A hundred years from now? I already curse us for letting short-sighted politicians stand in the way of our destiny in space.
Wow, this is one of the most depressing threads I've seen in a while.
Quote from: neilh on 02/27/2012 12:40 amWow, this is one of the most depressing threads I've seen in a while.Wow, this is one of the most pointless threads I've seen in a while.
What has happened in human space flight after five years, in 2017?- Is SLS still developed? When is the estimated first launch? Or has it happened already?
- Is Orion flown to space?
- Are commercial suborbital flights ongoing? By which company/companies?
- What's the status of manned lunar flyby?
- Have commercial crew flights happened? By which companies?
- Falcon Heavy, how many flights has it flown?
- Stratolaunch? Has it flown or when is the estimated first flight in 2017?
Quote from: Mark S on 02/27/2012 04:44 pmA hundred years from now? I already curse us for letting short-sighted politicians stand in the way of our destiny in space. Well maybe we should start cursing SF writers and Hollywood filmmakers for giving us false and unrealistic expectations about our "destiny" instead...
Quote from: woods170 on 02/27/2012 08:23 amQuote from: neilh on 02/27/2012 12:40 amWow, this is one of the most depressing threads I've seen in a while.Wow, this is one of the most pointless threads I've seen in a while.I'd go further, but I'd have to ban myself
By 2017, all members of NSF will have been created their own subforums, where they can post their opinions in peace and harmony.
It's difficult to predict what is going to work six months from now much less five years away. I've made my own five year predictions every year since 1969 and learned that it's a futile exercise at best.
* Due to absolute and overwhelming public incomprehension, MPCV has been re-named Orion; NASA PAO reluctantly admits that it was nearly impossible to get anyone outside the agency to use the MPCV name;
Forgive me for failing to be a prophet of doom here, but there are other instances from the past where, five years into the future, things actually turned out good:
1956 - scepticism about the chance of putting a satellite into space, much less a man: but within five years it happened
1959 - the first Earth satellites are newly arrived in Earth orbit: within five years, the first robotic mission would venture as far afield as Mars
1964 - seemed doubtful that the US would achieve a manned lunar landing within five years: but it happened
1976 - no Americans in space for a year and the Shuttle mired in technical difficulties: but it flew in 1981
1993 - Space Station Freedom close to cancellation: but was rescoped and First Eelement Launch took place in 1998
2002 - No immediate plans for a Shuttle successor or any manned BEO effort: the Columbia accident changed that and by 2005 the first 'real' plans to venture beyond the Solar System were taking shape.
Yeah, Things kinda have a habit of working out for the best, eventually!