Space Travel

[xxBarneyxx]

If the billionaires REALLY cared about true exploration, science and technology they would not be competing with each other and boasting of doing this and that before the other. "My rocket is bigger than your rocket" etc.

They would work TOGETHER and pool their knowledge and resources....THAT would be worthwhile and perhaps lead to a greater understanding of spaceflight and subspace flight potential

But they are far too busy doing their individual vanity projects and oneupmanship

So because you hate the people all the good that can come out of it is worthless?

They are separate businesses. Their entire goal is to make money, why would they work together?

I don't give a toss about any of these rich... ummmm.. "people" but I do care about humanity being able to grow without destroying itself and the technology coming from these programs is one way that is going to happen. If it takes a bunch of rich white guys having a **** waving contest to do it then I can live with that.

 

[FishHobby99]

My god all this over my unpopular opinion of fake moon landings,


Truth is I believe we have landed on the moon

we’ve got the tech to send someone there

Of course it was done decades ago. I thought we were just joking around here.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

So because you hate the people all the good that can come out of it is worthless?

They are separate businesses. Their entire goal is to make money, why would they work together?

I don't give a toss about any of these rich... ummmm.. "people" but I do care about humanity being able to grow without destroying itself and the technology coming from these programs is one way that is going to happen. If it takes a bunch of rich white guys having a **** waving contest to do it then I can live with that.

Point taken....however

If Branson and Bezos are selling seats on the rockets to give the rich and senseless a "thrill ride", which both are doing, then what worth is that to humanity and its progress?

None...zero...nada

All it is doing is adding more padding to their vast bank accounts whilst their employees struggle on poor wages and long hours and the likes of Branson go cap in hand begging for taxpayers money to bail out his airline and Bezos avoids paying taxes.

If they want to play fast and loose with their money well that is their perogative...but not at the cost of the people working for them and not when their playtime in space is for the rich and famous only and has nothing to offer by way of true scientific use or exploration.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Your missing the point. Its not about what they are doing. It's about the technology they are creating and advancing to do it. They might be just selling an expensive thrill ride but the technology they are creating to do so will have much further reaching implications.

Edit:

I personally hate Bezo and Branson with a burning passion, I don't think much more of Musk. Bunch of arrogant privileged rich ...people.. who's companies have some absolutely awful employment and business ethics.

However I hope they all do incredibly well in these ventures. The more money they make the more money they are going to put back into it and the more technology and knowledge we are going to get out of it. Eventually it will get to a point where other companies can build off what they have done and do it for cheaper and make it more accessible. Then there are even more companies working on developing various "space" industries because it has been proven economically viable.

I wish the world wasn't this way. I wish the various world Governments would adequately fund the various organisations that could be doing this stuff instead. But to pretend that this will ever be the case is to willfully ignore reality. Things only really get the funding they need to move forward if someone is going to make money off of it.

 

[fishyfun&fans]

Don’t even get me started on Branson and Virgin Atlantic

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Don’t even get me started on Branson and Virgin Atlantic

I know. It leaves a nasty taste in my mouth hoping that these people have success with these ventures but that is sadly the way the world is and these things are the first steps to humanity being able to actually have a future.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Why should taxpayers money be used for space travel when its already been done in the 50's and 60's and again in the 80's and 90's...especially when there is so much to be sorted on Earth at less cost?

Its all fine and dandy to suggest that governments invest in these space technology firms....but where do governments get the money from? Taxpayers

And lets not forget that Bezos, Branson and Musk have wiggled out of paying their taxes for decades thanks to their offshore homes/businesses etc

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Why should taxpayers money be used for space travel when its already been done in the 50's and 60's and again in the 80's and 90's...especially when there is so much to be sorted on Earth at less cost?

