So what do you think of this? (Nonvalk)

[Skinhead]

Politics aside, I was very disappointed when our space programs were scrapped, but I was amazed by the accomplishments of private companies.  I think these events clearly show that government is not the answer.

https://youtu.be/2h_d6YVA1Kg?list=PLobA-WQ_mD_dLtQHFthI5yr0IblQEPGSW

[Moonshot_1]

Politics aside, I was very disappointed when our space programs were scrapped, but I was amazed by the accomplishments of private companies.  I think these events clearly show that government is not the answer.

https://youtu.be/2h_d6YVA1Kg?list=PLobA-WQ_mD_dLtQHFthI5yr0IblQEPGSW

I think the government has a crucial role to play. The government should be developing the infrastructure for the private space initiatives. The Space X/NASA partnership is a case in point.

Ultimately there must be a profit in it for any of this to make sense. We can't afford it otherwise.

[John Schmidt]

I'd love to see the towns of Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral come alive like they were in the 60's and early 70's during the various astronaut programs/launches. Life over there was crazy from all the way from Melbourne Beach north to the Cape. Was an interesting time for sure.

[hubcapsc]

I think the "space era" of our youth was awesome, and it "ended" right
where it should have. It was motivated by science and geo-political thrashing
about, and we (the US) won. Now all that gain is being put into making
space tangibly valuable. The video Sinkhead posted is nine years old or more.
Now Nasa has a pretty cool rocket in the works (the whims of government
could scrap it of course), and numerous private companies are making
money doing useful things in orbit with plans for beyond.  Here's a newer
video (a current episode of NOVA) that I really enjoyed watching a couple
of days ago...

https://www.pbs.org/video/rise-of-the-rockets-l6f1cj/

-Mike

[cookiedough]

Not saying the space program was a total waste of money, but what really did it do for the majority of the population of the actual United States?  Cost vs. reward I imagine was more cost than reward/benefit  -- just saying.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I think the "space era" of our youth was awesome, and it "ended" right
where it should have. It was motivated by science and geo-political thrashing
about, and we (the US) won. Now all that gain is being put into making
space tangibly valuable. The video Sinkhead posted is nine years old or more.
Now Nasa has a pretty cool rocket in the works (the whims of government
could scrap it of course), and numerous private companies are making
money doing useful things in orbit with plans for beyond.  Here's a newer
video (a current episode of NOVA) that I really enjoyed watching a couple
of days ago...

https://www.pbs.org/video/rise-of-the-rockets-l6f1cj/

-Mike

I wish I was smart enough to work for NASA 

[Willow]

Not saying the space program was a total waste of money, but what really did it do for the majority of the population of the actual United States?  Cost vs. reward I imagine was more cost than reward/benefit  -- just saying.

Someone needs to make you a long list of the technology you use today that was developed in the Space Program.

[Hook#3287]

Not saying the space program was a total waste of money, but what really did it do for the majority of the population of the actual United States?  Cost vs. reward I imagine was more cost than reward/benefit  -- just saying.

Someone needs to make you a long list of the technology you use today that was developed in the Space Program.

Exactly what I was thinking and I bet the list would be long.

Hello, Serk?

[The emperor has no clothes]

Not saying the space program was a total waste of money, but what really did it do for the majority of the population of the actual United States?  Cost vs. reward I imagine was more cost than reward/benefit  -- just saying.

Someone needs to make you a long list of the technology you use today that was developed in the Space Program.

Exactly what I was thinking and I bet the list would be long.

Hello, Serk?

Tang for $100 Alex 

[Moonshot_1]

Yeah, we can make a long list of things that were conceived and developed during the space program.

I question whether that was the only way to develop that technology.

We, as a nation, have invested a lot in the space program. What have we gotten for it?

We have let those investments die slow deaths.

We invested in the moon landings.
We've done nothing on the moon since.

We invested in the Space Shuttle. We no longer have them. We should have a fleet of different kinds of shuttles by now. Crew transports, cargo transports, specialty transports, etc.

For what we've invested in the space program we should have had an active space base in orbit and far more active presence in space.

But we don't.

Yes we have had a long list of tech advancements because of our investment in space. But these advancements would have been achieved eventually. Probably through the private sector.

[Serk]

Being a nerd and a libertarian, the space program has always been a tough one for me.

We NEED to go to space. One way or another, at some point in our future this planet, this solar system will be uninhabitable, our only options are to become a space faring species, or to go extinct; the quicker we start working on that the better.

But, on the other hand, private companies do everything better than government, always.

IMHO the best thing government can do right now for space exploration is stand aside, get out of the way, and let the market figure it out. There's lots of money to be made in space, not just from tourism, but scientific discoveries, mining and resource collection, etc. etc. etc...

But on the other hand..... Yeah. Sometime pure science just for the sake of science is a wonderful thing.


So yeah, always been torn on that.

As for a list of things that have been invented/created due to the space program that have creeped into regular life, here's a nice start:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_spinoff_technologies

[The emperor has no clothes]

But, on the other hand, private companies do everything better than government, always.

nope

[Gryphon]

Being a nerd and a libertarian, the space program has always been a tough one for me.

We NEED to go to space. One way or another, at some point in our future this planet, this solar system will be uninhabitable, our only options are to become a space faring species, or to go extinct; the quicker we start working on that the better.

And the meek shall inherit the Earth, the rest of us are leaving.

[hubcapsc]

We invested in the Space Shuttle. We no longer have them. We should have a fleet of different kinds of shuttles by now. Crew transports, cargo transports, specialty transports, etc.

What would we transport?

-Mike "reasons will drive the next step..."

[The emperor has no clothes]

Yeah, we can make a long list of things that were conceived and developed during the space program.

