Should we continue with space travel?

Question

If you think we should(n't) why?

Answer 1

The question isn't really if we should or shouldn't. The question is who (which countries) will be the leaders. Many Americans are unaware that there is a new "space race" involving a number of countries who are developing advanced technologies to access space. Thes range from fairly modest (Italy is working ona low-cost satellite launch system) to highly sophisticated (Australia has already tested a hypersonic scramjet; China is launching manned spacecraft and has an active lunar program).

One might ask, what's the purpose (other than national prestige)--and what does it mean for the United States? The answers to the first question provide the basis for the answer to the second. here are the main reasons all these countries (others include Germany, Britain, France, Japan, India):
1)developing advanced technologies generally. Space travel invariably produces advanced technologies useful in other areas.
2)military--for both intelligence gathering and defense
3) pure science--why this is worthwhile is the same as #1--and much of our modern technology is already based on space science.
4) The biggie: space manufacturing. The potential that isalready known will revolutionize at least three major fields: electronics/computers (and communications); biotechnology (especially pharmaceuticals and 3) matierals technology (example: a matieral 3 times as strong as steel and lighter than styrofoam.--and is a better insulator than practically any other material That's not a fantasy--its called aerogel--but it CANNOT bemanufactured on earth at a reasonable cost.

You get the idea.

What are the implications for the United States? Simple: we either get into the race--or we become a secon-rate economic power over the next few decades. If we don't compete, we lose. its that simple.

Answer 2

Absolutely NOT ! It is nothing but horrendously expensive show business like a circus. Instead of shooting people up out of "cannons" we are now shooting them up with rockets. There is no justification to spend over $14 billion a year for NASA to take pretty pictures. The sheer expense of sending people to anything beyond the moon and bring them back is prohibitive. The concept of travel beyond the Solar System is all in the imagination of writers, is the dream of fools all at the expense of the ignorant who learn most of what they know about science from the Discovery Channel , Captain Kirk and Rug Rats.
That man will eventually travel beyond the Moon is a hope in faith, not in reason. It is being pushed by those of the evolutionary concept that life came from elsewhere and they are desperate to find it somewhere else, anywhere else. . They won't. But just suppose they they did, like SETI for instance getting a blip ? They would never be able to even communicate because of the immense distances. And if they even could, what would they say ? How many thousands of years would they have to wait for a reply ?
Space travel is a doctrine of the great church of the National Geographic Society. Beside that, the wages for those NASA "rocket scientists" are pretty good and they are not going to do anything else but promote the program that pays them so well.
OK, guys, let's see all those thumbs-downs.

Answer 3

The question should be why aren't we speeding up our space exploration...

If the government would or could stay out of the way and allow private business a chance to get a foothold, I think it would be a very profitable idea in the short run, and the salvation of the human race in the long run.

There are billions of dollars of precious metals that could be mined on the moon alone, not to mention asteroids and comets...and there is a ton of money to be made in short space excursions for the "average joe" who just wants to see what outer space is like for a day, a week or a month's vacation. This would require a space station, which could be co-funded by the government and the private sector, part for science and exploration, part for holiday hotels and resorts.

Can you imagine a water park at half of earth's gravity? (.5G's) ...or better...in 2 G's? What a rush...literally. ...or sleeping almost weightless in a soft, cushy mattress and waking up to microwave bacon, and Tang served in bed by a beautiful space maid or handsome space bellhop? How cool would that be?

Answer 4

Space travel is a good idea, of course. My main concern is that I don't want the government mucking it up for the private sector. It's just a matter of time before private companies offer trips to outer space on a regular basis - presuming the governments allow them to do so. Unfortunately, that's a big IF. If the Federal Aviation Authority had been around during the infancy of air travel, we would never have developed commercial airliners. Planes were awfully risky at first, comparable to spacecraft today.

I see no reason to send people to Mars, or even the moon, at this time: the gains aren't worth the cost. I'd much rather see us spending space exploration dollars on unmanned missions for now, they offer much better bang for the buck.

Answer 5

Space travel is a key element in helping us in the ability to understand space exploration. This could lead to a better understanding of physics and possibly to understanding even better ways to fuel the earth. It's all important, though I don't think trying to extend the reign of mankind is this universe is a very valid point.

The possiblity of being able to keep a society together, safe from the forces of nature and educated for the possible inhabition of another area is going to be hard to sustain. Everything will eventually come to an end, our galaxy may only last a set number of billions of years considering there is a black hole at the center of it the milky way rotates around. And in about 100,000 years even light from other galaxies we can see will no longer be visible outside of the 2 galaxies the milky way is going to colliade with and absorb. The black hole at the center of our galaxy is a lightweight compared to others, but none the less it will finish it's job of absorbing this and a few nearby galaxies in about 10billion years, our sun is only estimated to last another 5 billion before a major change.

A few thousand years of study in a galaxy billions of years old, none the less again, it will all come to an end.

Answer 6

Yes. It is a fantasy of mine to get off this planet at a moment's notice because a giant asteroid is headed our way. Cryogenics and interstellar overdrive, that's the ticket.

Answer 7

yes most defiantly. space travel gets science of there lazy butts to actually apply all those useless ;ab test into something
useful the only other thing that does that is warfare.

Answer 8

Yes!....eventually the Earth will not be livable ! and we will need others places to continue the human race!

Answer 9

rabbit tree

Answer 10

of course we should