Humans on the moon and travelling to Mars

[supermarket]

16.04.01

I mean: is it worth it? What do we need to go all that way for?

It's exciting and dramatic - yes. I'm sure the vehicles used to get the lucky astronaughts to and hopefully from will look wonderful but I'm cynical of the motives of George Bush and his administration. His motive - their motive - for announcing an intention to fly people to the moon and mars is simply to deflect public opinion away from the bald fact that there are no WMD in Iraq, and to curry favour with the American electorate. Remember the huge question that hung over the legality of GB's 'majority' at the last presidential election?

Look at the first manned space flights and landings on the moon: politically motivated. Space is where the cold war was fought. The moon landing in 1969 allowed people to believe in Louis Armstrongs hit cover of 'What a Wonderful World', while thousands of Vietnamese and Americal millitary and civilian people were being traumatised, maimed and killed in the Vietnam war.

I'm sorry if this makes you angry but I can't help my cynicism. I believe that further human exploration of the moon and/or mars is a romantic and potentially extremely expensive American Republican Dream.

Think on.

supermarket

(I'm from the U.K. by the way).

[thomastech]

supermarket,

Everybody has a right to their own opinion.

Just as you have voiced your opinion, there are plenty of people who "Want" to explore.


What do we need to go all that way for?


There is no "I" in "We" :)

Cheers!

[Dan Luna]

Surely a century in which there were lots of wars and people went to the Moon is better than one in which there were just lots of wars?

[Guest_Faulkner]

Supermarket, "curmudgeonly cynicism" is also called "wisdom".

Of course it's a political stunt. And no, some of us have NOT forgotten how the last presidential election was totally rigged. Didn't they make all black votes in Florida invalid? Or something?

As I've said elsewhere, yes I think we should have a presence on the Moon & Mars etc...but not a military presence...and that's what GB's all about. He wants the American flag stuck proudly in lunar soil...obviously before the Russians or Chinese get there.

Stupid patriotic games, if you ask me.

Bring on space tourism, with hotels & cheap tickets for all!!! Keep human governments on planet Earth! There's no room for "government" in Outer Space!!!!

[ravenmoonva01]

The need for space exploration is a necessity for national security(USA). It is also evolutionary and consistent with the current accolades and past failures.

I am sorry that your Beagle or whatever failed, but, thats no reason to imply that the space initiatives Bush recently expounded upon was a cover up or a bait and switch from the WMD in IRAQ.

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Since we have spring cleaned the safety committee at NASA, and now hopefully lessons have been learned, why not try again. I am defending Bush on this instance and the ability for the US to fail, grieve, resolve and ride again.

See you on Mars? <text removed>

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[Kootenaistar]

:D Yes&#33; Of course there is mostly a political pull and cover for this. But think back a bit, (if you&#39;re old enough&#33;) and remember what life was like before JFK&#39;s announcement. Computers in the home were unthinkable. Now they&#39;re common. Things like Teflon were only dreams. Metal alloys have been more quickly advanced due to needs in those programs. Fabrics and insulation advancements were hurried along, too&#33; Shall I continue? So many people here on earth are supported and advanced by the space programs that my poor old brain boggles trying to think of them in any great numbers and ways. BUT, there are two more things that must never be forgotten: 1- the interest in science that these programs can incite in our school kids, and, 2-the great amount of learning about this old home planet that has taken place just in the preparation for the study of those others out there&#33;
(Hope I haven&#39;t ranted and raved too much. I guess you can see I&#39;m an OLD supporter for space and exploration.) :D

[GOURDHEAD]

Let&#39;s hope Bush gets sucked into quickspace (as in quicksand) having stuck only one foot in so far. We need a real space program that can evolve into interstellar travel. Maybe he can drag most of the other national leaders of the world in also. Our survival is at stake&#33;&#33;&#33;