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jcadam · Sep 20, 2005, 02:29 PM

wdlove · Sep 20, 2005, 02:45 PM

I think that it's a good idea. Here's looking to 2018. I saw a NASA animation of the proposed project. Brought back fond memories to the Apollo missions. Except the return landing is done on soil instead of the ocean.

brapper · Sep 20, 2005, 03:03 PM

I'm pumped for that.
I think it's a really exciting idea, and though it's a money pit, it's not my money.

macroy · Sep 20, 2005, 03:07 PM

This is most likely an ignorant comment - but if its been done already, why does it take so long to get back? Didn't they do it within 10 years the first time around? Nonetheless - I think its pretty cool. I wasn't around for the first landing, hope I'll be there for the next one.

phantomdragonz · Sep 20, 2005, 03:10 PM

i think it will get everybody excited about space again, and their funding will go up... think about it... they WILL have HDTV broadcasts, and once they return I bet they will have iMAX films out too.
I think it is a great thing

Zach

Kerrigan · Sep 20, 2005, 03:18 PM

It will take a long time basically to train thousands of engineers to make it all possible. You could probably just pull up all the old apollo equipment designs and have a new Saturn V rocket in a matter of months, but you need a massive support team to bring it all together, which will take years. Most of the people who worked on Apollo are now well into their 70s (obviously) so a new generation of people is needed.

scaught · Sep 20, 2005, 03:20 PM

"return" to the moon?

I don't know. I don't see the point. I guess it has enabled people to find some interesting technology solutions for space travel related problems that have benefitted us down here on terra firma, but has anything really been that great? and shouldn't we worry about things happening down here?

UNTeMac · Sep 20, 2005, 03:41 PM

The moon is a great jumping off point for missions to other planets. Also, many of today's technologies came out of the moon missions in the 60's. Eventually, our civilization is going to have to learn to live on other planets. The moon is a great place to start that process. Go NASA.

Kerrigan · Sep 20, 2005, 03:48 PM

Listen scaught, people often complain about whether or not the manned space program is worth it. But spending $200billion dollars is well worth going to the moon, especially when it will vastly improve our knowledge of space travel. A return to the moon will ultimately help develop technologies that will someday make it easier for spendthrift billionaires to take space vacations. This has been man's dream ever since he first gazed up at the stars. [/sarc]

Goldfinger · Sep 20, 2005, 03:58 PM

I just wish they'd build a space station on the moon and use it as a launch base/research facility for future missions to other planets.

Mastrap · Sep 20, 2005, 04:31 PM

Very cool. I'm all for it.

OreoCookie · Sep 20, 2005, 05:08 PM

Hey, we're a bunch of nerds, what do you think?

I love the idea.

ironknee · Sep 20, 2005, 06:34 PM

cool...but only for the 1st landing...big ratings as 6 billion people watch...

second landing? ho hum

ghporter · Sep 20, 2005, 06:52 PM

Since the end of the Apollo program, the infrastructure to build those massive rockets has been allowed to evaporate. It takes a lot of work to design even deriviatives of something that you know works. Basically, since we all stopped spending what amounted to about 5¢ apiece every day (that's what Apollo cost, from start to finish) for the space program at its apex, we're now having to catch up that spending. This is very frustrating for me, as I've been watching our space program since almost its begining; people like Sen Proxmire who couldn't see an immediate payoff from the space program have saddled us with a big pricetag to pay. We'll do it, but I'd like to kick William Proxmire in the jimmies for his push to kill the space program.

Weyland-Yutani · Sep 20, 2005, 07:09 PM

Oh I don't know.. I mean why bother? And then of course I think: Why the heck not!!

I guess it will be like a really strange flashback for the kids who watched the original show in 69! Me, well I'm more interested in intra-atmosphere flying.

..why the heck not.

PS:I hope they park the Rockwell shuttles for good sometime very soon.

cheers

W-Y

goMac · Sep 20, 2005, 07:15 PM

: deleted post :

Face Ache · Sep 20, 2005, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by UNTiMac

Eventually, our civilization is going to have to learn to live on other planets.

We should learn how to live on this one first.

zoroaster68 · Sep 20, 2005, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by scaught

"return" to the moon?

I don't know. I don't see the point. I guess it has enabled people to find some interesting technology solutions for space travel related problems that have benefitted us down here on terra firma, but has anything really been that great? and shouldn't we worry about things happening down here?

Velcro dude. Velcro.

iLikebeer · Sep 20, 2005, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by Face Ache

We should learn how to live on this one first.

Care to expand on that?
Do you mean we should spend money on feeding the poor and fighting AIDS blah blah or do you mean we should worry about fixing the environment on earth before we go somewhere else?

These arguments are always brought up and they are incredibly short sighted. There's always going to be poor and dying people, that's no reason to take away from aquiring new knowledge and exploration. The real benefits of space travel are extremely long term. If you can't imagine benefits to the environment and humanity from a full scale space industry of the future, you haven't tried very hard. Imagine all heavy industry moved out in to space. Mining, power production, manufacturing....all moved to a place where it is no longer polluting earth. It might be 100 or more years away, but someone has to take the first steps.

