NASA to go back to the Moon

[jonovid]

Presidential Space Policy Directs NASA to Return Humans to Moon


A draft copy of the order declares that
“the United States will lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization,
followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.”

[CJay]

I think he should lead the first mission, after all he's got a giant IQ and the best brain.

[tszaboo]

Finally someone realized that we dont need to go to as far as Mars, if we want to build an extra-terrestrial colony. I mean it is really hard to miss, and you see it every day.
Yes, we need moon colony. It has scientific and economical importance. It is much easier to reach than Mars.
Though, I loved, how he described that the Americans had space supremacy. After doing everything second after the Russians, except the one thing.

[M4trix]

What about finding a cure for cancer first !? Idiots ! 

[Mr. Scram]

What about finding a cure for cancer first !? Idiots ! 

Why not both?

Besides, a cure for cancer doesn't exist. It's a gradual improvement of our understanding of the plethora of afflictions grouped together as cancer at best. And we're charging ahead with that.

[tszaboo]

What about finding a cure for cancer first !? Idiots ! 

Astronauts cant cure cancer. Nor do rockets.

[M4trix]

What about finding a cure for cancer first !? Idiots ! 

Astronauts cant cure cancer. Nor do rockets.

But the money spent on rockets would !

Edit: OK, I'm not against progress but traveling to lifeless Moon and Mars is the last thing that we need right now.

[Mr. Scram]

But the money spent on rockets would !

Edit: OK, I'm not against progress but traveling to lifeless Moon and Mars is the last thing that we need right now.

I disagree. We need the eyes of humanity on the horizon and the promise of a shared goal more than ever. Looking outward, rather than inward is the best thing we can do.

[aargee]

Has NASA been deemed an illegal alien and evicted by Trump?

[nctnico]

Finally someone realized that we dont need to go to as far as Mars, if we want to build an extra-terrestrial colony.

I recon the moon's gravity will cause problems if people stay too long. Mars' gravity is more than double compared to the moon so probably better for a long term stay. Also Mars may have more resources like water which could help to create oxygen and/or grow food. Also IMHO Mars is way more interesting to explore than the moon because it may have had life for a period in time. Who knows what is buried under the sand?

[frozenfrogz]

What does he mean by saying "the return of humans to the moon"? Everybody knows that no man has ever stepped on the moon yet!     

[Mr. Scram]

I recon the moon's gravity will cause problems if people stay too long. Mars' gravity is more than double compared to the moon so probably better for a long term stay. Also Mars may have more resources like water which could help to create oxygen and/or grow food. Also IMHO Mars is way more interesting to explore than the moon because it may have had life for a period in time. Who knows what is buried under the sand?

Mars is also a lot less hostile than the Moon in other areas. Radiation, abrasion and pressure, to name a few.

[Nusa]

What about finding a cure for cancer first !? Idiots ! 

Astronauts cant cure cancer. Nor do rockets.

But the money spent on rockets would !

Surely you've noticed by now that what Trump says means far less than the fact it keep Trump in the news.

This is only real news if Trump and Congress support giving NASA a budget sufficient to do it. Last I heard, his budget proposals involved cuts to most science programs, including NASA.

[Bud]

 
(Waiting for the thread to become Trump hate diarrhea)

[james_s]

I have mixed thoughts on the matter. Going to the moon was definitely a huge achievement for humanity, but at this point we've already been there, we know what it looks like, we know there's nothing much there. The most hostile and unlivable areas on earth are still massively more inviting than the moon or Mars. These days I'm not fully sold on the benefit of manned exploration missions when we have the technology to send remotely operated rovers that are much cheaper and can spend longer on location because they don't have to worry about life support or a return trip.

Some day it would be cool to be able to do Star Trek style long term space exploration but unless someone can figure out how to bend the laws of the universe it's going to take a very long time to get anywhere interesting. It's also going to take a very, very large ship with a crew of at least a few hundred people to keep things interesting. If you stick 10 people in a sealed tube and send them out on a years-long mission to someplace it's going to turn into chaos and drama within a few months.

There is the thought of "saving" the human race from extinction by colonizing other planets but it's really not saving much. Even if we do colonize other places it's not going to help the population of earth in some kind of doomsday event, only a tiny fraction of the population could ever be carried off the planet.