• Because again its not an either/or situation.
• Also as I have already pointed out there are a lot of tangible benefits to the masses that come from space travel. Including helping to solve some of the biggest problems we are going to be facing in the next 200 years.
• Also because otherwise we might as well have just sat in the dark ages if we are going to be "lets not do it unless it can fix every problem".
• Also because to be human is to be curious.
• Because I would much rather we spent £5 billion on Space exploration then nuclear weapons.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Currently, it's easier and cheaper to plunder Mother Earth for her natural resources, but as we gain a conscience about such things and decide that exploiting Third World children isn't really an option, then we decide to do without, or look to exploit other sources for our necessary metals and minerals.
At which point, those selfish and foolish billionaires, with their re-usable rockets and private patents will be quids in.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

There are currently projects driven by military research in China, Russia and US that are actively looking to use existing and future space vehicles as carriers and launchers for hyperweapons

Sci-fi had its varied weaponry...the death ray, the nuclear warheads mounted onto satellites etc.....even 007 came across those occasionally (Moonraker)

The problem with private and government agencies doing anything with space technology is that not only is that technology available to the highest bidder but it can all be successfully adapted to carry nuclear weapons

Last year a Chinese satellite fell out of orbit and there was a big furore over where it would land due to the Chinese "might have, might not have" answer to "is your satellite dangerous and have weaponry".....when it did land, there was a reasonably unusually high level of radioactivity....more that the "average" communication satellite.

There is so much stuff up there that 90% of the population haven't a clue what its for or what its capable of, alot of the stuff falls out of orbit or is knocked into by other bits of stuff (ISS had damage after a piece of space junk hit it not so long ago, SpaceLab also damaged many times after being hit by floating debris)

Nuclear weaponry might get removed from submarines, ships and bunkers.....but you can bet your life that they are happily swanning around in orbit and will be for many many decades to come cos it would be naive to think or assume that space vehicles aren't or couldn't be used for a nuclear payload.

 

[Obsessed with fish]

There are currently projects driven by military research in China, Russia and US that are actively looking to use existing and future space vehicles as carriers and launchers for hyperweapons

Sci-fi had its varied weaponry...the death ray, the nuclear warheads mounted onto satellites etc.....even 007 came across those occasionally (Moonraker)

The problem with private and government agencies doing anything with space technology is that not only is that technology available to the highest bidder but it can all be successfully adapted to carry nuclear weapons

Last year a Chinese satellite fell out of orbit and there was a big furore over where it would land due to the Chinese "might have, might not have" answer to "is your satellite dangerous and have weaponry".....when it did land, there was a reasonably unusually high level of radioactivity....more that the "average" communication satellite.

There is so much stuff up there that 90% of the population haven't a clue what its for or what its capable of, alot of the stuff falls out of orbit or is knocked into by other bits of stuff (ISS had damage after a piece of space junk hit it not so long ago, SpaceLab also damaged many times after being hit by floating debris)

Nuclear weaponry might get removed from submarines, ships and bunkers.....but you can bet your life that they are happily swanning around in orbit and will be for many many decades to come cos it would be naive to think or assume that space vehicles aren't or couldn't be used for a nuclear payload.

are you pulling our leg?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

are you pulling our leg?

Countries By Number of Military Satellites

The United States, Russia, and China are the countries with the most military satellites.

www.worldatlas.com

That is just the known military hardware up there....

Over and above that you have the communications, weather and other satellites and the ISS....all of which can, if required, be adapted for military use

 

[Playsander]

It is getting humans through the radiation belt, that will be the challenge.

Earth is flat anyhow.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

SpaceX.....Musk's company...is also involved in the research and potential of weapon installations on the moon

Military Bases on the Moon: U.S. Plans to Weaponize the Earth’s Satellite

In July, Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of Roscosmos, cited the U.S. “retreat from principles of cooperation and mutual support” to justify Russia’s refusal to join the latest U.S. space initiative: to build lunar bases. Rogozin was likely referring to the U.S. refusal to renew the...

www.counterpunch.org

 

[FishHobby99]

Earth is flat anyhow.

I know. Worried what will happen if the shuttles miss earth & fall into another dimension. Terrifying!