Personally, i don't like it. I want to see people on the moon (and mars) in my lifetime. why does NASA cancel every attempt to move beyond LEO?
If it wasn't for Nixon, we would have a mars base by now
Not that NASA is doing this, but I think the best thing at this point is to not worry about the moon or Mars or wherever and focus on LEO. I absolutely disagree with Neil deGrasse Tyson that we've conquered LEO; not until we have an orbiting hotel and casino. Let the Richard Bransons set up trips to LEO that rich idiots can afford, and let's see the Rio All-Suites Hotel in Vegas have an orbiting casino with Penn and Teller doing the first zero-gee magic act.
What will that do? It will make an actual economic infrastructure in orbit. Then, spacecraft that can take us to the moon, or Mars, or wherever can be constructed in orbit and launched at a fraction of the cost.
And if that is going to get done, it should be by the free market.
That's the only way it CAN be done.
They'd better hurry up with the space elevator.
(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/tensile_vs_shear_strength.png)
Quote from: surhotchaperchlorome on May 07, 2010, 07:17:31 PM
(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/tensile_vs_shear_strength.png)
Mouseover text: "Although really, the damage was done when the party planners took the hole punch to the elevator ribbon to hang up the sign."
Quote from: MrBogosity on May 07, 2010, 03:32:13 PM
Penn and Teller doing the first zero-gee magic act.
Actually...
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19910610&id=B2QfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rdQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1357,1045218
There have been various card tricks done in space (James Randi did one on the phone with an ISS astronaut), but never an act where both magician(s) and audience were all in zero-gee together.
Well technically, we're all in space right now.
Quote from: MrBogosity on May 07, 2010, 03:32:13 PM
Not that NASA is doing this, but I think the best thing at this point is to not worry about the moon or Mars or wherever and focus on LEO. I absolutely disagree with Neil deGrasse Tyson that we've conquered LEO; not until we have an orbiting hotel and casino. Let the Richard Bransons set up trips to LEO that rich idiots can afford, and let's see the Rio All-Suites Hotel in Vegas have an orbiting casino with Penn and Teller doing the first zero-gee magic act.
What will that do? It will make an actual economic infrastructure in orbit. Then, spacecraft that can take us to the moon, or Mars, or wherever can be constructed in orbit and launched at a fraction of the cost.
Congratulations, you just pushed the mars landing into the 22nd century
but, i agree.
we should be dumping more money into non-rocket launch research.