Meanwhile, Burt Rutan and people like him are doing their homework...
What will "Curiosity" do on Mars?
- Thread starter PALADIN85020
- Start date
- Status
Edmo
US Veteran
What is it going to do now that it is there?
I'm not sure, but for 2.5 Billion (with a B) it better be good!
Edmo
I'm not sure, but for 2.5 Billion (with a B) it better be good!
Edmo
Cooter Brown
Member
Burt Rutan, Richard Branson, etc., the private guys, still can't do what NASA did over half a century ago.
Nobody can bring the horsepower to the table like government to do all the engineering necessary to make this stuff happen. Your GPS, TV signals, and a host of other things (including velcro!) would not exist without the space program.
And if you think it's not a strategic issue anymore, ask the Chinese about that. They sure seem to think it is.
Nobody can bring the horsepower to the table like government to do all the engineering necessary to make this stuff happen. Your GPS, TV signals, and a host of other things (including velcro!) would not exist without the space program.
And if you think it's not a strategic issue anymore, ask the Chinese about that. They sure seem to think it is.
Maybe it will find a cache of new in the box highly collectable Smith & Wesson revolvers. 
Hey, it could happen!
Hey, it could happen!
DeathGrip
US Veteran
It seems as though fewer and fewer guys like him are around and more are like "Snoop Doggy Homey Lion Gangster" and more appreciated for being a hood.
At least that's what I learned last night from network.
It's gonna get better........
Cooter Brown
Member
Easy. You're preachin' to the choir.
You're probably right, Rags, but preachin's easier that way!
35Rem
Member
Its the shortsighted that can't see what the space program has done, and will do for technology development. Not only that, but it keeps us on top of the "bigger gun" battle that we, as Americans, BETTER win. We don't need to have to back down to anyone in this world, for fear of retaliation.
Doubtful that will be much better. For the most part, the Space Shuttle program was a private endeavor. Most of the people who worked directly with the shuttle program were private contractors. Cutting corners led to the loss of 2 orbiters and what, 13 or so lives?
Like everything in the private sector, money is the most important. Corners will be cut, even if that means compromising safety. We have seen it time and time again. It's a miracle planes arent falling out of the sky. Look at the recent Southwest and American Airlines (all of their MD80's grounded) fines due to lack of maintenance.
Was NASA perfect? Absolutely not, but there are certain things the government should just do. Military, Police... I say Space too.
You will notice the only reason any private sector companies are coming forward now is because the Government has it's wallet open, the government will fund their R&D, a good hunk of which will be actually done in India, the product built in China. A very few people will make a whole lot of money, it may make it up into space eventually after many budget overruns, hopefully people wont die in the process. Or maybe it may end up being a "Capricorn 1" scenario.
Kill the Martian cat.
Fat Old Guy
Member
That is an urban myth. Teflon predates NASA by more than a decade.
However there have been many other useful things that have come directly and indirectly from the space program.
I appreciate that there's no realistic comparison, but in the midst of keeping an eye on the Curiosity landing news, I was glancing at my itinerary for a couple of upcoming airline flights, and was amused at the notion that NASA can manipulate the subtlest nuances of a precision operation at distances so great that there's a 14 minute one-way time delay in radio communications moving at the speed of light.
Commercial airlines evidently think we're easily fooled into believing that they can operate with similar precision --- flight schedules imply accuracy right down to the minute --- Departs: 11:37 MST, Arrives: 6:53 CST --- when in reality they ought to tell us, "Departs: depending on the vagaries of weather, air traffic control screw-ups, problems of one sort or another at O'Hare, personnel problems at any level, various and sundry unforeseeable circumstances, no sooner than between about 11:45 and 12:00, very likely somewhat later, possibly much later, and will arrive when it gets there, absolutely no sooner than approximately 19:00 CST, under the very best of circumstances, and very likely significantly later, and possibly not even on the same day, if ever... Note: passengers are nonetheless advised to arrive at the airport at least one hour before the scheduled flight time due to enhanced security measures. Nothing in the published schedules should be construed as an express or implied expectation that passengers and their checked baggage will arrive simultaneously at their final destination."
Commercial airlines evidently think we're easily fooled into believing that they can operate with similar precision --- flight schedules imply accuracy right down to the minute --- Departs: 11:37 MST, Arrives: 6:53 CST --- when in reality they ought to tell us, "Departs: depending on the vagaries of weather, air traffic control screw-ups, problems of one sort or another at O'Hare, personnel problems at any level, various and sundry unforeseeable circumstances, no sooner than between about 11:45 and 12:00, very likely somewhat later, possibly much later, and will arrive when it gets there, absolutely no sooner than approximately 19:00 CST, under the very best of circumstances, and very likely significantly later, and possibly not even on the same day, if ever... Note: passengers are nonetheless advised to arrive at the airport at least one hour before the scheduled flight time due to enhanced security measures. Nothing in the published schedules should be construed as an express or implied expectation that passengers and their checked baggage will arrive simultaneously at their final destination."
Almost unbelievable. We must have some pretty fine engineers somewhere.
Fat Old Guy
Member
Almost unbelievable. We must have some pretty fine engineers somewhere.
Greenbelt, Maryland.
mc5aw
Member
The best news for NASA is that when the Curiosity rover finally conks out, it's worth $4,000 trade-in, having been grandfathered into the government's Cash For Clunkers program.
GatorFarmer
Member
The USAF has quietly started to rebrand itself as the United States Aerospace Force. There is and will be an American space presence but it will be under the DoD.
And the Martians do not like it much when we send probes.
And the Martians do not like it much when we send probes.
With all the "Needs" right here on this planet,
NASA's budget is the least of my concerns. I
know some will get all up in arms and start rattling
off what space exploration has accomplished, and
that's all well and good. I'm sure some advances have
been made due to space exploration.
I just say the Billions and
Billions sent up in space could be better used here
on Earth.
All NASA has shown me is with their "Go at all costs" attitude
they tend to get some fine astronauts killed un-nessecarily
at times.
Why not let the private sector fund some of these projects?
It would be done cheaper for sure. And more than likely
safer as well.
How will it affect your life if they find that, "at one time"
liquid water once flowed on Mars surface?
Does'nt mean much to the guy paying 4 bucks a gallon
for gas and 3 bucks a box for Cheerios.
Just MHO
Chuck
NASA's budget is the least of my concerns. I
know some will get all up in arms and start rattling
off what space exploration has accomplished, and
that's all well and good. I'm sure some advances have
been made due to space exploration.
I just say the Billions and
Billions sent up in space could be better used here
on Earth.
All NASA has shown me is with their "Go at all costs" attitude
they tend to get some fine astronauts killed un-nessecarily
at times.
Why not let the private sector fund some of these projects?
It would be done cheaper for sure. And more than likely
safer as well.
How will it affect your life if they find that, "at one time"
liquid water once flowed on Mars surface?
Does'nt mean much to the guy paying 4 bucks a gallon
for gas and 3 bucks a box for Cheerios.
Just MHO
Chuck
Last edited:
David LaPell
Member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2008
- Messages
- 5,541
- Reaction score
- 6,781
As much as I love the whole space exploration thing, with everything going on in the economy here at home, that money was better spent elsewhere's. With that said I think that Curiosity will find a good spot for the first Walmart on Mars. The aliens there can't look much worse than some of the things I see in ours locally.
On Mars, Martians are not aliens. They are natives, aboriginals, indigenous peoples, or First Peoples. We would be the al...
Never mind.
35Rem
Member
- Status
