NASA space race with China. NASA's new moon ship, Orion, is projected to ferry astronauts to the moon by 2018.
What do you think about a shuttle going back and forth between Earth and the Moon?
2006-12-05 03:14:52 · 6 answers · asked by Aussies-Online 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It's about f***ing time! The abandonment of manned lunar exploration in the early 70s was akin to Hero abandoning the steam turbine in the BCs. To all those doubters out there this is a truism from A C Clarke. "You cannot make money from space on Earth. You have to go into space to make money from space".
2006-12-05 04:07:29 · answer #1 · answered by christopher N 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
to accent what everyone else has said....it's about you know what time.......reading sci fi in the 50's and 60's, and watching Shepard and Grissom and Glenn go up, I KNEW I would live to see the first man on the moon.
I never dreamed I'd also live to see the last man on the moon.
We've lost an incredible lead.....it's like the Spanish not sending anyone to follow Columbus for 30 years..........and we may have lost Mars already to the Chinese, who would have no qualms sending out a colony........ie one way....expedition and taking 100% casualties the first three missions to land on the fourth....
We forget how many died getting across the Atlantic to settle North America......hell, we forget how many died just getting airplanes to work 60 years ago......and when you think its barely 50 years from the Wright Flyer to Apollo 11, and what have we done since..........
and by the way, the original Orion is a late 50's spaceship design by Freeman Dyson, amongst others......see Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" and Niven and Pournell's "Footfall"........the idea is you take a REALLY THICK plate of steel.....like God's own Frisbee....build a space ship or space liner atop it.
Light off a small a-bomb under it.
Keep throwing a-bombs under it till you reach orbit with something the size of the Queen Mary.
Physics were straight forward, radiation shielding worked.....the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1962 scuttled the idea.........but the blueprints are still around.........
2006-12-05 07:00:58 · answer #2 · answered by yankee_sailor 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Certainly exciting, after 20 years of nothing new in the human spaceflight sector. However, I'm kind of sadden to see that the Orion hasn't changed as much as I hoped from old Apollo.
The space shuttle can't ferry the astronauts to the moon. It doesn't have that kind of capability.
2006-12-05 03:49:16 · answer #3 · answered by rb_1989226 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am so excited to hear this! Some may think it is a waste of time, but I can't disagree more. I think it will help mankind progress and benefit us in the future. This is a HUGE step for human civilization. I compare it to Colombus finding the new land - look what happened after that.
2006-12-05 03:50:25 · answer #4 · answered by clone1973 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Orion, you said?
Nearly my name! That's a shame!
You think I have a chance in a court case?
And I am so disappointed about you, dear Aussie, first CZT and now dreaming to go back and forth to the Moon...
Are you a pilot?
I knew, nearly in another life, someone from OZ who dreamed to be a pilot.
Are you him by any chance?
I love him greatly!
If you are, I forgive you for so much bad taste.
Sorry, I forgot to say: bad idea, too much polution already....
Bye!
PS. lol
2006-12-05 03:38:30 · answer #5 · answered by klaartedubois 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I agree. I think it's about time we got serious about the space program again.
2006-12-05 03:34:38 · answer #6 · answered by The Wired 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