This is a reality of our world -

[no1_vern]

People will gladly pay extra to be entertained.

[pickel]

People will gladly pay extra to be entertained.

IMO, you're S T R E C H T I N G the word "Entertainment" Quite a ways....

I wouldn't wasted my money, myself, except the Grand Daughter wanted to see Avatar ...

[sharder8]

IMO, you're S T R E C H T I N G the word "Entertainment" Quite a ways....

I wouldn't wasted my money, myself, except the Grand Daughter wanted to see Avatar ...

4 times????




Harder

[Steve R Jones]

How can you not like the movie

Spend $500 mil to make - get enough back to pay for the stupid trip to Mars.

But is it really on Mars? Looks a lot like Arizona

[Epidemic]

I think were I going to invest in something, I would invest in producing a movie. When we finally figure out life existed on Mars (or not) then we will have knowledge. It will get noted in some books just like the designation of pluto as a non planet and as far as society at large nothing has been gained not even entertainment.

now if we spent 2.5 billion developing nanotube batteries that would advance mankind as a whole.

But even with outer space not likely to yield any real money for the forseable future I do support NASA, private industry and other space agencies because I do find it cool.

but as a business it is a losing business model exploring the planets. Hundreds of billions of dollars and we have lots of cool useless data (from a practical perspective) and velcro.

People starve in Africa, Wars go on, and we have huge deficits. I don't see finding a germ on mars as changing the condition of humanity.

[JEROY]

Avatar's cost isn't 2.78 B. But 237 M. , while a Mars trip costs 2.5 B. ... The comparison isn't a full success speaking money , neither it's speaking people's preferences ...
I'm sure lot of people would prefer a ride visit to Mars with the same price they paid for Avatar ..

Anyway , colonizing the space is a necessity if we want to avoid a future disaster or situations similar to the Chinese birthing restrictions..

[tony_j15]

Useless data and velcro? Here's 10 inventions you might use daily brought to you by NASA contracts.

I think Honeywell, Nike, and Owens Corning would all join me in calling BS on space exploration being a "losing business model."

[The Real Bingo]

No other governmental organization yields more return and benefits per dollar spent than NASA. Their budget is microscopic considering the amazing things they do; it's the only area where I think the government underspends.

[Epidemic]

Useless data and velcro? Here's 10 inventions you might use daily brought to you by NASA contracts.

I think Honeywell, Nike, and Owens Corning would all join me in calling BS on space exploration being a "losing business model."

Inflation adjusted dollars spent 790 billion since 1958. I don't know how many of those inventions were already being worked on by the private sector and would have yielded results.

No doubt NASA gets bragging rights but like marconi or Bell If they had never existed there still would be radio and telephone and really short order as there was research races for the prize.

790 billion dollars is a drop i the budget for sure over such a long period of time. But had you taken the same brain trust of people and spent 790 billion dollars on alternative energy, and other targeted societally beneficial technologies would we be better off?

I knowing there are nitrogen volcanos on xyz moon really better for humanity than having a battery that can be charged like a capacitor and last like a lithium ion through virtually infinite charging cycles?

Avatar's cost isn't 2.78 B. But 237 M. , while a Mars trip costs 2.5 B. ... The comparison isn't a full success speaking money , neither it's speaking people's preferences ...
I'm sure lot of people would prefer a ride visit to Mars with the same price they paid for Avatar ..

Anyway , colonizing the space is a necessity if we want to avoid a future disaster or situations similar to the Chinese birthing restrictions..

as for colonizing space to avoid limiting families to 1 child??????????

I am not sure what technology advancements you expect in the near future but I think birth control is far more effective than building space station colonies so people can have 11 children

and colonizing mars seems to have problems of low gravity which can not be solved as easily as on a giant space station. 1/3 gravity probably would have long term consequences to the folks living there.

[tony_j15]

I ain't arguing with you over 15.8 billion dollars a year. That's .05% of the federal budget. When you have solutions for the big budget items and actually have some understanding as to how and what NASA does, we'll talk.

[Epidemic]

Nice jab there.

I am not suggesting we shut down NASA? I am asking do you think the money could be spent better elsewhere. Comment when you can comprehend what I have written.

[SoloCamo]

No other governmental organization yields more return and benefits per dollar spent than NASA. Their budget is microscopic considering the amazing things they do; it's the only area where I think the government underspends.

