Europe's €10bn Space Vision

[Slinky]

So, the media is full of doom and gloom, companies are going to the wall left right and center, PH is full of discussion around the economic climate and yet still, in the face of all of that we (the royal European "we") pledge €10bn into a space project..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7749761.stm

Erm... Does that seem right?

If you're skint, the first thing you do is STOP SPENDING F**KING MONEY..

[911motorsport]

"The new money will help build new Earth observation satellites, maintain Esa's participation in the space station, and fund probes to the planets".


Here we go

[Blib]

10 billion Euros, over 5 years, 18 countries paying for it.

Assuming each country pays the same amount that's roughly 110 million euros a year from the U.K.

Brown can piss that up the wall in an afternoon.

It's a bargain IMO.

[Fittster]

Blib said:

10 billion Euros, over 5 years, 18 countries paying for it.

Assuming each country pays the same amount that's roughly 110 million euros a year from the U.K.

Brown can piss that up the wall in an afternoon.

It's a bargain IMO.

So what will be the financial return on this bargain?

[Blib]

Fittster said:

Blib said:

10 billion Euros, over 5 years, 18 countries paying for it.

Assuming each country pays the same amount that's roughly 110 million euros a year from the U.K.

Brown can piss that up the wall in an afternoon.

It's a bargain IMO.

So what will be the financial return on this bargain?

The cost of everything and the value of nothing.

[911motorsport]

Fittster said:

Blib said:

10 billion Euros, over 5 years, 18 countries paying for it.

Assuming each country pays the same amount that's roughly 110 million euros a year from the U.K.

Brown can piss that up the wall in an afternoon.

It's a bargain IMO.

So what will be the financial return on this bargain?

Whatever they can scoop from road pricing?

[Eric Mc]

Financial Return?

Does everything have to have a "financial return"?

How about "survival of the human race"?

[Blib]

Eric Mc said:

Financial Return?

Does everything have to have a "financial return"?

How about "survival of the human race"?

My point exactly Eric. Thank goodnes there were no accountants back in the day, we'd have never had left the trees.

[dilbert]

Come off it you lot....

We make shed loads from our particular area of expertise. We could expand that.

That would be good jobs for the majority of people that don't want to work for the minimum wage.

[Fittster]

Eric Mc said:

Financial Return?

Does everything have to have a "financial return"?

How about "survival of the human race"?

And how will this project ensure the "survival of the human race"?

[Dirty Boy]

Fittster said:

Eric Mc said:

Financial Return?

Does everything have to have a "financial return"?

How about "survival of the human race"?

And how will this project ensure the "survival of the human race"?

Perhaps not directly and immediately, but mankind didn't get to where it is today by sitting in the caves hiding from 'what's out there'

Progression.

[Maxf]

We have quite a bit of expertise in this country, so I'd hope the 'investment' translates into some money being spent with UK companies.

I agree though - we can't sit still and 110m a year is like sofa change to Broon.

[rpguk]

Maxf said:

We have quite a bit of expertise in this country, so I'd hope the 'investment' translates into some money being spent with UK companies.

I agree though - we can't sit still and 110m a year is like sofa change to Broon.

Well part of the plans are for a [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7749673.stm]space centre in the UK[/url] and we'll all benefit from technical advances made during the research.

[Eric Mc]

Fittster said:

Eric Mc said:

Financial Return?

Does everything have to have a "financial return"?

How about "survival of the human race"?

And how will this project ensure the "survival of the human race"?

Nothing can ensure that. However, FAILURE to invest in space research in general will definitely ensure that the human race (including accountants) WILL NOT survive.

[PD9]

Blib said:

My point exactly Eric. Thank goodnes there were no accountants back in the day, we'd have never had left the trees.

[dodgyviper]

Fittster said:

Eric Mc said:

Financial Return?

Does everything have to have a "financial return"?

How about "survival of the human race"?

And how will this project ensure the "survival of the human race"?

At some point in the not to-distant future, this planet will not be able to support the expanding population (or even its current due to low recycling and exhaustion of rare materials).

Therefore its not a strong leap of imagination to envisage the solution - some of us are going to have to get off.

Simply put, 1000 years ago there were approximately 400 million humans on this planet http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/history/world-popu...

Today, we're sitting at approx 6.5 billion which is a 16.25 increase.

What will it be like in another 1000 years????



Secondly, on a more esoteric level: What makes humanity different from any other creature of this planet - I would argue its our curiosity, our ability to learn and discover the unknown.

To explore and understand (and indeed to manipulate) is the one and only thing that places us at the top of the intelligence tree. If we elect to settle for what we have, and disown the sciences as frivolous, then we become nothing more than rooting animals. It is impossible to remain staionary - if we try, then we will slide backwards - and that journey is one of suffering and hardship.

It'll be a slow process - technology is expensive and difficult to justify before it has been developed and the benefits are unknown. So can I leave you with these quotes...


‘Inventions reached their limit long ago and I see no hope for further development.’

— Julius Sextus Frontinus, prominent Roman engineer (c. 40-103 AD)

And this one

‘Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.’

— Lord Kelvin, President of Royal Society, 1896

[PD9]

dodgyviper said:

‘Inventions reached their limit long ago and I see no hope for further development.’

— Julius Sextus Frontinus, prominent Roman engineer (c. 40-103 AD)

And this one

‘Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.’

— Lord Kelvin, President of Royal Society, 1896

'Space - who would wanna go up there? Now get me another coffee'

- Me, 27th November 2008

[Balmoral Green]

911motorsport said:

"The new money will help build new Earth observation satellites"

Here we go

Indeed.

Is this about chipped earlobes and taxing us for moving, or the excitement of pushing the boundarys of science and exploration.

I suspect the former.

[Eric Mc]

Nah - it's the old Werner Von Braun trick. Ask the government for money on a project that appeals to what they want but spend it in what YOU want.

Edited by Eric Mc on Thursday 27th November 15:22

[jmorgan]

A few things the ESA have been involved with.


http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/index....
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/index...
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fa...
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/index.html



Loads of looking over the hill there.