[Rian]

From National Geographic (via io9), a beautiful map of all human space exploration to date.

Absolutely stunning.

[jdjtcagle]

Sweet I think I might print this off and hang in my office!

[watsisname]

Stunning, indeed!  I like that they include the old failed missions, and the paths to show the various gravity-assists, notably Cassini.  Just wish it listed the mission names, though its probably far too many to do without getting the space all cluttered. <_<

[BloodEagle]

Chart porn? 

[peterv]

Yes, this is beautiful 

[Kosh]

To think we have only scratched the surface of what is out there. It is unfortunate we haven't put more focus on space, imagine where we would be now if we did.

[Fury]

imagine where we would be now if we did.

We would have reached enlightenment, our planet would be a gaia, we would have ascended to a higher plane of existence and since learned everything there is to know. And only in 30 years!

[Kosh]

imagine where we would be now if we did.

We would have reached enlightenment, our planet would be a gaia, we would have ascended to a higher plane of existence and since learned everything there is to know. And only in 30 years!

You do realize that the US only spends about 0.6% of it's budget on both manned and unmanned exploration, right? That says a lot about what our priorities are.

[Fury]

I know that. Increased budget does not magically make us a space faring race in a mere 30 years. As long we have serious problems close to home, public is not interested in making space their focus. Alternatively the public needs to be convinced that they may receive personal gain from space exploration in their lifetime. it's not gonna happen. There's no trade routes to establish, no new natural resources to exploit without major hazards and financial backing. Money talks and there is no immediate money to gain in space. For most people its plenty enough if they can throw up satellites up there, beyond that why should they care because it wouldn't affect their everyday life much if at all.

[Kosh]

Increased budget does not magically make us a space faring race in a mere 30 years.

It got us to the moon in a relatively short period of time. It's also about having abitious but achievable goals, which is something we haven't had either.

Alternatively the public needs to be convinced that they may receive personal gain from space exploration in their lifetime. it's not gonna happen.

It already has happened, in fact I even provided a list of commercial products that had their roots in the space program. The apollo program also led to more innovation, according to a BBC podcast I heard about it one of the benefits was a miniaturized microwave oven. You can't really come out with a blanket statement that says "they won't see any benefits within their lifetime" because you can't accurately predict the path innovation will take.

There's no trade routes to establish, no new natural resources to exploit without major hazards and financial backing.

There's more platinum in the asteroid belt than has ever been mined in the history of the world. Yes there are hazards, but that is also where innovation shines.

Money talks and there is no immediate money to gain in space.

There wasn't any immediate money to be made with sattelites either, or lasers, or quite a few technological innovations. Giving short term profit such an obscenely high priority over long term strategy is dangerous.

As long we have serious problems close to home, public is not interested in making space their focus.

And yet the US somehow conjures up billions of dollars to bomb other countries, as well as hundreds more billions of dollars a year to keep its mighty war machine. THAT is our focus, and it has nothing to do with solving any of those problems.

In fact overall I found the public to not really care much about anything meaningful beyond the economy. Too often the focus of their life and conversations is which celebreties are sleeping together, who won American Idol. The Cult of Celebrity very much has its hold on the American public, much to their detriment.

For most people its plenty enough if they can throw up satellites up there, beyond that why should they care because it wouldn't affect their everyday life much if at all.

A real space based economy has the potential to employ millions, not to mention be a driver of technological advance and change.

[perihelion]

Here here!

[Fury]

There's more platinum in the asteroid belt than has ever been mined in the history of the world. Yes there are hazards, but that is also where innovation shines.

Good luck convincing general public and money holders to shell out their money for a pipe dream. Those resources are at the moment financially out of reach. Let's see in another 50 years.

If you can commit deep-space programs in cost-effective manner, go ahead. If not, forget about it. So much money is already wasted by idiot decision makers, I wouldn't want some hugely expensive space program to be yet another. There's only so much budgets allow, but much room for improvement as far as money spending priorities are concerned. As far as general welfare and stable economy goes, space-programs are low priority. That's a fact.

[Kosh]

Good luck convincing general public and money holders to shell out their money for a pipe dream. Those resources are at the moment financially out of reach. Let's see in another 50 years.

If you can commit deep-space programs in cost-effective manner, go ahead. If not, forget about it.

Asteroid mining was just one example. In reality space based mining would mostly be used to fuel further expansion into space.

As far as general welfare and stable economy goes, space-programs are low priority. That's a fact.

Many important things are given a low priority, but that doesn't mean they aren't important.


EDIT: But really, this kind of defeatism only ends up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. We're in this position now because 30 years ago people had that very same attitude.

[General Battuta]

I know that. Increased budget does not magically make us a space faring race in a mere 30 years.

What are you talking about? If one pregnant woman can make a baby in nine months, then we'll budget nine pregnant women and get it in one!

All that said, given how cheap space exploration is (we spend the cost of a major probe in a few hours in Iraq, or at least something in that ballpark) I think we should go for it.

[TESLA]

Still though,

think its time to put a man on Mars!!

Then the other planets and ceate the Great Terran Empire   

[SpardaSon21]

Empire?  Mankind should be a republic.

[TESLA]

Empire?  Mankind should be a republic.

Other ppl will fill you in on it..... lol

[Scotty]

Empire can refer both to the form of government, and to the policiy of expansion (Imperialism).

[General Battuta]

How to get to Mars in a month: sweet engine system without the nukes.

[Polpolion]

Good luck convincing general public and money holders to shell out their money for a pipe dream. Those resources are at the moment financially out of reach. Let's see in another 50 years.

If you can commit deep-space programs in cost-effective manner, go ahead. If not, forget about it.

Asteroid mining was just one example. In reality space based mining would mostly be used to fuel further expansion into space.

I'm sure that if it actually WAS an economically viable idea, someone with a degree in economics or finance or whatever would've figured that and would've done it already. Granted, I don't know what you have a degree in so in all likelihood you could be that guy. I know I sure as heck wouldn't be able to figure out a way to set up a mining colony in the asteroid belt, much less on the moon.

Kosh, please write your senator and tell him your concerns if you're so committed to it. It'd be awesome to see these things happen during my lifetime, but given that the world's still in an economic recession, I don't think it's going to work out.