Space shuttle damaged on the way to space station...

[Mizango]

NASA is grossly overlooked, If I were Warren Buffet id give half my personal money to them. I used to want to be rich for that very reason.

Well that and to visit CERN :3

[Eliseos]

I want to take a trip to Fermilab one of these days, it's only about an hour and a half away (not counting Chicago traffic).

[Seraph]

Considering the asinine level of benefit humanity receives from just having satellites put into orbit, it depresses me how low those financial numbers are.

NASA needs a bailout. Also gas money.

[Cephius]

Considering the asinine level of benefit humanity receives from just having satellites put into orbit, it depresses me how low those financial numbers are.

NASA needs a bailout. Also gas money.

Not to downplay the benefits of NASA, but satellites aren't governed by NASA. The US Space Surveillance Network (part of the military) tracks and catalogs all satellites, and the FCC governs the safe operation of satellites and such. NASA has little to do with anything related to satellites except possibly launching them into orbit occasionally.

[Seraph]

Not to downplay the benefits of NASA, but satellites aren't governed by NASA. The US Space Surveillance Network (part of the military) tracks and catalogs all satellites, and the FCC governs the safe operation of satellites and such. NASA has little to do with anything related to satellites except possibly launching them into orbit occasionally.

Bingo, you get a cookie. It was also just a single example, there are many more.

[Vandole]

they need to let tony stark build the space shuttles, this shit is getting silly now

Yeah... he could do better in just a cave.

[Cephius]

Bingo, you get a cookie. It was also just a single example, there are many more.

Yeah, just saying. I don't even think NASA handles the launches that much since launching a manned spacecraft is a million times more difficult than launching a rocket with a satellite attached to it.

Like I said, I don't mean to diminish NASA's role at all. You would think that space travel and colonizing the moon would be something that's going to be considered in the next 100 years to alleviate population problems, but who knows.

[Seraph]

Yeah, just saying. I don't even think NASA handles the launches that much since launching a manned spacecraft is a million times more difficult than launching a rocket with a satellite attached to it.

Like I said, I don't mean to diminish NASA's role at all. You would think that space travel and colonizing the moon would be something that's going to be considered in the next 100 years to alleviate population problems, but who knows.

No idea why we would colonize the moon over mars, besides the fact it would be far easier from a distance standpoint. I didn't even think the moon could hold a reasonable atmosphere because of its lack of gravity and EM producing core.

[Cephius]

No idea why we would colonize the moon over mars, besides the fact it would be far easier from a distance standpoint. I didn't even think the moon could hold a reasonable atmosphere because of its lack of gravity and EM producing core.

I would think Mars would way too far away unless we developed some new kind of propulsion. Obivously if we're talking about colonization, space travel must have come a long way. But Mars is still a hell of a lot further away than the moon. And I'd think you'd see air-sealed structures or underground facilities before you'd see an artificial atmosphere.

[Seraph]

I would think Mars would way too far away unless we developed some new kind of propulsion. Obivously if we're talking about colonization, space travel must have come a long way. But Mars is still a hell of a lot further away than the moon. And I'd think you'd see air-sealed structures or underground facilities before you'd see an artificial atmosphere.

We can call it 'practice' then.

[sephir]

You must also remember all the other inventions that we can credit to NASA or the air force before it.

Some inventions include:
Scratch resistant lenses
memory foam
ear thermometer
Shoe Insoles
Long distance telecommunications
Smoke Detector
cordless tools
water filters

Theres a tonne more. I think the microwave is also credited to NASA but I cant be certain and I dont want to bother looking more shit up.

[Cephius]

I think the microwave is also credited to NASA but I cant be certain and I dont want to bother looking more shit up.

Nuh uh I saw men in black that was a gift from the aliens!

[Aerin]

I would think Mars would way too far away unless we developed some new kind of propulsion. Obivously if we're talking about colonization, space travel must have come a long way. But Mars is still a hell of a lot further away than the moon. And I'd think you'd see air-sealed structures or underground facilities before you'd see an artificial atmosphere.

Cosmic Rays are a problem too that far away from Earth. IIRC they shred through your DNA like a hot knife through butter.

[Eliseos]

Would Mars's atmosphere split the cosmic rays, like on earth? (I think the fly's eye in Utah or whatever it's called calculates that a cosmic ray hit by backtracing the energy recieved?) Wiki lists it's atmosphere as being 95% CO2, with some nitrogen and oxygen.

