How many dollars does that equate to - per the cost to do it ? I am not so sure the cost is worth it. I did like the Shuttle program where we could go up and fly around instead of just orbiting. We could fix stuff in orbit, retrieve stuff ... What was the last space invention since Tang ?
How many dollars does that equate to - per the cost to do it ? I am not so sure the cost is worth it. I did like the Shuttle program where we could go up and fly around instead of just orbiting. We could fix stuff in orbit, retrieve stuff ... What was the last space invention since Tang ?
Despite popular theory, NASA did NOT invent Tang orange breakfast drink for the astronauts. It was introduced in 1957 by General Foods and was on grocery store shelves for years before NASA decided it worked well in space http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIV...ex.html?_s=PM:LIVING
From the article, it looks like they at least already know there will be little to be gained from it. We're spending billions to go to mars to find out the same thing .
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 11-10-2014).]
From the article, it looks like they at least already know there will be little to be gained from it. We're spending billions to go to mars to find out the same thing .
There goes the neighborhood......I hope they don't steal the car we left up there with the keys in it, but they've stole every other bit of technology they could.......
Originally posted by Patrick: Do you have the same concerns with military spending? I wonder how that compared to the cost of the space program over the same time span?
No. I can see/feel the benefits of a strong military.
Recently I was watching a press conference on the NASA channel. The next crew for the ISS was being interviewed, before going up to the station. One of the crew (Elena Serova) was a Russian female... only the 4th Russian female in space. Some of the questions asked to her were blatantly sexist, like "while you're in space, who will watch your kids and cook meals?", and "are you going to bring make-up and do your hair while you're in space?" Meanwhile, the male crew members were asked all the technical questions. I could see the frustration on her face during the press conference.
Originally posted by cliffw: How many dollars does that equate to - per the cost to do it ? I am not so sure the cost is worth it. What was the last space invention since Tang ?
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Originally posted by Boondawg: You're kidding, right?
I don't see that we needed space presence for hardly any of that. I get that we needed to experience the space environment to study human adaptation and other issues of inhabiting space (space walks, repairs of space craft, space craft evolution/propulsion systems etc). I get that the experience better enables us to get to the Moon, Mars, and increases our abilities to do other things. I realize the cost is miniscule and I really don't mind so much. I just am not sure that it is worth it.
I don't see that we needed space presence for hardly any of that. I get that we needed to experience the space environment to study human adaptation and other issues of inhabiting space (space walks, repairs of space craft, space craft evolution/propulsion systems etc). I get that the experience better enables us to get to the Moon, Mars, and increases our abilities to do other things. I realize the cost is miniscule and I really don't mind so much. I just am not sure that it is worth it.
Is the money spent of art, music, sports, parks, zoos, tv, movies etc worth it? Not to the person starving in the streets. But to me, exploration of space ranks high on the list of important areas for human development. And, like the aforementioned items, we all need things to stretch our minds and live for otherwise life really has no meaning.
The lists I posted weren't all encompassing, just a quick scratch at the surface for some things that were developed. I can't find it right now, but I saw a list somewhere of the top 200 things that owe their existence to the space program...it is quite amazing how many everyday items only exist because of man's desire to explore beyond the earth.
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