I'd settle for payloads and people beyond Low Earth Orbit!!
We have never not had enough money to begin the attempt at off-world colonization.
until there is a widespread grassroots movement supporting space.
Quote from: beancounter on 06/23/2014 01:39 amQuote from: MATTBLAK on 06/22/2014 11:27 amLikely true, yes. If Space Exploration and spending were capped at the modern, 'magic' amount of 1% percent discretionary Federal spending, it would still be 'only' about $40 billion per year. What NASA and it's Commercial Space partners could do with that... Yep, spend it on jobs programs. But if they actually go somewhere and do something... So what? If Space X filled all the job vacancies, would that not be a 'jobs program' too? That kind of bee-yotchin about 'jobs programs' is getting a bit cynical and very, very old. And is therefore no longer clever. Move along...
Quote from: MATTBLAK on 06/22/2014 11:27 amLikely true, yes. If Space Exploration and spending were capped at the modern, 'magic' amount of 1% percent discretionary Federal spending, it would still be 'only' about $40 billion per year. What NASA and it's Commercial Space partners could do with that... Yep, spend it on jobs programs.
Likely true, yes. If Space Exploration and spending were capped at the modern, 'magic' amount of 1% percent discretionary Federal spending, it would still be 'only' about $40 billion per year. What NASA and it's Commercial Space partners could do with that...
Quote from: JohnFornaro on 06/23/2014 01:41 pmuntil there is a widespread grassroots movement supporting space.The chance of that is almost nil
Quote from: Jim on 06/23/2014 02:09 pmQuote from: JohnFornaro on 06/23/2014 01:41 pmuntil there is a widespread grassroots movement supporting space.The chance of that is almost nilActually, I think you're wrong. The chances are clearly between slim and fat.
Having spent years running an L-5 chapter at a major university in a major city, I think there are a lot of people in the US who "support" space. They just aren't willing to pay any more for human spaceflight with their taxes than they already do.
Building a dam or a new Freeway is a 'jobs program' - even if they might actually be needed. A deep space exploration program is probably never needed - just wanted or deemed necessary by people with a bit of future vision like me (and you? Nah - don't think so). The local council where I live has resurfaced the road outside my house for the third time in 4 years - it absolutely did not need it. That is the best definition of a 'jobs program' I've ever seen.Constellation, Orion/SLS are only 'jobs programs' if they never get built, never go anywhere and never do anything. You have been implying that these sorts of projects are worthless and by extension, probably all manned space efforts - you could put the ISS in that jobs basket too, if you wanted. I put it to you that your participation in this thread and some of your opinions are themselves wastes of time. You have called this thread a fantasy (it probably is - I pretty much said so a few posts back). There: I've said it - some of what you've said is wrong, (did that 'make your day?) even if the spirit of some of it is right. This is the closest to an Ad hominem statement I've made in ages. It seems you don't like manned spaceflight, don't support viable alternatives and don't want any money spent on all this 'fantasy'. It's all too hard - let's give up, boo-hoo. Hell; most of it has all gone away anyway. The enemies of space exploration and the future are chipping away all the time now. Quick - let's all savor this thread before someone hits the Moderator alert button and locks this interesting but ultimately futile thread. Sheesh...
Quote from: vulture4 on 06/24/2014 02:30 pmHaving spent years running an L-5 chapter at a major university in a major city, I think there are a lot of people in the US who "support" space. They just aren't willing to pay any more for human spaceflight with their taxes than they already do.Most Americans I've spoken to have said they would love a box on their tax form which allowed them to earmark part of their taxes to go to NASA. Most of them also answer my followup question in the negative: do you think it would make a difference?