Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] space shuttle explodes?

[Michael <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

> > I'd really like to see the Moon, Mars, and Venus colonized while I'm
> > alive but at this point the only way I can see that happening is if
> > shitty second rate countries or corporations do it because the US space
> > program is full of PR people who would rather accomplish nothing than
> > take some risks. We landed on the moon and then just stopped. No more
> > risks as long as we already had beat the damn commies.
>
> Is it because of risk, or is it because of expense?  The moon missions
> cost a lot of money and what return did we get on that investment?

It's probably both. Risks cost a lot of PR dollars. Without a villian to
justify it to the American people it costs a lot to say we blew up several
very talented people.

Raw research doesn't always result in instant paybacks but we have gotten
a lot of cool stuff from the space program as well as finding out the moon
isn't really made of cheese and stuff such as that. Why are we building a
space station when we could colonize the moon considerably cheaper? The
techniques we'd need to develop would be very useful back here on Earth
and we could do various types of interesting low-grav research.

> > Not that unmanned missions don't make a lot of sense but I certainly
> > don't think we should stop manned missions.
>
> I think you're right.  People are expendable and they can do things that
> no robot can do today.  It's a shame to lose such capable people, but they
> can be replaced and their loss won't cost billions.

People are cheaper than such-capable machines. There is no machine as
adaptable as us. Even a stupid loser of a human can do more than
incredibly expensive machines.

I think we should revert to the tactic used before when exploring. Offer
the poor, bored, or criminal the chance to be trained and sent off to do
this dangerous exploration shit. If you don't get blown up or whatever
then you're given a paycheck and when colonization begins you get a place
to live.
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