[blackhole]

America hates progress so much it has to be force-fed it while chained to a cement pole.

[Bobboau]

what does that have to do with anything in this thread?

[blackhole]

what does that have to do with anything in this thread?

NASA funding being cut in favor of us funding a giant stupid pointless war is not progress.

[Nuclear1]

what does that have to do with anything in this thread?

NASA funding being cut in favor of us funding a giant stupid pointless war is not progress.

ou can't say that civilization don't advance, however, for in every war they kill you in a new way.

I love random applicable COD quotes.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

According to BBC, they're now turning to commercial companies to provide human launch, and Constellation is cancelled altogether. Crap. Now let's hope the Chinese put someone on the moon quickly...

[SpardaSon21]

I don't see anything wrong with commercial companies being hired to put men into space.  Burt Rutan did something similar to win the Ansari X-Prize.

[Titan]

I honestly have to side with my dad on this: What can space offer us at the moment? It's not like we can just go to the moon and bring it's resources back.

I think people are still caught up in the fact that we did it before, why aren't we doing it again. the answer is simple: When we did do it, it was for a stupid reason, just to prove a point. Nothing more.

[redsniper]

I honestly have to side with my dad on this: What can space offer us at the moment? It's not like we can just go to the moon and bring it's resources back.

I think people are still caught up in the fact that we did it before, why aren't we doing it again. the answer is simple: When we did do it, it was for a stupid reason, just to prove a point. Nothing more.

No

[Thaeris]

Don't pull a TrashMan here, red.

Spaceflight has brought back technologies, and will continue to bring back technologies, that will benefit mankind over the long-haul. Having to live in the most austere of environments has and will continue to teach us methods of living better on Earth. Given the inevitable rise of populations, this is a paramount activity to pursue.

Furthermore, flight to the Moon has obvious advantages for future long-range spaceflight expeditions. Low gravity means we can assemble large assemblies on the Moon if infrastructure is created there, and using nuclear space propulsion will not be a concern in such an environment (although a good deal of the hype against futting something like that in orbit around Earth for assembly is crap). We need spaceflight. It's a long term, often low yield venture, but it always gives a yield - unlike a great chunk of your typical government expenditure...

[Colonol Dekker]

Well it looks like Richard Branson and his red shirted army will rule the stars. . . .

[Kosh]

what does that have to do with anything in this thread?

NASA funding being cut in favor of us funding a giant stupid pointless war is not progress.

This time NASA's funding wasn't cut, it was increased by a billion dollars a year. That being said the latest official military budget is now $628 billion. No doubt the real number is higher if we include stuff not on the official budget but military related.

I honestly have to side with my dad on this: What can space offer us at the moment? It's not like we can just go to the moon and bring it's resources back.

I think people are still caught up in the fact that we did it before, why aren't we doing it again. the answer is simple: When we did do it, it was for a stupid reason, just to prove a point. Nothing more.

Don't worry, at the rate we're stagnating and everyone else is moving, we'll discover how we will feel about losing our leadership in space in a couple of decades, but I am not so sure you are going to like it.

[Ghostavo]

I honestly have to side with my dad on this: What can space offer us at the moment? It's not like we can just go to the moon and bring it's resources back.

I think people are still caught up in the fact that we did it before, why aren't we doing it again. the answer is simple: When we did do it, it was for a stupid reason, just to prove a point. Nothing more.

Inspiring stuff to ponder.

[karajorma]

I honestly have to side with my dad on this: What can space offer us at the moment? It's not like we can just go to the moon and bring it's resources back.

I think people are still caught up in the fact that we did it before, why aren't we doing it again. the answer is simple: When we did do it, it was for a stupid reason, just to prove a point. Nothing more.

No

If you had the same history as Trashman you would have been banned for that. This is a discussion group and responding to someone's post with a single no is very rude.

Titan is correct that the 1st main reason America went to the moon was simply to get there before the Russians and the 2nd was because no one had ever done it before.

However that does mean that there weren't other reasons beyond that.

[BloodEagle]

Titan is correct that the 1st main reason America went to the moon was simply to get there before the Russians and the 2nd was because no one had ever done it before.

However that does mean that there weren't other reasons beyond that.

Wait. What? 

[redsniper]

Ugh, my previous post was bad. I apologize for stepping on any toes. Class was imminent so I couldn't make a long post. Probably better to say nothing.

Anyways, mankind does benefit from space exploration, it just takes time. No it won't start solving all your problems tomorrow, but it will pay off in the long run. We'll never benefit from space research though, if no one is interested in doing it in the first place

[TrashMan]

If you had the same history as Trashman you would have been banned for that. This is a discussion group and responding to someone's post with a single no is very rude.

I'm deeply insulted by that statement.

And FYI, I don't consider posting a single no as rude. I consider it a simple statement of disagreement.

[Herra Tohtori]

Depends on whether it's an answer to a question or something that is typically considered to require some sort of argument to support the contrary opinion...

[TrashMan]

Are you saying it's dissallowed to say "I disagree" without going into detail as to why?

[The E]

Depending on the context, yes. There are cases where a binary Yes/No is all that is required. There are others where a bit of elaboration is required.

[Herra Tohtori]

Depending on the context, yes. There are cases where a binary Yes/No is all that is required. There are others where a bit of elaboration is required if you want to be taken seriously.

Addendum.