POLL: The Future of Space Exploration

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@jschild

If you want your kid to go to a good school,

school em' yourself!

 

Lol, you don't know how tempted i am on that. But with how the deficit is right now, can't justify setting a base on the moon. As much as I love the idea. not right now

 

BTA, I am a scientist and I would rather have a fembot than a human by my side...

Anyway *ahem*... My personal view is that Men will never get further than bases on moon or mars because of the changes human bodies suffer from leaving earth's gravity for long periods of time. So if we ever go further in the solar system to harvest knowledge and technological knowledge (for science and war.. who knows) or resources, I would bet on robots in some form. But my guess here is as unqualified scientifically as it can get.

Still;
Space exploration is (nomatter what abuse it gets accused of in warfare) a very interesting study for science. So I'll look forward to any goodwill president Bush gives it. Space exploration is also a sign of a thriving state and a highly advanced level of technology, so it will stay around for long I think.

 

I love it when scientists say the word "never". Well guess what, scientists said we could never go faster than 30mph because we wouldn't be able to breathe, we would never be able to fly, we would never be able to go to the moon, etc.... Will we ever have something like Star Trek? Probably not, but will we conquer the solar system. Providing we don't kill ourselves off, yes. Maybe not in 100 years or even 500 but we will. We will find a way. Eventually we will be able to create craft with practical rotating sections to simulate gravity. Just cause we can't do it now doesnt mean it can't happen. As for interstellar stuff. That will be to robots unless we find a cheat since robots don't need to eat, breathe, etc.

 

Sure if we look at technology step by step there is no limit. Even Star Trek. Why say probably not?

My reason to say we will never have manned starbases on other planets are that robots would do much better and hence be more cost-effective than any gravitational space station standing on the surface of Venus only to support humans who would do a worse job than robots, which can work better, cheaper and for much longer periods. Gravitation is just one of many obstacles that would make mankind consider if it really pays of to make bases elsewhere than the moon and mars.

Purpose and payability drives technology, hence my personal opinion is that it will never pay off to send men further than Mars and the Moon. That is why I mentioned robots as the next technological step in my previous post. Sure if we need to evacuate earth or need more breathing space, there will certainly arise a purpose to develop longdistance spacefligh.


Sorry that my Never irritated you Of course longterm dissasters can always arise that forces mankind to move to outer space without thinking about payability and purpose (other than surviving). I regret that I didn't take the destruction of the sun (which certainly qualifies as a dissaster ) in 5 billion years into consideration when I wrote my never.

Heh

 

My point is that what is expensive now will not always be expensive. 50 years ago only the richest nations could afford a computer that couldn't match a cheap 200 computer today. If we ever achieve fusion or even antimatter as a power source, it would be far far cheaper to travel in space. Not saying that anything will happen anytime soon, it just eventualy will. Remember, for the longest time, it wasn't really worth sending ships across the atlantic, now even poor people can travel continents quickly and easily.