Fully agree here

[pickel]

Nice jab there.

I am not suggesting we shut down NASA? I am asking do you think the money could be spent better elsewhere.

Kidney transplants, diabetes treatment, Cardio/Vascular research, Mammograms for our girls and Mothers and the list goes on. People Should come First. People PAY taxes and should get a return on their investment instead of letting the dishonest politicians dictate how Our money is spend.

[JEROY]

as for colonizing space to avoid limiting families to 1 child??????????

I am not sure what technology advancements you expect in the near future but I think birth control is far more effective than building space station colonies so people can have 11 children

and colonizing mars seems to have problems of low gravity which can not be solved as easily as on a giant space station. 1/3 gravity probably would have long term consequences to the folks living there.

Well Epidemic , you know better than me it's far beyond that ... It's not a matter of one or eleven children rather than a free personal choice governments should respect and work for ... In the meantime , they spend Trillions on arming to control a resource fading Earth . What a wasted time man ! ... Just imagine what opportunities Humanity had already lost .
I recall Apollo missions 18 t0 21 suspended and the ships were put aside , maybe never tested and left to junk , total stupidity from governmental sides ; I see in this the lack of vision for a better future . The unwilling to advance...
Yes , I heard about the extreme impossibility of building a Mars viable atmosphere , but frankly , i was shocked ... I do believe that NASA rocks .. The Elite of the Elite . If i was an executive high level , i would stop all the useless budgets and concentrate on Nasa funding and encouraging ...

[Epidemic]

well I do not know what our technology is capable of. I do suspect that unless something magic happens we are not likely to be able to ever traverse the astronomical distances required to make it to our nearest habitable neighbor. Perhaps we are just a few inventions away from hyperspace travel and I just lack the vision. would Apollo 18 through 21 have yielded more than a few more of the same rocks? Was it a valuable investment to keep taking the same trip over and over?

does anyone know what they had planned for apollo 18 through 21?

[sharder8]

well I do not know what our technology is capable of. I do suspect that unless something magic happens we are not likely to be able to ever traverse the astronomical distances required to make it to our nearest habitable neighbor. Perhaps we are just a few inventions away from hyperspace travel and I just lack the vision. would Apollo 18 through 21 have yielded more than a few more of the same rocks? Was it a valuable investment to keep taking the same trip over and over?

does anyone know what they had planned for apollo 18 through 21?

You do realize Epi, that at his point in time, 55 years ago, nothing from man had gone into space. (Sputnik was the 1st in late '57.) What has been accomplished in the last 55 years?

Man has gone not only into space, but to the moon.
We have "rovers" on Mars.
We have sent probes into other planets.
We have probes and are still communicating with them, reaching the limits of our universe.
We can see into other universes, as well as hear what's going on in them.

This doesn't include the new alloys developed, new materials, new chemicals, etc.

Where do you think we are capable of being in the next 50 years?


Harder

[The Real Bingo]

I'll add to do that and say barely more than 100 years ago, the only things in the air were birds and clouds.

I don't know if we can exponentially advance technology, but we've done more in the past century than humans have done in all our history previous to that. I don't know what NASA's ultimate goal is, but I can't think of a better way to learn our origins or discover possible futures.

[pickel]

I'll add to do that and say barely more than 100 years ago, the only things in the air were birds and clouds.
.

And the lists of WAR keep Going and Going and Going...................................

[The Real Bingo]

And the lists of WAR keep Going and Going and Going...................................

And the grass is green...

War is as natural for man as breathing. We're just learning how to kill more efficiently.

[Epidemic]

I'll add to do that and say barely more than 100 years ago, the only things in the air were birds and clouds.

I don't know if we can exponentially advance technology, but we've done more in the past century than humans have done in all our history previous to that. I don't know what NASA's ultimate goal is, but I can't think of a better way to learn our origins or discover possible futures.

Technology exponentially Increased over the past hundred years. Even outside the realm of NASA.

I don't know how many technologies have NASA as the only driving force behind them and how many were technologies that were in the works when NASA jumped in.



I use the Automobile, lightbulb, Radio, TV and AC power as examples of technologies attributed to one individual but in reality they all were well on their way to guaranteed products. it was only a race to see who would get there first.

How many NASA developments were exclusively developed for the space program and were not forgone conclusions? There is no good google search for this question