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Originally Posted by CraigS
Interesting article.
The initialisation of major programs always requires widespread impetus.
The common-man has to see a reason for undertaking resource intensive programs. If there is no acceptance of the reasons .. there will be no further exploration programs.
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Yes, it is an interesting article. It's quite obvious to anyone interested in the space program that the initial impetus towards getting people into space was purely political and militaristic. I can think of plenty of reasons for undertaking manned (and unmanned) spaceflight and get people to accept it. It's the lack of political will and the mismanagement of the government and economy which is stopping it. I can give you one clear economic reason straight away....mineral resources. It will cost a lot to undertake mineral extraction from asteroids etc, but the payback is even greater....much greater. Then you can factor in environmental reasons, for instance.
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Originally Posted by CraigS
Simply, there has to be a clear, short-term compelling reason for humans to undertake space exploration. At the moment, there isn't any such compelling reason. As long as space exploration appears as a luxury item for affluent cultures, 'watered-down' versions, like robotic exploration, are the best we can hope for.
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That's the big problem with society and politics....it can't see beyond short term greed and wants. Going into space will put pressure on society to start thinking more about medium and long term goals and that's going to be hard for a culture that expects everything to be handed to it on a platter, yesterday or last week. But it's going to have to be done. It's also going to force the cooperation of disparate societies on the planet, where in order to get the job done, this ridiculous, jingoistic, chest beating notion of who's the biggest and baddest in town will have to be consigned to where it belongs...history. We're going to have to grow up, for once.
For a long while yet, it will only be the affluent and/or technologically capable who are going to be able to undertake this kind of endeavour. Despite of all the effort over many decades, much of this planet is still a basket case....Africa being a case in point. Things will have to change both there and in the affluent world before they and others like them can actively join in on space exploration.
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Originally Posted by CraigS
Visions of expanding human intellect through space exploration are simply insufficient, and merely appear as an attempt by scientists to step outside the real world in which the bulk of the common-man spends his/her entire lives.
As soon as the compelling reason becomes apparent, this will all change.
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I agree with that....just going into space to further what you know is not sufficient enough to drive a space program. But it should be one of its priorities. However, it's been in the spirit of exploration and pushing the boundaries of what we know that's allowed us to advance as fast as we have...and given today's society nearly everything it takes for granted. Without it, and the spending in other areas (including, unfortunately, military research), we'd still be languishing in the 19th Century.
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Originally Posted by CraigS
These reasons might be entirely unexpected and may come from several programs already underway (LHC, gravity probes, neutrino detection, etc, etc). They may also appear through chance-alignments with future unknown political agendas. Theoretical developments often perform this bridging role in society and are unlikely to ever cease, for any reason.
The interim hiatus might also allow for the gradual maturation of current technologies, or the development of missing technologies, any of which may then outweigh the reasons against it, (eg: human health/safety, life sustaining technologies matched to alien environments, propulsion systems capable of realistic travel times, etc).
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The reasons for going into space probably won't come from those programs you mentioned, but they may influence further technical developments. Unfortunately, political agendas, both present and future, are going to be a major factor behind the capacity for space exploration. If we really want to become the spacefaring civilisation of our dreams...ala "Star Trek" etc, we will have to totally reform our present sociopolitical paradigm and regime. What we have now will only be a hindrance and a millstone around our necks. But, until we do, we're going to have to work with what we have. And make the best of it.
The interim hiatus will not necessarily mean an improvement in anything technological or anything else. Given the state of play as it is, it will most probably mean a going backwards as money and talent gets siphoned off into areas concerning furthering military-industrial and party political agendas. The present farce in Iraq and Afghanistan (and elsewhere) is a case in point.
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Originally Posted by CraigS
Overall, I don't find what this guy has said, necessarily pessimistic, depressing or defeatist. More like … merely opinionated. Actually all he's done for me, is make the negative case against manned space exploration a little clearer.
How can the case for manned space exploration be strengthened ?
Cheers
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I did...the heading of his article say it all and the tone/direction of his writing clearly points in which direction he's heading and what he believes should be the case. He most certainly was opinionated. His mode of thinking is clearly insular...it's a characteristic of the US which raises its ugly head every now and then. It did before WW1 and WW2 and the times have been ripe for it to become popular in the public conscience again. This time, unless something dramatic happens, it appears to have set in for the long haul.