USA space exploration - Do you want to see it continue in the future?

I think the element of competition has been lacking for a few decades - that plus the difficulty of making a profit out of space flight. If the USA doesn't put a base on Mars the Chinese probably will - so there's the completion element. And the likes of Virgin, SpaceX and others are looking like they might well turn a profit.

So it will probably happen. I am mixed in my feelings. I love the idea of exploring space but there are more than enough problems here on earth to occupy bright minds too.
 

Wintermint said:
I think the element of competition has been lacking for a few decades - that plus the difficulty of making a profit out of space flight. If the USA doesn't put a base on Mars the Chinese probably will - so there's the completion element. And the likes of Virgin, SpaceX and others are looking like they might well turn a profit.

So it will probably happen. I am mixed in my feelings. I love the idea of exploring space but there are more than enough problems here on earth to occupy bright minds too.
Click to expand...



"but there are more than enough problems here on earth to occupy bright minds too."

True but!....in space they need not be PC....:rolleyes:
 
Why should US bear all of the costs?

Is it not time for a united federation of some sort to contribute in the same way that countries all around the world contribute to astronomy?

Let competition be replaced by co-operation.
 
I think it is eventual. But WE, here on SF, will not see it. But as Warri said, there needs to be some Federation or something to share the cost, since all countries would benefit. It should not all be on any 1 country. I can see the US, Russia and probably China in on it at first. Maybe Canada. Warri, think your country would join in?
 
Through our radio and other telescopes we are already involved, as we were with the Apollo and other ventures. We have the advantage of our Southern Hemisphere perspective for radio communications and we also have wide open spaces in abundance. We once had our own rocket launching base but it was shut down decades ago.

The sticking point would be whether we would be allowed to profit from building/launching any space craft.

If all the benefits are to go to US companies then why should other nations share the costs?
 
I miss seeing the shuttles take off from the Kennedy Space Center. We always ran outside to watch. The best ones were at night when you could see the trail of the shuttle as it lit up the sky.

I hope it will continue and the discoveries made would make it worth the cost, in my opinion.
 
No reason to explore space, we all know reaching 8 billion plus population on earth will not impact the resources people use and trash. Oil used for transportation, heating, manufacturing things like plastic will not deplete. Can't imagine the world without new car, suv, truck models plus the inventory to replace repair damage to all those.

I think a combined effort to locate and set up a place in space for humans to migrate to if by any tiny chance earths resources did somehow dwindle would be welcome.
 
Do I love the idea of space exploration? A big fat, YES. But I think the days of national space exploration are over. There's no longer a need for one-upmanship. The next step is to Mars. I won't see it, but there will be humans on Mars. That is a grand and mega-costly step, which no one nation can bear. It will be an international event.
 
It might turn out to be a necessity. We shouldn't let other countries get too far ahead of us (if at all) and the way this planet is going, humans may need to vacate one day. There are incredible things being done to prepare for living in outer space.
 
Exploration of the unknown has Always led to progress for Humanity. Space is the Final Frontier, and eventually humans will have to expand beyond this planet if the species is to survive. Between climate change, overpopulation, and technology such as AI, humans will be in dire straits within a few centuries....some, most notably...Stephen Hawking...say within 100 years. At some point, there is going to have to be a "Noah's Ark" heading for another solar system and perhaps giving humanity a 2nd chance to learn from all the mistakes being made here.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top