Eug Wanker · Sep 20, 2005, 07:59 PM

I'm all for that, as long as they bring back some cheese for the rest of us.

Pendergast · Sep 20, 2005, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by jcadam

yes, they did

Funny.

When this president goes down in the charts, the Space program is resurrected.

In American politics, it's either a rocket, or a cigar that will be the center of attention; talk about phallic fixations... In the meantime, the pres. goes down...

TailsToo · Sep 20, 2005, 10:10 PM

It's a great thing. It'll cost less than the war!

budster101 · Sep 20, 2005, 10:15 PM

I think they should finally go there for the first time.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Sep 20, 2005, 10:17 PM

Well it is cool and all but is it worth all the coin? How many billion?

Now somebody is going to say because of Nasa we have ziplock bags and pens that write upside down.

Give me 300 Billion and I'll come up with some more impressive stuff.

budster101 · Sep 20, 2005, 10:33 PM

Like what?

jcadam · Sep 20, 2005, 10:37 PM

It is also somewhat amusing that NASA is more or less admitting that a safe, reliable, and completely reusable spaceplane is just not do-able with the current state of technology. After 30 years of trying with the space shuttle, and then the failed VentureStar program, they said "Oh f**ck it, let's use capsules again."

Face Ache · Sep 20, 2005, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by iLikebeer

Care to expand on that?

Not really.

Originally Posted by iLikebeer

Imagine all heavy industry moved out in to space. Mining, power production, manufacturing....all moved to a place where it is no longer polluting earth. It might be 100 or more years away, but someone has to take the first steps.

Imagine all the people, living for today!

Woo-hoo, ooh-ooh-ooh!

You may think I'm a realist, but I'm not the only one

You think mine owners will pay for space stations

Can I sell you a bridge?

Oh that doesn't rhyme.

Anyway, this is about US (SPACE PENIS) dominance and nothing else. The Chinese are in space. Woooooo! Break out the phallic symbols.

iLikebeer · Sep 20, 2005, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by Face Ache

Not really.

Imagine all the people, living for today!

Woo-hoo, ooh-ooh-ooh!

You may think I'm a realist, but I'm not the only one

You think mine owners will pay for space stations

Can I sell you a bridge?

Oh that doesn't rhyme.

Anyway, this is about US (SPACE PENIS) dominance and nothing else. The Chinese are in space. Woooooo! Break out the phallic symbols.

I don't think you're a realist, i think you're blind.

If humanity survives, eventually there will be a large population in space and on moons/planets. Those people will have jobs. Space launches will be cheap enough where orbiting power plants and manufacturing will be developed.

I don't expect any of this to happen in my lifetime. If people want to say it's about US space dominance, that's fine. Frankly I couldn't care less why anybody thinks we're doing it as long as we're doing it. I won't be around to see the long term benefits, but my kids, my kids' kids, and so on will be. I'd much rather lay the groundwork to make the world a better place for future generations than throw extra money at current problems just so people feel good about themselves.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Sep 21, 2005, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by budster101

Like what?

Find OBL

JoshuaZ · Sep 21, 2005, 12:24 AM

I hear NASA is doing wonderful things with slingshots these days.

Face Ache · Sep 21, 2005, 12:31 AM

Originally Posted by iLikebeer

I'd much rather lay the groundwork to make the world a better place for future generations than throw extra money at current problems just so people feel good about themselves.

Originally Posted by iLikebeer

If humanity survives, eventually there will be a large population in space and on moons/planets. Those people will have jobs.

Is that you George?

SirCastor · Sep 21, 2005, 01:18 AM

I say it's a good idea, because it's cool. And an entire generation (myself included) missed wholly out on Apollo. That being said... Why are we doing this? The Moon's cool and all, but are we really going to be able to bring ourselves positive benefits for society? We see a lot of cool tech development out of stuff like this, and potential conceptual dreams, but the reality of our economic system beats all that down before it gets a chance. I honestly think that's the problem with alternative fuel cars, and such. It's capatilism which both provides so much of what we enjoy, and similtainiously keeps us from more...

that wasn't meant to be a soapbox, I just wonder how much we'll get from this. And when am I gonna see it in my kitchen, or living room?

iLikebeer · Sep 21, 2005, 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by Face Ache

Is that you George?

You don't care to back up your dislike of the space program, so now you're attacking me.

Sorry if you are jaded because the democrats lost the last election and you have nothing better to do than sit around here for 5500 posts being an ass to people that disagree with you, but none of that is my fault.

NASA is finally doing some things right, and now people want to bring it down if they can get in a shot at Bush. Don't mind the fact that NASA has been working on this plan for quite some time. It's obviously an attempt to take away attention from Iraq and Katrina.

Eriamjh · Sep 21, 2005, 08:32 PM

A return to the moon will bring out the "We never went there in the first place" people.

I look forward to that.

budster101 · Sep 21, 2005, 08:35 PM

You mean when they don't find the flag or any footprints where they should be?...

- - e r i k - - · Sep 21, 2005, 08:43 PM

Manned space-exploration is scientifically unsound. This is nothing but a Public Relation spin to detract from current events.