Into Space

[Eltiraaz]

I think a better idea would be to just send Bush to the moon so he can stop making problems here!! :angry2:

 

 

 

:spam:

[ohGr]

apparently, there were conspiracy theorys about the 1969 man on the moon landings being a fake, they assumed that since there were shadows clearly visible, there were light sources (gee...take a hint), that steven speilberg made the footage of it look like it was broadcasted down...quite interesting theorys...although....they are bull****

 

well...setting up in space...i get the eery feeling, george bush will be going

"no russians, no australians, no afghan's, israle's, no kiwis, no british, no everything, except the americans"

 

well...theres a remote possibility of that happenning..i mean...what are the odds of bush excluding everyone else from setting up a base on a planet...99 to 100?

 

apparently the russians are trying to do the same...probably turn out to be another space rase...with the US bombing them so they can win :lol:

 

take a note...i was joking about the bombs

[loveme4whoiam]

That plane sounds a lot like the R&D thats been going on concerning ramjet or scramjet powered space-planes. I don't know anything more about than youm but you've got the gist of it. They take off like normal jet powered aircraft and climb continually until they have reached the speed and altitude necessary for the ram/scramjet to kick in and off they go.

As for the Moon base, it would have to be a sealed facility. There is no chance that the Moon could ever support an atmosphere, there is not enough gravity. And concerning water, you can make it out of hydrogen and oxygen, so there is no need to haul liquid water...just bring the gasses, or extract them from the Moon's mineral base, and combine for refreshingly pure Moon-water

 

Thank you Mojlnir for putting into words what my feeble intellect could not. The water problem has been solved by your knowledge of basic chemistry :D . Does anyone have anymore information about the sealed facility research. I saw a programme on Discovery or something saying some guys in Nevada were testing self-containing environments that could be used in the Moonbase project. Anyone verify that?

 

BTW:Can we please attempt to stay away from the political problems of the world unless they are completely relevant and stated in a responsible way? Please?

[Myris]

I remember to saw that, or a similar program on Discovery channel too. There are people in the Nevada dessert testing if they can build a self-containing environment.

They're re-using the oxygen they use for breathing, they can catalyse the fotosynthesis reaction which was needed for a self-containing environment. With this technology plants can transfer our exhaust gasses into oxygen much faster. I'm not sure wether or not they can apply it on large scale, but on small scale it is working as it should.

[Pack Rat]

I'm afraid it are the russians who were from the beginning more advanced when it came down to space... Let's not forget they were the first ones to bring a human being into space, their space program started more than 10 years earlier than the us. We all know that it are the Russians who till 2 years ago succeeded in creating a hell of a space station ( MIR, remember? ) And now thanks to the ESA, there is a new station named ISS. Sure the americans landed on the moon and accomplished a whole lot but dont forget to give the Russians the credit they deserve...

[SimVig]

Well, they paid dearly for it, didn't they? There were a lot of accidents during the rush, and many deaths. I think, the cost was too high, but what's done is done, and when it comes to living in space for a long time, Russians have more experience. The record is something around 300 days on the MIR station. (By the way, from the viewpoint of physics, it's 300 days of falling :) )

So I say - combine the technology of USA with the experience of Russia and everything will be ok. I don't know about the governments, but the astronauts themselves get along just fine.

[Zmid]

I would say create a truly international space agency for the manned Mars and Moon bases, and take the best personnel in the relevant fields whether they be British, American, Russian, French, German, whatever. This would offer the best chance of success and, if all countries contribute financially as well as personnel wise, it would help meet the tremendous cost of this.

[Pack Rat]

Europe en Russia have already united under ESA, for unknown reasons the US wants to keep it's own agency... A pitty. The European Space Agency has the Russian experience and the technology but what the ESA truly would need are the assets like the NASA has... If both just united, they may accomplish much more.

 

However SimVig, I have to point you that the United states had more failures and human lives lost in their attempt to land on the moon. Let's not forget it was the Apollo 11 that landed on the moon witch means there had been already 10 failures. Off-course not every attempt costest human lives but several did. I wouldnt point out the Russians for failures as the Americans problably have made more.

 

This is problably caused by the fact that the Russians dont have the money the Americans have so they cant afford much failures. The Russians are very neat when it comes down to safety and possible succes of the mission. They check everything 10 times and then check it again. You have to admit that. Something the USA forgets once and a while.

[Peregrine]

However SimVig, I have to point you that the United states had more failures and human lives lost in their attempt to land on the moon. Let's not forget it was the Apollo 11 that landed on the moon witch means there had been already 10 failures. Off-course not every attempt costest human lives but several did. I wouldnt point out the Russians for failures as the Americans problably have made more.

 

Wrong. The first 10 were never supposed to land on the moon, they were just tests of various parts of the project. It was known from the moment they launched that they weren't going to land on the moon. So they were a sucess at what they were intended to do.

 

And there have been exactly 3 (American) failures that have killed people. Not too bad a reccord when you consider the number of attempts and the dangers of getting into space.

 

Europe en Russia have already united under ESA, for unknown reasons the US wants to keep it's own agency... A pitty. The European Space Agency has the Russian experience and the technology but what the ESA truly would need are the assets like the NASA has... If both just united, they may accomplish much more.

 

I agree. Too bad the US government will never approve it. But I guess it wouldn't be too much of a problem, since separate administration isn't going to keep them from working together on a project.

 

Well, they paid dearly for it, didn't they? There were a lot of accidents during the rush, and many deaths

 

Please, get your facts right. A total of three Americans (no idea about the Russian side) in that time period. Three people is not "many deaths".

[Ancalagon]

I agree that if we are to colonize space (or the Moon or Mars) our Nation needs to unite with the other Nations and collaborate together. It woul alleviate the cost, manpower and monetarily speaking. Also, combined technology and research could lead to faster and better breakthroughs. Also, if any long term Colonies are established on Mars I would think that ones Nationality would have almost no meaning whatsoever, once you started a new life there.

 

Reason being, Mars is a long way from Earth; this means delayed contact with other Nations, politics would have no meaning in terms of how much it would affect the Colonists but they would be on their own. It would cost alot of money to send ships out to Mars just to regulate, and knowing my Government, we won't spend money unless we can get something out of it in return. Influentialy speaking, the colonists would cease to call themselves 'Russians' or 'Americans', or what have you, and develop a new Nationality with which they could all identify with. It promotes unity and focuses on the survival ascpect of living on a new World. I have a feeling, a 'prediction' if you will, that 30 to 40 years after a permanent colony is established, the colonists will make a repeat of History and become their own Nation.

 

As we experience resource shortfalls here on Earth, we will undoubtedly try to get more materials from the Colonies. Which will be seen by Corporations as other countries to exploit for cheap labor. An excellent example or prediction of this is Robert A. Heinlein's 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress'. Which deals with the Moon Penal Colonies being exploited by the corrupt governments of Earth and Nations as well. The Lunarians (the Colonists) decide that enough is enough, and they rebel, go to war against the Earth, and eventually establish the Moon as a Soverign Nation.