July 20 1969

Space exploration is not profitable. Therefore it's not a private business anyone would go after. I think space exploration is naturally a state-run thing. I think SpaceX and others will do fine with tourism and fun rides, but the people to discover that frogs or rosebuds do or don't grow in space will obviously be state-funded scientists.

jazzc said:

Start by donating your money. If enough people donate, you 'll get your dream come true. If not, you can always tax them to get your toy I guess...

Click to expand...

Taxes are used to buy a whole lot of rockets. How about we use some of that money to buy rockets that we don't hurl at other people?

If we have money for weapons, we have money for science, because we wouldn't have the cutting edge systems defending us today without the space program.

I've heard there are multiple US space programs, civilian and otherwise. Anyone got info?

All I can think of is: mmm, 69

LakeForest said:

If we have money for weapons, we have money for science, because we wouldn't have the cutting edge systems defending us today without the space program.
?

Click to expand...

Like this one? There is no real "defense" system from ballistic missiles anywhere atm and there 's no sign of any such thing coming in the forseable future. The only reason governments aren't bombing each other is still the same old cold war one - nobody will survive.

It's pretty amazing, that's for sure. I am fascinated by space and some what scared at the same time. Looking at that picture there, somewhat reassures me.... that there is no way in hell we can be the only ones in this universe.

I'm not saying there's big green aliens like in the movies, but there has to be SOME other human beings or living creatures somewhere out there!

I think the government knows, but they just don't say it because people might go a bit nuts.

jazzc said:

Like this one? There is no real "defense" system from ballistic missiles anywhere atm and there 's no sign of any such thing coming in the forseable future. The only reason governments aren't bombing each other is still the same old cold war one - nobody will survive.

Click to expand...

If I were making a defense system, I'd make sure the news got out that it failed. Iron Dome seems to be working well so far. There's hope in ballistic defense yet.

By cutting edge I was thinking more our offensive-defensive capabilities. We can knock down satellites, and have done so, with a projectile fired from earth that had no on-board guidance. The tungsten rod system is very promising. Our more "conventionally" weaponized satellites are great. I think the AF even has access to all the guidance satellites too. Not to mention the stuff I'm forgetting. I wouldn't want to push the issue and test the capability live, though.

Disloyal said:

It's pretty amazing, that's for sure. I am fascinated by space and some what scared at the same time. Looking at that picture there, somewhat reassures me.... that there is no way in hell we can be the only ones in this universe.

I'm not saying there's big green aliens like in the movies, but there has to be SOME other human beings or living creatures somewhere out there!

I think the government knows, but they just don't say it because people might go a bit nuts.

Click to expand...

If we're alone, that's amazing.

If we're not alone, that's amazing.

Everyone who's not sheeple knows that the moon landing was just some polystyrene models and rocks, fancy wire work, and Hollywood lighting techniques on the set of Gentle Ben. Ask Ron Howard, he witnessed the whole thing as a kid...

jazzc said:

Like this one? There is no real "defense" system from ballistic missiles anywhere atm and there 's no sign of any such thing coming in the forseable future. The only reason governments aren't bombing each other is still the same old cold war one - nobody will survive.

Click to expand...

And thank goodness for that. Imagine if one nuclear power thought it could take out its adversary's weapons and defend any followup retaliatory attack... In the twisted world of zero sum nuclear warfare it makes sense to strike while you still have the ability to do so.

LakeForest said:

If we have money for weapons, we have money for science, because we wouldn't have the cutting edge systems defending us today without the space program.

Click to expand...

We also wouldn't have the cutting edge doomsday machines we have today without the space program. Even though it did a lot of good for humanity in the long run, the whole thing was just a super expensive way to showcase technology that was critical to the delivery of nuclear weapons.

LakeForest said:

If I were making a defense system, I'd make sure the news got out that it failed. Iron Dome seems to be working well so far. There's hope in ballistic defense yet.

Click to expand...

Why would you want your enemies to know it failed? Nuclear brinksmanship is all about showing everyone that you have the will and the capability. If anything you would do the opposite.

Iron dome is definitely and amazing defense system, but shooting down Hamas potato rockets in one thing... Trillion dollar Trident missile systems with MIRV payloads is another. It will probably never work, I would never want to have to count on it working anyways.

The real reason we need a Space Programme?

Space Olympics!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp77WTBLYCA

LakeForest said:

If I were making a defense system, I'd make sure the news got out that it failed.

Click to expand...

That 's the opposite of what the army was doing all these decades. So by this argument, they where crazy either then or now. I kinda doubt they 've been crazy at any point

There's hope in ballistic defense yet.

Click to expand...

