How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea?

Question

to put wheels on bigger suitcases ?

Answer 1

Honestly? I think it has to do with pens in space... and I swear, it explains a lot.

The first time astronauts went up into space, they discovered their pens didn't write. No gravity, nothing to push the ink out of the pen and onto the paper. The astronauts came back, they reported their pens didn't work, and NASA literally spent fifty million dollars or so to engineer a new type of pen which could operate independent of gravity so no matter how you write on it, if you're writing while the pen is pointing down, while it's pointing up, whatever, the pen still writes smoothly.

The first time Russia sent cosmonauts up into space, they discovered their pens didn't write. No gravity, nothing to push the ink out of the pen onto the paper. The cosmonauts came back, they reported their pens didn't work, and the people assigned to fix the problem walked up and said "here are some pencils, use those next time".

I'm sure that's probably an apocryphal story (though, oddly, we do have a "space pen" which works from any angle and without the need for gravity... and we must have had some reason for designing it and then naming it the "space pen"), but it gives a glaring example of a point which we may not always keep in mind:

A lot of the time, we just don't have a lot of common sense, so the easy, everyday solution often doesn't dawn on us, even as we're reaching for the stars...

And are you really surprised? You are talking about people who, in their genius, never thought "maybe it would be a good idea if the filters one part of the space ship can be swapped with the filters in another part in case they need to be changed".

Answer 2

When did we go to the Moon? During the Cold War. There was a great fear between the two superpowers about the other having a technological advantage and holding the "higher ground". In 1962(I believe), JFK issued his famous speech about "...achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning his safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period..." So, in order to claim technological superiority, the populace of the US and our govt made the number one priority the Apollo program. The scientific benefits of the program were secondary. The USSR had beat US into space, so we had to get to the Moon first. Not only were we eventually first, we are the only country to get there with people.
And, yes, in the gotta-create-new-gadgets mentality of the time, the "space pen" [which can still be purchased today] was invented and the USSR simply used pencils. The space pen will not only write in any orientation, but will also write under water.

Answer 3

It was a race between the two superpowers of the time (USA and USSR).
The Russians were the first to put a man in orbit. The Americans
not to be outdone went the other way and sent 2 men down to the ocean floor and back alive.
The americans beat the russians to the moon but quickly realised there is not much there and so stopped doing it.

Answer 4

well, actually its not a good idea. its just a matter of curiosity of what moon is. Having a wheels on bigger suitcases is more comfortable to carry than no wheels.

Answer 5

There is no man on the Moon now.But suitcases are stll there

Answer 6

Cuz we didn't actually land on the moon. It was all part of the space race between the US and the Soviets.

Answer 7

Maybe because they faked it to win the Cold War.

Answer 8

Well, when is the last time the human race stopped to think?

Answer 9

One of lifes mysteries, like what was the greatest thing BEFORE sliced bread?????

Answer 10

thats why we sent the americans first to make sure it was safe(normally we use animals but that was to expensive)