[Delta_9]

You must also remember all the other inventions that we can credit to NASA or the air force before it.

Have posted this before but they have a magazine/site (IPP) dedicated to spinoffs.

http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/

Part of me is going to be sad that the shuttle program is going to end but it's time to move on to a new system. There was a news conference just a little while ago with NASA about the potential damage. They don't seem to be overly concerned but they have yet to complete the whole inspection.

[Jer]

As far as choosing the Moon over Mars, it's more of an issue of practicality. Besides the obvious travel issues, the goal would be to use the Moon as a stepping stone. Being able to have bases and the appropriate facilities on the Moon to construct further space vessels and the like from materials on the Moon, would cut down on the expense of it. What is it now, like $20,000 (May be an old number) to send 1 pound into space from Earth and the Moon's gravity is something like 17% of Earth's?

[Seraph]

Would Mars's atmosphere split the cosmic rays, like on earth? (I think the fly's eye in Utah or whatever it's called calculates that a cosmic ray hit by backtracing the energy recieved?) Wiki lists it's atmosphere as being 95% CO2, with some nitrogen and oxygen.

It's not just the atmosphere, its also the EM field of the planet that protects against all the radiation. I'm honestly not sure if the moon rotates within the Earth's EM field, but if it doesn't, it provides the same issues that Mars would for radiation purposes. It would actually probably be worse.

I'm going to assume that since Mars still has an atmosphere, it probably has a decent EM field since otherwise the cosmic winds/rays/laz0rs/whatever would have been slowly stripping it away over millions and millions of years. Getting there would still be a huge issue though, the craft would require some serious insulation.

[Aerin]

It's not just the atmosphere, its also the EM field of the planet that protects against all the radiation. I'm honestly not sure if the moon rotates within the Earth's EM field, but if it doesn't, it provides the same issues that Mars would for radiation purposes. It would actually probably be worse.

I'm going to assume that since Mars still has an atmosphere, it probably has a decent EM field since otherwise the cosmic winds/rays/laz0rs/whatever would have been slowly stripping it away over millions and millions of years. Getting there would still be a huge issue though, the craft would require some serious insulation.

Ya the article I read said that currently the astronauts would either die getting there or on their way back. I'll try and find it later.

[Null]

Clearly the problem was that Shera wasn't satisfied with the Oxygen test.

[Cephius]

Wiki actually has a pretty decent article on the subject, this is the part I found most interesting:

Some suggest building the lunar colony underground, which would give protection from radiation and micrometeoroids. This is not the only advantage to this option. The average temperature on the moon is about −5 °C. The day period (two weeks) has an average temperature of about 107 °C (225 °F), although it can rise as high as 123 °C (253 °F). The night period (also two weeks) has an average temperature of about −153 °C (−243 °F).[41] Underground, both periods would be around 24 °C (75 °F), and humans could install ordinary air conditioners.[42] The construction of such a base would probably be more complex; one of the first machines from Earth might be a remote controlled excavating machine to excavate living quarters. Once created, some sort of hardening would be necessary to avoid collapse, possibly a spray-on concrete-like substance made from available materials.[43] A more porous insulating material also made in situ could then be applied. Inflatable self-sealing fabric habitats might then be put in place to retain air. As an alternative to excavating, it is possible that large underground extinct lava tubes might exist on the Moon.[44]

A possibly easier solution would be to build the lunar base on the surface, and cover the modules with lunar soil. The lunar regolith is composed of a unique blend of silica and iron-containing compounds that may be fused into a glass-like solid using microwave energy. [45] This may allow for the use of "lunar bricks" in structural designs, or the "glassing" of loose dirt to form a hard, ceramic crust. Others have put forward the idea that the lunar base could be built on the surface and protected by other means, such as improved radiation and micrometeoroid shielding. Artificial magnetic fields have been proposed as a means to provide radiation shielding for long range deep space manned missions, and it might be possible to use similar technology on a lunar colony. Some regions on the Moon possess strong local magnetic fields that might partially mitigate against exposure to charged solar and galactic particles.

Along with the fact that the polar regions experience year-round sunlight, you could power such a facility rather easily. From the way that's worded, it's not outlandish to think that we have the technology already to do it.