Is the Space Prgram a Waste?

Question

The space station is an incredible accomplishment. But, what does it do? The Hubble telescope shows us history, which is interesting, but what does that information give us? If we know how the world began, what does that do for us? I am a Star Trek nut and love watching the shows, but we are so far from that. Until we master the ability to send people into space faster than the speed of light, what good does it do? I believe that science fiction is science fact, however we have not progressed that far and will take hundreds of years to accomplish it; if at all.

Answer 1

Every journey starts with a single step. If we don't learn how to travel and work in space by increments, we will never learn how. Every scientific and engineering achievement stands on top of the achievements before. In other words, we won't wake up one day and decide that we know how to achieve interstellar travel. We have to take each step in turn.

Answer 2

Well, for starters--you talk about "Star Trek." Just how do you expect that to ever happen if we don't start taking all the smalll steps to get from here to there? It's not going to magically pop out of a hat, you know.

Specifics: The ISs is designed to do research--both basic and applied. That, quite frankly, isn't getting done--because of budget cuts. The real waste here is that we have the ISS and its not being used to anything like its capacity.

As for the HUbble, etc.--that is basic science. But where do you think new technology comes from? Basic science--askingquestions about the universe and finding answers--is the starting point.

Here's some examples:
>Before we could have an "age fo electricity" Michael Farady had to do the basic--and at the time with no apparent practical value--basic reseaarch that led to the development of the electric generator.
>the car you drive--depended on basic science research into chemistry, physics--that had no practical value when it was done
>The scientist who discovered radium (Marie Curie) wasn't trying to creat the medical technology of radiation therapy that saves tens of thousands of cancer vicitims annuallly--she was jsut doing basic science, trying to isolate a new element.

And---how can you claim to be interested in space and know so little of what it already does for us--every day?
>weather satellites
>communications satellites
>medical technology that saves thousands of lives
>the new generation of aircraft--lighter, stronger, safer and cheaper
>that computer you are using
>GPS navigation

NONE of those--and a great deal more-- would be possible without the research done by the space program. Look, I like Star Trek too--but you need to educate yorself about what the real science and technology is all about.

Here's a question for you: how long do you think it will be before a cost-effective commercial orbital launch vehicle is developed? 10 years? 20?

Try this: the prototype--the spaceX Falcon 1--has already flown sucessfully. So has the first suborbital commercial passenger rocket. And why would businesses be interested? Orbital manufacturing. Tourism. Mining of asteroids. And about a thousand other things. This isn't "science fiction" anymre--its going to happen in your lifetime.

No space program--no basic research--and everything I mentioned would not be possible.

Answer 3

In two years we will have made realitivly zero progress in the space program for fourty years. Also the hubble telescope is looking (I beleive) for habitable worlds. The I.S.S. is testing conditions of Organics and effects of long term exposure to that enviorment. Also you can't go faster the speed of light supposivly according to Einstein. But yet again that conflicts with the concept of Infiniti. So honestly we will never get anywhere unless the world puts its money together for a hundred years or so and trys to make some real progress.

Answer 4

If we abandon our current space projects, then what you see on Star Trek will NEVER happen. All of what is being done now is lead-in to the future. We cannot forsake our children and our grand-children. I do believe we need to be doing more, but at least we're doing something.

Answer 5

We got out star wars technology from space. We have developed medicines and other application as well as in the future I expect mining and colonies.
Every journey starts with one step at a time.

Answer 6

It motivates answers that without the space program we would not have the sense to ask the question.

Answer 7

if there is an gamma ray burst near our galaxy... then should gamma rays come to earth and devast the ;life?

if there is and asteroid is falling to earth.... do we only look at it???

if any comet is falling at earth.. do we only look at it and say "how beautiful is it"????

if there is any supernova near us.. do we look a it and say. "now this star also gives us heat and light"????

if there are aliens attacking to earth.. do we say, "oh.. alens,, so great"???

look, i am not angry on you. but like this and more damgers are looking at earth from space. we have to fight with them.. so, astronomy is necessary.. as you know, if 50% harm to earth is from its core while 50% harm is from space.. you know how dinosours died??? they did not had technology to fight with attacks from space. we have technology. now we can stop the falling of meteorites like who divasted the dinosours....
so, space science is necessary... good luck