Space race seems to be heating up again

[countezero]

So what are we to make of the rush to return to space? And why the moon? Is this even useful? Is this all about prestige? Or is there something more?

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1

[Baron Max]

Well, we've pretty much fucked up this planet, we need to begin searching for another planet to fuck up.

Baron Max

[Pandaemoni]

Maybe the Nazi Moon bases need resupplying.

It strikes me that we know pretty much enough about the Moon, given the cost of additional research, but this is more a matter of national prestige. Many nations feel that the U.S. was a little too dominant for a little too long, and so this is a way of showing that they are catching up. (Or even overtaking us...if the U.S. had to land men on the moon in the next few years, I'm not sure we could do it within budget constraints we could live with.)

[draqon]

we need to increase CO2 in atmosphere...that way there will be more space funding

[Enmos]

Well, we've pretty much fucked up this planet, we need to begin searching for another planet to fuck up.

Baron Max

Sad but true.

[Enmos]

I thought they were talking about setting up a moonbase ?

[Fraggle Rocker]

I think it's an instinctive need, an archetype. Humans need a frontier and space is the final frontier now that godforsaken places like Phoenix and Las Vegas have seven-figure populations. We're not comfortable without the reassurance that we can leave it all behind.

The cost of a moon base will be a fraction of what the Bushwacking of Iraq and Afghanistan have cost: a dollar sign with twelve zeroes.

[DeepThought]

Humans need a frontier

Absolutely not.

They need food, water and shelter.

'Frontiers' are the creation of over active egos.

[countezero]

Those "over active egos" have been responsible for some of humanity's greatest acheivements.

[DeepThought]

Those "over active egos" have been responsible for some of humanity's greatest acheivements.

Thank you for proving my point.

[Billy T]

"China's Chang'e 1 satellite, launched in October, began its first lap of the moon" {last week,I think. It is planned to send back data* for a year.} Quote from current issue of the Economist.
-------------------
*Including to what extent He3, which would be a valuable** fusion fuel, is there.
**Other than information, He3 is probably the only thing valuable enough to pay for the transport costs. For example, moon gold's mass to value ratio is orders of magnitude too high to be economically attractive on Earth.

[Enmos]

Thank you for proving my point.

Are you really VitalOne ?

[Baron Max]

Those "over active egos" have been responsible for some of humanity's greatest acheivements.

Hmm, yeah, but they've also been responsible for some of humanity's most heinous 'achievements'. Nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, pollution of the Earth and atmosphere, sucking the Earth dry of oil and water, pumping sewage back into the oceans, murder, child molestation, assault, rape,..... Geez, the list just goes on and on, huh?

Baron Max

[shichimenshyo]

Your such a negative Nancy Baron...jeeeesh.

[Baron Max]

Your such a negative Nancy Baron...jeeeesh.

Yeah, but all true, ain't it?

One can't keep viewing life from only the glorious side ...or one gets trapped into believing nothing but lies and half-truths.

The truth shall set you free! .....HUMANS SUCK!

Baron Max

[weed_eater_guy]

Ironically, Baron Max, some of man's greatest achievments are also the greatest failures. Dynamite for instance, meant to be a safer alternative to nitro-glycerin for blasting and such, but proved to be a damned good tool of war and terror. Cars were once praised as a cure for pollution when pollution was defined by the quantity of horse-shit in city streets, but our new pollution concerns deplore the automobile and anything that puts carbon in the atmosphere.

On the flip-side, military creations made for killing evolve into making life better for us in some ways, such as GPS, better medical technologies, better transportation technologies, and overall, serves as a constant reminder that we should favor diplomacy over conflict. Notice that nukes were made but only TWO in the history of the world have ever been used offensively? Who knows, maybe a nuke or two will prove invaluble to, say, deflect an asteroid or something. Wouldn't it be sweet to watch this tool of death in use for good!

Shouldn't judge so harshly about how bad man is and how we might as well not exist, etc., sometimes we just need to give shit a shot and see what happens. Hell, it's worked so far for the most part, right?

[iceaura]

there's always the conspiracy theory: whoever first sets up a catapult on the moon capable of getting an aimed rock to earth will own the planet.

[draqon]

there's always the conspiracy theory: whoever first sets up a catapult on the moon capable of getting an aimed rock to earth will own the planet.

that rock will burn up in Earth's atmosphere

[Killjoy]

that rock will burn up in Earth's atmosphere

Use big one. Top Notch Killa.

[TruthSeeker]

Yup.... that was a big one.......