NASA unveils green science commune dream

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NASA unveils green science commune dream
Sells Ames chunk for research village

Whatever happened to space colonization?

Space colonization is not feasible. Bullsh*t publicity stunts are more likely to garner congressional allocation of funds.

ruveyn

It's not economically feasible; not yet. Could be some posturing to forestall the 'back-to-the-earth' types who think the fastest way there is to leave space. Cuts have to come from somewhere...

We do not have the technology to terraform Mars, not even close. Venus is out of the question. So what does that leave? A few orbiting habitats?

The Moon is the only place suitable for on ground or underground habitats. It is close enough to home to be supplied as needed.

ruveyn

That happens to be the step in the right direction. For space colonization you really have to do what treehuggers are trying to do, at a much lagrer scale, and it has to actually work!

define "space colonization".

Does it mean

1. Habitats in orbit around Earth?
2. Habitats in orbit elsewhere?
3. On planet habitation? E.G. on or in the Moon or Mars.

ruveyn

What are your thoughts on something akin to say the O'Neill style cylinder?

How "closed" an eco-system will it provide. If it has to be periodically resupplied from Earth then it is an expensive hotel or resort. Can high value work be done on such a habit that cannot be done elsewhere? Will it earn its keep?

ruveyn

I used to be opposed to public funding of grand projects.

I used to not think billions should be spend on some fancy social experiment.

Now I think differently.

What changed my mind was reading about some of the victorian era projects. At the time, they were considered huge wastes of taxes. Early subways, canals, sewage systems, monuments(the Eiffel tower is a good example), museums(Mütter Museum, Philadelphia, f.1858), big expeditions to the remote parts of the work, and many others.

It took decades and generations to climb out of the debt holes some things created, and many of the people alive at the time did not benefit at all.

But we do. Their daring and willingness to sacrifice was a gift and a boon to their children and us. Those projects promoted healthy lives, free from disease, some were excellent studies in engineering, others gave the common man access to knowledge that wasnt accessible previously.

And so it will be with crazy projects like NASA's. In the long run, the accrued knowledge will make the world a better place, even if it doesnt lead in the direction intended.

We should have crazy cities floating on and under the sea. We need arcologies simulating mars colonies. We should spend great gobs of money devoted to alternate energy.

Once upon a time, people were called wasteful for wanting to explore the depths of the ocean, looking for new life. For traipsing through mucky jungles, or establishing outposts and research stations in Antarctica.

And yet today, the benefits of these things are taken for granted. They were a good idea.

So too will be these modern undertakings.

Governments waste money. They will regardless. But these projects kill no people. They harm no nature. They are the foundations of a better society. Once we learn to live cleanly and efficiently in vacuum, we will consider it untenable to live any other way, and we will finally treat the earth right.

NASA started off as a technological powerhouse but has become a corrupt and incompetent organization. Its management operates on the CYA principle and its incompetence has killed two shuttle crews.

Did you know that the Panama canal (the Apollo Project of its day) was built with private money, was completed under budget and on time and was accomplished with nary a whiff of scandal and corruption.

Did you know that Isaac Newton invented theoretical physics without a farthing of government money. Did you know that Albert Einstein developed relativity theory and the beginnings of quantized light theory in his spare time? He did not develop his theories under the direction of a government burocracy.

Did you know that the first major alternating current generating system based on the Tesla design was built by George Westinghouse on Niagara Falls, with Westinghouse's own money? It lit up the city of Buffalo New York about 25 miles away.

Did you know that the first turnpike in the U.S. was built across the Cumberland Gap with private money?

Did you know that Eli Whitney develop the method of interchangeable parts using his own money? He also developed the cotton gin out of his own pocket.

Did you know that Col. Hill built the Northern Pacific Railroad using his own money. Not one penny of government money. The Union Pacific was built with government money and a swindle. See The Credit Moblier.

Did you know that the development of penicillin and the polio-vaccines were funded privately?

Did you know that the Jaquard Loom, the forerunner of the computer was developed privately?

Did you know that the Wright Brothers made the first successful motor driven heavier than air flier out of pocket for $1200 1903 dollars. Samuel Langley received $50,000 1901 dollars from Congress to make such a flying machine. All of his attempts were failures.

What is a camel? A camel is a horse funded and developed by the Government.

We don't need no steeeenking government for large projects.

ruveyn

I wanna live in the world NASA envisioned for me!! !

Should be sufficiently good. And, who says anything about supplying it from Earth. Earth's crust is very resource poor in Solar System terms (any planetary surface generally is). Most of the material resources (at least exploitable ones, including life supporting elements) in our vicinity are in the asteroid belt and the Trojans.

The surface of the Earth has kept life on earth alive for close to 4 billion years. That includes the sea. We live off both the crust and the sea. Some poor that is.

ruveyn

But we have polluted our Earth so much, we may need to find a 2nd one if we can...

Yodah says : Do not your breath hold Young Ruennsheng until find we another Earth, else blue turn you will.

ruveyn

The astronauts knew the risks when they signed up - they are never going to have perfect safety on such a programme. We would have never got to the moon if everyone took your line here.

Might want to read into the politics of Panama - read, US interference over there. Or the wonderful conditions the people worked in.

Excluding a professorship.

Excluding the government money spent on his education etc...

Kind of need a lot of government help to set up a power grid, or did no one tell you.

Who cares. All it really means that it was only the rich who got to use it; surely all wonderful new things should be accessible to everyone.

All you have done is shown your utter political ignorance here.