Ishmael
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2001
- Posts
- 84,005
The recent tragedy has once again brought the worlds focus on the US Space Program. The Space Shuttle is the most complicated mechanism yet built by man. That some were going to be lost is a given. Murphy and his laws preordained that eventuality the moment the first drawing was made. We will lose more Shuttles and more astronauts. That is the price that must be paid to push forward new frontiers. The Presidents new incentive to reach Mars is also a goal worthy of the best efforts of our scientists and the explorers that will journey there.
But I have a serious problem with the Space Program as currently administered. NASA has become an engineering entity. The NASA budget managers are underwriting Very little hard science. In order for the human race to reap the benefits of space, it first must be commercialized. That means the government monopoly on space and launch vehicles MUST end. It's time for serious entrepreneurs to get involved with the commercialization of space. Water and minerals of all sorts are there for the taking. Relieving the pressure on the Earth’s resources is worth the effort. There are also certain benefits to manufacture of certain products and intermediate materials in the micro gravity of space.
Several years ago the budget for the super-collider project was cut and the project canceled. NASA was the greatest beneficiary of these funds that were freed up. Practical space travel will NEVER be achieved with chemical or nuclear propulsion systems. Brussard Ram Jets just aren't going to cut the mustard. Practical space travel means traveling at least at the speed of light or faster, if possible. And that possibility will not be known unless we can experiment with the very fabric of space time itself on a quantum level, or something similar. And that's where the super-collider came in. Pure physics on a sub-particle level. The project addressing pure science was scrapped for an engineering effort.
While engineering efforts are laudable, they can be done by private industry without the oversight of the Government. Or the necessity for the government to take ownership of the project. While it is convenient to say that the efforts of NASA belong to all, the fact of the matter is that what benefits were reaped were damned expensive, and are getting more so by the day. NASA has not had any major impetus or goals beyond engineering for 20 years now. It has become a bloated bureaucracy much more concerned with it's own survival and monopoly on space than thinking in terms of grand high risk ventures and the 'run lean', keep it simple attitudes of the 60's.
What can be done? I don't know at this point. But the commercialization of space must begin soon. That is the only way that the frontier will truly be pushed back. And the only way that the 'dreamers', doers, and misfits of our society can push outward without having to kowtow to the governments largess.
Ishmael
But I have a serious problem with the Space Program as currently administered. NASA has become an engineering entity. The NASA budget managers are underwriting Very little hard science. In order for the human race to reap the benefits of space, it first must be commercialized. That means the government monopoly on space and launch vehicles MUST end. It's time for serious entrepreneurs to get involved with the commercialization of space. Water and minerals of all sorts are there for the taking. Relieving the pressure on the Earth’s resources is worth the effort. There are also certain benefits to manufacture of certain products and intermediate materials in the micro gravity of space.
Several years ago the budget for the super-collider project was cut and the project canceled. NASA was the greatest beneficiary of these funds that were freed up. Practical space travel will NEVER be achieved with chemical or nuclear propulsion systems. Brussard Ram Jets just aren't going to cut the mustard. Practical space travel means traveling at least at the speed of light or faster, if possible. And that possibility will not be known unless we can experiment with the very fabric of space time itself on a quantum level, or something similar. And that's where the super-collider came in. Pure physics on a sub-particle level. The project addressing pure science was scrapped for an engineering effort.
While engineering efforts are laudable, they can be done by private industry without the oversight of the Government. Or the necessity for the government to take ownership of the project. While it is convenient to say that the efforts of NASA belong to all, the fact of the matter is that what benefits were reaped were damned expensive, and are getting more so by the day. NASA has not had any major impetus or goals beyond engineering for 20 years now. It has become a bloated bureaucracy much more concerned with it's own survival and monopoly on space than thinking in terms of grand high risk ventures and the 'run lean', keep it simple attitudes of the 60's.
What can be done? I don't know at this point. But the commercialization of space must begin soon. That is the only way that the frontier will truly be pushed back. And the only way that the 'dreamers', doers, and misfits of our society can push outward without having to kowtow to the governments largess.
Ishmael
