shuttle until a new launch vehicle is on line thus overriding the Obama agenda. Bill Nelson (Florida senator and shuttle hitchhiker) is attempting to save the jobs on the cape.

[Nuclearsquash]

i'm fairly sure i read/heard/saw somewhere that water ice had been confirmed on the moon. Surely that warrants exploration. With a source of water then there is the capability to sustain a manned base there, and from there a luanching pad to the rest of the solar system.

It's so frustrating, humanity needs to push it's boundaries to grow and improve itself, Obamarama is just a short sighted fool.

[Eric Mc]

Confirmed only a few months ago.

Ironic that, just as NASA was getting itself in gear, Obama pulls the plug.

Oh well, in order for me to listen in to the next time person to broadcast from the lunar surface, I shall have to brush up on my Mandarin.

[s2art]

Eric Mc said:

Confirmed only a few months ago.

Ironic that, just as NASA was getting itself in gear, Obama pulls the plug.

Oh well, in order for me to listen in to the next time person to broadcast from the lunar surface, I shall have to brush up on my Mandarin.

Though it has to be said that NASA has become a hide bound institution, a far cry from the heroics in the 60's.
Maybe the way to go is offering big prizes to the private sector for space expoloration. Something like 20 billion for the first company to establish a moonbase.

[Eric Mc]

Who is going to offer such prizes?

I don't think private institutions can kick-start "manned spaceflight for all" the way they did in the early days of aviation. It's just too difficult and complex.

And you certainly won't get a co-ordinated focussed programme. You would end up with disparate, diluted efforts - none of which would succeed.

Finally, if this scenario ever comes about - we are talking about it happening sometime between 50 to 100 years in the future.

I think by that stage, some other country's national effort will already be there.

[Mojocvh]

Eric Mc said:

The "new" aspect to this story is because three famous astronauts were giving a speech in London last night - Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and Gene Cernan.

There is MUCH to see and do on the moon. We haven't even BEGUN to explore it propeerly.

And lets not get onto just how, relatively, easier it will be than going anywhere else in the solar system.

[Fittster]

Mclovin said:

if ron paul was in charge they would be getting ready to go to mars by now lol.....

? He wouldn't waste money on such a pointless exercise. If there was any value in the activity private enterprise will do it.

[Fittster]

Mojocvh said:

Eric Mc said:

The "new" aspect to this story is because three famous astronauts were giving a speech in London last night - Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and Gene Cernan.

There is MUCH to see and do on the moon. We haven't even BEGUN to explore it propeerly.

And lets not get onto just how, relatively, easier it will be than going anywhere else in the solar system.

And with huge debts a waste of time unless you have a special interest to peddle (you work for NASA or are a space geek). Let a rich country to it (e.g. China) or if there is the slightest value to it private enterprise will be there like a ferret up a drain pipe.

[Eric Mc]

Fittster said:

Mclovin said:

if ron paul was in charge they would be getting ready to go to mars by now lol.....

? He wouldn't waste money on such a pointless exercise. If there was any value in the activity private enterprise will do it.

I presume you mean "obvious monetary reward" which is a very different concept to "value".

[ewenm]

Eric Mc said:

Fittster said:

Mclovin said:

if ron paul was in charge they would be getting ready to go to mars by now lol.....

? He wouldn't waste money on such a pointless exercise. If there was any value in the activity private enterprise will do it.

I presume you mean "obvious monetary reward" which is a very different concept to "value".

Exactly, cost vs value.

[dilbert]

The thing that worries me is that there will be another disaster, due to lack of funds.
I wonder if the strategy is so short sighted that, that they'll not even be able to capitalise on the space station that they made an enormous contribution to.

[Mojocvh]

ewenm said:

Eric Mc said:

Fittster said:

Mclovin said:

if ron paul was in charge they would be getting ready to go to mars by now lol.....

? He wouldn't waste money on such a pointless exercise. If there was any value in the activity private enterprise will do it.

I presume you mean "obvious monetary reward" which is a very different concept to "value".

Exactly, cost vs value.

Now you have just demonstrated the complete failure to understand the true meaning of "inspiration"

[Sway]

Fittster said:

Mclovin said:

if ron paul was in charge they would be getting ready to go to mars by now lol.....

? He wouldn't waste money on such a pointless exercise. If there was any value in the activity private enterprise will do it.

You do realise that if we attain the capability to knock a relatively small nickel iron asteroid into Earth orbit, that the contents of said asteroid are worth more than pretty much the entire world's economies combined?

Saying that private enterprise would have done it already is similar to stating that if there were value in cold fusion then private enterprise would be doing it.

As in, utter bks.

[ewenm]

Mojocvh said:

ewenm said:

Eric Mc said:

Fittster said:

Mclovin said:

if ron paul was in charge they would be getting ready to go to mars by now lol.....

? He wouldn't waste money on such a pointless exercise. If there was any value in the activity private enterprise will do it.

I presume you mean "obvious monetary reward" which is a very different concept to "value".

Exactly, cost vs value.

Now you have just demonstrated the complete failure to understand the true meaning of "inspiration"

No no, I'm "pro" spending on adventurous projects that can inspire the populace. I'm sick of people who measure things purely in £s or $s. Maybe I should have made that clearer above - I agree with Eric on this

[grumbledoak]

'Value' does not mean 'at any cost' outside of 'Socialism 101'.

We have been, government funded and for the good of everyone and everything, and there is little compelling evidence that we should go back (manned). If there was, private enterprise would be risking many, many lives to go get 'it' already.