There isn't any. Offense has a strong advantage on missiles. Especially the aircraft carriers are totally indefensible, sitting duck style. It 's so bad that the navy is actually considering replacing its missiles with throwing rocks as its next defense scheme. Throwing 7.5 Mach rocks to hit 10 Mach ballistic missiles that can steer themselves

W130SN said:

The real reason we need a Space Programme?

Space Olympics!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp77WTBLYCA

Click to expand...

it is true

bartosimpsonio said:

Space may mean our survival in 100 to 200 years, maybe less.

But what I'm really interested in your reply is: would you be able to provide more info on that laser experiment? What would I have to buy to try and bounce a laser off the moon?

Click to expand...

you mean more than 200 years?

You do know that video and all the pictures were made in a Hollywood studio

I certainly don't think they're crazy, they're very smart, and thank goodness. What is the appearance of US force projection in the world right now? Weak enough that entire regions seems to be ok with starting trouble and being loud. What is the reality of US force projection? It's never been stronger. It isn't in a nation's best interest to always appear omnipotent, especially if they are strong and are looking for justification to strike.

I don't believe in brinksmanship, I don't believe the world was ever going to implode on itself with MAD or or other policies. Maybe some day, maybe, but it's a no win scenario as it stands, and like we agree, they're not crazy. Look at the nations that boast about certain capabilities, and how they're laughed at, while others diminish what they can do and say they're not doing anything and cause worry. It's not the loud, confident guy in the room you have to worry about.

In the end I see defense winning. Rapid target interception will advance. Something will end up being able to knock out these fast magnetic rocks and rods the world is beginning to arm itself with before they hit anything. There will be systems that sophisticated. It will be interesting to see how rails and magnets come into play, but even those I believe will be countered. Combat will become an impossibility at some point, then we'll actually have to deal with issues.

Science can help or hurt, sure, but so can every endeavor. Science has advanced beyond what people could handle at every stage of development, from the introduction of harder metals, to the use of electricity in weapons. Science is a ship that needs steering.

As is tradition, no discussion about the space program at length can go without weapons discussion lol

With these space tourism companies emerging, I can't wait until people start getting bored of them. That will be a first world problem if there ever was one.

There are 2 things I find amazing about this picture.

1) How black the space is around Earth. It's creepy as all hell. There's not just a stark contrast of colors. But the contrast of life vs death. There in the center lies Earth... our home.... full of life and millions of different living organisms.... then surrounding all this life is nothing but an empty, dark, hollow, vacuum of nothingness. It's just amazing because as creepy as the black is.... that blue little planet wouldn't be as beautiful w/out it. And the same exact thing goes for life. Life wouldn't be as beautiful w/out death.

2) How small Earth actually is. I just never realized how far our moon is from this planet. Because you can look outside any night and it looks like the moon is right outside our atmosphere (technically the exosphere). But in this picture, it looks like the moon is almost as far as mars. It just looks really far from Earth. And the reason I find this interesting is I don't understand how our moon can orbit the Earth from that far away.

Like I always thought it was the Earths gravity that keeps the moon orbiting our planet.... correct? But how the hell does Earth's gravity stretch so far away from Earth itself? I just find that really weird. And I know this is a stupid question. But I wonder if you could run on the moon as fast as you can (towards Earth) then jump into space and let Earths gravity pull you into it's atmosphere? Because that would make a great commercial for Red Bull. Like imagine putting a parachute on you, standing on the moon, then being able to jump all the way into the Earths atmosphere. I can't even imagine what type of rush that would be (or if it's even possible).

So we supposedly faked the moon landing in 1969? So, I guess then the Russians coincidentally faked theirs as well? Or did they actually succeed and fail to realize that none of what we claimed hadn't happened?

And after all of this time, how would such a large scale conspiracy have been kept quiet with the internet? Where is the credible evidence that it actually was a theory other than the words of people questioning what many experienced and many others saw? Could it have been faked? Yes, but long ago the truth would have come out with first hand accounts of people that were actually involved in it.

Just my .02 worth...

And don't forget, we not only have much of the technology because of the space program but also advanced plastics and other materials that were developed.

OS

It'sth a conspirathy i tell ya!

CazuaL said:

I'm still in two minds about whether or not we actually went to the moon. Some of the evidence that we did not is pretty undeniable.

Click to expand...

I would like to see the undeniable evidence if possible.

tttoq said:

I would like to see the undeniable evidence if possible.

Click to expand...

No amount of evidence will convince a conspiracy theorist they are wrong.

I would like to see the undeniable evidence if possible.

Click to expand...

let me ask us president to have a personal meeting with you.

Show me a undeniable evidence that earth rotates around sun.

prab1996 said:

let me ask us president to have a personal meeting with you.

Show me a undeniable evidence that earth rotates around sun.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if you're understanding what I'm asking correctly. The person I quoted asserts that there is undeniable evidence about us not ​going at the moon. I would like to see the evidence.