I question whether that was the only way to develop that technology.

We, as a nation, have invested a lot in the space program. What have we gotten for it?

We have let those investments die slow deaths.

We invested in the moon landings.
We've done nothing on the moon since.

We invested in the Space Shuttle. We no longer have them. We should have a fleet of different kinds of shuttles by now. Crew transports, cargo transports, specialty transports, etc.

For what we've invested in the space program we should have had an active space base in orbit and far more active presence in space.

But we don't.

Yes we have had a long list of tech advancements because of our investment in space. But these advancements would have been achieved eventually. Probably through the private sector.

research and development isn’t always linear. But it’s almost always productive to a society in the end. The reason for putting a man on the moon wasn’t to colonize it, but to expand our knowledge.

[Serk]

The reason for putting a man on the moon wasn’t to colonize it, but to expand our knowledge.

And at the time a bigger driving force was to do it before the socialists in Russia did it, to show our system was better than their system.

[Moonshot_1]

Yeah, we can make a long list of things that were conceived and developed during the space program.

I question whether that was the only way to develop that technology.

We, as a nation, have invested a lot in the space program. What have we gotten for it?

We have let those investments die slow deaths.

We invested in the moon landings.
We've done nothing on the moon since.

We invested in the Space Shuttle. We no longer have them. We should have a fleet of different kinds of shuttles by now. Crew transports, cargo transports, specialty transports, etc.

For what we've invested in the space program we should have had an active space base in orbit and far more active presence in space.

But we don't.

Yes we have had a long list of tech advancements because of our investment in space. But these advancements would have been achieved eventually. Probably through the private sector.

research and development isn’t always linear. But it’s almost always productive to a society in the end. The reason for putting a man on the moon wasn’t to colonize it, but to expand our knowledge.

The reason for putting a man on the moon was purely political. The Cold War is what drove it. It was to beat the Soviets to the moon. There was a real fear at the time of a nuclear USSR in space.
You can believe in romanticism of "expanding our knowledge" but most scientist at the time doubted the need or benefit of putting a man on the moon. The knowledge we "gained" could have most certainly been gained by unmanned craft at considerably less cost.

And "less cost" is an issue. We can secure more knowledge if we do it for less.

I simply believe that we need to have a model where the Government establishes the infrastructure for private space endeavors. Taxpayers subsidize the infrastructure and private companies pay for the use.

This includes space based infrastructure like space stations and orbital assembly bases.

Landing on the moon should have been an immediate per-cursor to establishing a moon base.
It would have been the most sterile laboratory ever. We could have made some really nasty stuff and not worry about contaminating the earth. Nuclear experiments, biological experiments, things that we would want to try but don't because we can't contain it with certainty we could do on the moon.

But we never pursued it. Even after the huge investment we made.

Disappointing.
 

[Jess from VA]

Way too much of space development was a huge waste of taxpayer dollars. IMHO

I am certainly proud of all the achievements, but imagine if those resources, had been spent on basic national infrastructure, national defense, transportation, education, even ocean exploration, energy development (including alternative); and instead of being able to employ fairly narrow skill sets, millions of common men could have been employed in these endeavors.  (look up NASA budgeting since inception)

The only thing the Gov does better than private industry is waste money, and exponential Gov growth, which is completely unjustified by any objective measurement.  National and State Govt is the poster child of self interest, and has raised it to a fine art.  (maybe not local Govt, which by necessity has had to live within it's meager budgets)

Paraphrasing JFK:  Ask not what your govt can do for you, ask what your Govt can do for itself.  (And we can do TO YOU whatever we damn well please, and all at your expense.  But we'll let you have a vote every few years, so you can feel like you have some control over Govt.  But you don't.)

[NewValker]

I wish I was smart enough to work for NASA  

They eat meat don’t they?
 
Craig

[The emperor has no clothes]

I wish I was smart enough to work for NASA  

They eat meat don’t they?
 
Craig

probably, but their butchers are required to have an IQ above 46. 43 is the best I could do.  

[RP#62]

But, on the other hand, private companies do everything better than government, always.

nope

You should read the book Slide Rule by Nevil Shute

-RP

[¿spoom]

The space program was just an arm of the military, and that's not a bad thing. Now that our military depends big time on GPS satellites and other orbiting items, we still need something other than Russian rockets to get up into space. The only real reason we have for sending people to the International Space Station is to keep an eye on it so it doesn't become a Russian base. China has been making huge investments in satellite killing hdw. 

[Serk]

If anyone's watching tonight., 8 minutes until the first ever private non-government attempt to send a vehicle to the moon is happening RIGHT NOW...

(And it's an Israeli company sending a vehicle to the moon)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS0E35aYJcU

[shortleg]

I think the "space era" of our youth was awesome, and it "ended" right
where it should have. It was motivated by science and geo-political thrashing
about, and we (the US) won. Now all that gain is being put into making
space tangibly valuable. The video Sinkhead posted is nine years old or more.
Now Nasa has a pretty cool rocket in the works (the whims of government
could scrap it of course), and numerous private companies are making
money doing useful things in orbit with plans for beyond.  Here's a newer
video (a current episode of NOVA) that I really enjoyed watching a couple
of days ago...

https://www.pbs.org/video/rise-of-the-rockets-l6f1cj/

-Mike

I wish I was smart enough to work for NASA 

     You seem to have  forgotten  TANG!!!!!.
  And yes all the other small things like the microwave oven and the like.

[Bigwolf]

The reason for putting a man on the moon wasn’t to colonize it, but to expand our knowledge.

And at the time a bigger driving force was to do it before the socialists in Russia did it, to show our system was better than their system.