Poll

Is Human Spaceflight Reasonable?

Yes.  Human spaceflight is reasonable.
43 (93.5%)
No.  Human spaceflight is not reasonable.
3 (6.5%)

Total Members Voted: 46

Voting closed: 04/19/2017 09:49 pm


Author Topic: Reasonability of the Exploration of Space  (Read 3724 times)

Offline Mr. Scott

  • Member
  • Posts: 17
  • Liked: 19
  • Likes Given: 894
Reasonability of the Exploration of Space
« on: 01/19/2017 08:49 pm »
Axiom #1:
Congress clearly expects human spaceflight projects to be reasonable. 

Axiom #2:
Obviously, the standard of being reasonable has never been defined and/or approved. 

Axiom #3:
The definition of affordability has always been what someone would be willing to pay for a product/service.  For some developed product/service to meet a requirement of being affordable, it also needs to implicitly meet the requirement of being reasonable.

Feel free to vote as to whether human spaceflight is/is not reasonable.  Then explain your rationale as to why it is / is not reasonable.

To keep from moderators having to manage the conversation, this thread has no limits.  You however need to be reasonable.

Is it reasonable to expect that our world can explore the vastness of space exactly one human spaceflight at a time?

Offline Lar

  • Fan boy at large
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13463
  • Saw Gemini live on TV
  • A large LEGO storage facility ... in Michigan
  • Liked: 11864
  • Likes Given: 11086
Re: Reasonability of the Exploration of Space
« Reply #1 on: 01/19/2017 09:05 pm »
3 months for a poll is a rather long time. I voted reasonable since I want to see my kids visit Mars.
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline Robotbeat

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 39270
  • Minnesota
  • Liked: 25240
  • Likes Given: 12115
Re: Reasonability of the Exploration of Space
« Reply #2 on: 01/19/2017 09:08 pm »
I disagree with the premise.

"Is human space flight worthwhile" is really the question you appear to be trying to answer. Calling it reasonable while using a highly individualistic definition in your axiom makes the whole discussion strange.

I mean, suppose The world would end in exactly 1000 years if we do not each invest $10 in preventing it but it must be done in the next 10 years, my lifetime. There's no tangible benefit to me of preventing the world from ending in 1000 years, so I'd be tangibly better off if I were allowed to spend that $10 on a couple of mochas.

But from a species and society level, $10 per person to prevent the ending of the entire world seems pretty obviously a good idea.

The benefits of human space flight may not be tangible, but I think it's definitely a worthwhile thing to do. The benefits go beyond the purely tangible and purely individual level.

So on the one hand, from a short-term, individual, purely economic standpoint human space flight isn't reasonable at all, from a societal and species standpoint (and an individual, what-gets-you-up-in-the-morning perspective), human space flight is eminently reasonable. The opposite would seem suicidal on a billion-year timescale.

Again, it's like the decision to have children. Individually, economically, there's nothing at all reasonable about having children. But species-level it is absolutely essential. And individually, it brings meaning in life.
« Last Edit: 01/19/2017 09:12 pm by Robotbeat »
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline Ixian77

  • Member
  • Posts: 36
  • US
  • Liked: 15
  • Likes Given: 30
Re: Reasonability of the Exploration of Space
« Reply #3 on: 01/19/2017 09:18 pm »
By my reasoning, I would always want to know if the grass is greener on the other side.

So human spaceflight is reasonable.

As was noted in post above, NOT exploring space is suicidal for our species, IMHO.

Offline whitelancer64

Re: Reasonability of the Exploration of Space
« Reply #4 on: 01/19/2017 09:19 pm »
Technically, human spaceflight is irrational. It would be much safer to remain on Earth.

However: "The universe is probably littered with the one-planet graves of cultures which made the sensible economic decision that there’s no good reason to go into space - each discovered, studied, and remembered by the ones who made the irrational decision”
http://xkcd.com/893/
"One bit of advice: it is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree -- make sure you understand the fundamental principles, ie the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to." - Elon Musk
"There are lies, damned lies, and launch schedules." - Larry J

Offline CraigLieb

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1193
  • Dallas Fort Worth
  • Liked: 1349
  • Likes Given: 2394
Re: Reasonability of the Exploration of Space
« Reply #5 on: 01/20/2017 01:43 pm »
reasonable?

Yes, we have reasons to go and are able to go, so we are Reason-able with regard to space-flight.
On the ground floor of the National Space Foundation... Colonize Mars!

Offline rockets4life97

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 798
  • Liked: 538
  • Likes Given: 365
Re: Reasonability of the Exploration of Space
« Reply #6 on: 01/20/2017 03:43 pm »
I find it surprising that you are asking this poll on a spaceflight forum. I'd expect the people participating are here because they are interested in spaceflight, particularly the human kind.

Offline high road

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Europe
  • Liked: 837
  • Likes Given: 152
Re: Reasonability of the Exploration of Space
« Reply #7 on: 01/23/2017 06:59 am »
All exploration and research into the unknown and not yet exploitable is reasonable. And it is also reasonable that such research and exploration is done/supported by a very small percentage of the population. Otherwise, not staying in our safe haven until we know it's safe to go would have killed our species much faster than outstaying the safety of the home we know.

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
0