NASA (ot)

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bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 8, 2011 - 11:48pm PT

I don't think we are planning to exploit Mars in a rapacious manner. I consider it as "stopping by an island to get water and supplies" on mankind's voyage of exploration of our universe. I can see exploiting the asteroid belt for strategic minerals, such as iron and nickel.

I agree. It blows me away that everytime we consume something we're bad. If we didn't consume, we'd die.

Pretty simple idea to grasp. Even commies consume, hehe....

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Dec 8, 2011 - 11:49pm PT

This is too good a discussion to let die; I need to sleep as well, but we'll all continue tomorrow (or even later?) It's been uncommonly civil here tonight, too!

laughingman

Mountain climber

Seattle WA

Dec 8, 2011 - 11:55pm PT

We just spent 800 Billion on nonsense. Relatively speaking, NASA is not that expensive, and DOES deliver usable returns.

I felt the shuttle program failed to meet its original goal as a "low cost" and "High reliability" alternative to single use rockets.

The soyuz rockets are far cheaper and just as safe as the Space shuttle.

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Dec 8, 2011 - 11:59pm PT

LM-

I have to agree with your statement. In spite of what NASA had to say under a new administrator, the Ares I orbital vehicle was very promising, and I decry it's cancellation. A solid fuel booster which was reusable! made sense to me...

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2011 - 12:01am PT

Good point, except for the fact that the Russkies don't have the payload capacity. As I said before, the Shuttles were the "expensive" workhorses. They did all the heavy lifting!!!!

BDC, Good night!

We got a lot of intel and science from the shuttle program. Call it a failure if you will, but we learned a lot! And the world gained quite a bit too, despite their bitching about the USA.

Meh...

nature

climber

Aridzona for now Denver.... here I come...

Dec 9, 2011 - 12:05am PT

too bad NASA is nothing but a socialist program and should be shut down in an effort to shrink the government.

laughingman

Mountain climber

Seattle WA

Dec 9, 2011 - 12:12am PT

We got a lot of intel and science from the shuttle program. Call it a failure if you will, but we learned a lot! And the world gained quite a bit too, despite their bitching about the USA.

I sure hope we learn from the Shuttle program and use the information for the benefit of the common man.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2011 - 12:13am PT

too bad NASA is nothing but a socialist program and should be shut down in an effort to shrink the government.

He finally steps out of his socialist box....

So we can kill NASA, Education, Energy, Interior, IRS, the military, Energy, et. al. ?????

They are all equally productive and efficient? You compare the accomplishments of NASA and the US Military to those others' accomplishments???

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Dec 9, 2011 - 11:40am PT

Bluey-

Earlier you commented about the "Mars Direct" at $10 billion annually for 10 years being a lot of money...that's just a tad over 1% of the defense budget, with a helluva' lot better return on the money. My recollection is: DOD annual budget is $850 billion, and $10 billion is around 1.18% of that amount. NASA's budget by comparison is chicken feed.

Another project that is festering for lack of funds is Caltech's 30 meter Telescope project. I haven't kept up on the thing recently, but the date for bringing it online was originally 2018.

The Giant Magellan Telescope project in Chile is progressing slowly forward. At least some of the hardware is being constructed, and one or two of the mirrors have been cast at the University of Arizona mirror laboratory. One is in the grinding and polishing stage.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2011 - 11:45am PT

BDC, the defense budget is definately due for some auditing. I'm sure it is bloated with waste. Sure of it.

They are many useless, inefficient, bloated agencies in the FED. I think NASA would be towards the bottom of that list.

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Dec 9, 2011 - 11:54am PT

Well, with the new F-35 strike fighters costing something like $350 million each...there need to be some cuts. After all, who's the "enemy" who can field ANYTHING that sophistcated?

Want to cut an agency's budget? Start with "Homeland Security," especially TSA! Frequent fliers refer to them as Thugs Standing Around. They like to grope children and strip search little old ladies...

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2011 - 12:23pm PT

Want to cut an agency's budget? Start with "Homeland Security," especially TSA! Frequent fliers refer to them as Thugs Standing Around. They like to grope children and strip search little old ladies...

I concur. Not so much with the F-35. I was a fan of the F-22 though. Costly for sure, but not really wasteful. We do have just over a hundred F-22's though, so I ain't complaining too much.

TFPU

Sport climber

Idaho

Dec 9, 2011 - 12:32pm PT

What's with always saying "meh"??

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2011 - 12:37pm PT

What's with always saying "meh"??

Synonymous with 'whatever...' (a South Park reference)

TFPU

Sport climber

Idaho

Dec 9, 2011 - 12:38pm PT

Whatever

Karl Baba

Trad climber

Yosemite, Ca

Dec 9, 2011 - 12:41pm PT

Government programs can't do anything right, unless you particularly the subject of your pet program

Peace

Karl

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2011 - 12:52pm PT

You're wrong, Karl.

Dept of Energy was created to ensure reliable domestic energy. How much do we import??

Dept of Education was created to improve education. Has that worked?

NASA was created to explore space, did that work? The military is tasked with defending the country and countering foreign threats. Works pretty well, despite it's bloated nature now. It could be refined.