[amspire]

Surely you've noticed by now that what Trump says means far less than the fact it keep Trump in the news.

This is only real news if Trump and Congress support giving NASA a budget sufficient to do it. Last I heard, his budget proposals involved cuts to most science programs, including NASA.

That is the real worry. With the decrease in tax revenue along with increased spending on the military and the wall, it sounds to me like resources will be diverted from NASA's current great work on unmanned probes, climate change, and studies in to how to cool the magma in the Yellowstone super volcano and replace it with a fairly useless manned return to the Moon.

If he is talking about a genuine NASA budget increase, then maybe it is an interesting idea. I hate to think where the money will come from.

He was going on about how this was important for America's security. What is that about? I hope he is not considering in turning NASA from a peaceful scientific organisation into a secretive branch of the military. You never know with Trump.

[tszaboo]

Finally someone realized that we dont need to go to as far as Mars, if we want to build an extra-terrestrial colony.

I recon the moon's gravity will cause problems if people stay too long. Mars' gravity is more than double compared to the moon so probably better for a long term stay. Also Mars may have more resources like water which could help to create oxygen and/or grow food. Also IMHO Mars is way more interesting to explore than the moon because it may have had life for a period in time. Who knows what is buried under the sand?

I've read a theory, that human body handles low gravity a lot better than no gravity. We already had guys in space for a year (Scott Kelly). The lunar colony could be manned with a rotation of crew, for example a 3 month rotation. The flight is like 3 days to there, so it is almost the same as Australia. Unlike Mars. If anything goes wrong there, it is game over for them. To the moon, we can pretty much just launch a bunch of batteries or MRE or a ride back home.

Unlike Earth and Mars, asteroids dont burn up in the atmosphere of the moon, so we could analize stuff coming from all of space, and everything is just a walking distance from there. There is plenty of stuff to do there. Also, they claim that there is enough hydrogen and oxigen on the moon to mine it. The gateway to Mars may very well be the Moon.

All these nonsense on TV of "people turning crazy" is just for the show. People work on oil drilling platforms and antartica, and they are doing just fine. Just have enough alcohol, and people can handle this.

[james_s]

He was going on about how this was important for America's security. What is that about? I hope he is not considering in turning NASA from a peaceful scientific organisation into a secretive branch of the military. You never know with Trump.

I try not to engage in political discussions, but I think one of the only things you can count on about Trump is that he will do and say whatever is in his own best interest. He will make stuff up and say whatever people want to hear and whatever riles up his supporters. In one sense it's hard to blame him, I mean it seems to work. He's a textbook narcissist and a large number of people interpret his belligerence as strength.

[Nusa]

It's also possible that someone informed him about China's successes and plans in space stations and moon exploration. It's even possible China may partner with Russia on its moon program. So it's entirely possible this now falls under his America First agenda.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong_program
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Lunar_Exploration_Program

[nctnico]

All these nonsense on TV of "people turning crazy" is just for the show. People work on oil drilling platforms and antartica, and they are doing just fine. Just have enough alcohol, and people can handle this.

Sorry but that is no nonsense at all. People working in remote areas are carefully selected and screened. Back in the old days lots of workers working at whale processing plants killed themselves because they couldn't handle being in a place with so little people. I've seen a documentary about the whale industry on TV and that was one of the topics they covered.

[wraper]

What about finding a cure for cancer first !? Idiots ! 

And people are starving in Africa, why you don't you go and donate all your wealth to them  .
If some unsolved problem exists, it does not mean that everything else must be abandoned and progress must stop  .

[M4trix]

What about finding a cure for cancer first !? Idiots ! 

And people are starving in Africa, why you don't you go and donate all your wealth to them  .
If some unsolved problem exists, it does not mean that everything else must be abandoned and progress must stop  .

  

[wraper]

 

Besides, regardless of how much money you will throw at relatively narrow problem as cancer research, it's not very likely that ultimate cure will be found. But as technology develops overall, it could happen eventually. Say if you had thrown trillion dollars at smartphone research 40 years ago, it's unlikely you would get any meaningful result out of that.

[lundmar]

Oh America. How the mighty have fallen. Sad.

[xrunner]

Oh America. How the mighty have fallen. Sad.

Yay a "let's bash another member's country" thread. Lovely.