Space Travel

afinalfantasy · #1 08-02-2008, 09:27 PM

When do you guys think this will be a reality? I'd say it's quite a long way, it'd be neat to finally see. I mean like traveling from planet to planet, etc.

Also, it'd be neat if it happened before 2036 to see how big of a threat 99942 Apophis poses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis

mike_v_s · #2 08-02-2008, 09:30 PM

Well, if the previous 36 years of leaps and bounds are any indication, I'm going to say the year 3000. On the plus side, the Dr. Octagon track of the same name will still whip ass then.

Mike

EDIT: in light of the direction this will probably go, I'm going to do everyone a favor and play nice. It's late, I'm a little tired and I've already walked down this road, retraced my steps, put a nice limestone cap on it, and eventually paved it into a beautiful 4 lane highway where I own the toll booth. You're welcome.

DayoftheGreek · #3 08-02-2008, 09:36 PM

NASA needs much more funding. The general public needs to realize what an asset the space program is. I far to often hear ignorant fools complaining about wasting money on the space program.

Benjamin Strange · #4 08-02-2008, 09:50 PM

I imagine as soon as we stop spending money on unnecessary wars, we can start funding space programs properly - then space travel will become a reality.

Which means pretty much never.

Jonki · #5 08-02-2008, 09:58 PM

I hope I get reincarnated when space travel is possible, would be cool to see how it works, and discover new planets etc.

MakiSupaStar · #6 08-03-2008, 01:46 AM

Space travel will take off as soon as they put a playboy mansion in space.

Rattman · #7 08-03-2008, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

I imagine as soon as we stop spending money on unnecessary wars, we can start funding space programs properly - then space travel will become a reality.

Which means pretty much never.

NASA is pretty much finished.. plus the United States isn't really a "super power" player anymore either.. so start looking elsewhere to realize new space exploration ambitions.. it's someone else's turn to take up that amazing torch post-Apollo achievements... it was fun while it lasted..

whoatherechunk · #8 08-03-2008, 02:02 AM

isn't there a story in which einstein had the formula to time travel but someone erased one of his chalkboards that had a portion of the formula?..............

IanStephenson · #9 08-03-2008, 02:03 AM

Hopefully they can get things back on track - after all GB recons in ten years we'll have the technology to send a man to the moon! In terms of research/exploration we should be doing better.

However space is HUGE. The nearest star is 4.2 light years, so just building "better" space ships isn't going to get us there in any practical way. Maybe physics will come up with a trick which makes it possible, but right now the theoretical limit is it would take 5 years to get there MINIMUM. In practise it would be many times that AT BEST, even if we could do it.

If it takes 20 years (being MEGA optimistic) to get to the NEAREST star (excluding the sun SA!), that time is spent in a pretty hostile environment, and it's equally hostile when you get there, then MAYBE a few pioneers will go for it (and probably should), but practical travel is so far off if ever.

BlacktotheBlind · #10 08-03-2008, 02:34 AM

Even if the NASA program survives long enough, I think it would take a united effort just to put a person on Mars.

bwv1013 · #11 08-03-2008, 02:52 AM

i think the biggest revolutions in space travel will be the quantity and quality of data that we collect from the farthest nether regions, as opposed to actual space travel. while it would be an awesome experience to visit a far away solar system or planet personally, it also seems to be impractical to send someone that far away when we can just let the information come to us. why burn fossil fuels for 6 months just to get someone to mars when we can build better telescopes, computers, etc...

i just think we're a long way from getting people much farther than the space station, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

LKdubby · #12 08-03-2008, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoatherechunk

isn't there a story in which einstein had the formula to time travel but someone erased one of his chalkboards that had a portion of the formula?..............

I thought of what this guy quoted below when I read that!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georynn

Here is something posted in another thread but somehow surprisingly pertinent...

Quote:

A parable of skepticism

"A fire-breathing dragon lives in my garage"

Suppose (I'm following a group therapy approach by the psychologist Richard Franklin) I seriously make such an assertion to you. Surely you'd want to check it out, see for yourself. There have been innumerable stories of dragons over the centuries, but no real evidence. What an opportunity!

"Show me," you say. I lead you to my garage. You look inside and see a ladder, empty paint cans, an old tricycle -- but no dragon.

"Where's the dragon?" you ask.

"Oh, she's right here," I reply, waving vaguely. "I neglected to mention that she's an invisible dragon."

You propose spreading flour on the floor of the garage to capture the dragon's footprints.

"Good idea," I say, "but this dragon floats in the air."

Then you'll use an infrared sensor to detect the invisible fire.

"Good idea, but the invisible fire is also heatless."

You'll spray-paint the dragon and make her visible.

"Good idea, but she's an incorporeal dragon and the paint won't stick." And so on. I counter every physical test you propose with a special explanation of why it won't work.

Now, what's the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all?

The Dragon In My Garage
From The Demon-Haunted World
by Carl Sagan

bwv1013 · #13 08-03-2008, 03:04 AM

carl sagan rocks

Jazz Ad · #14 08-03-2008, 03:32 AM

Space travel won't improve much until we solve the engine solution.
No known way of transportation allows even a 10th of the amount of speed.
It's too soon for NASA and engineers. For now the problem is in the hands of fundamental research.

blizzard · #15 08-03-2008, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

Space travel won't improve much until we solve the engine solution.
No known way of transportation allows even a 10th of the amount of speed.
It's too soon for NASA and engineers. For now the problem is in the hands of fundamental research.

Do you mean a 10th the speed of light?

I agree with you we don't have the engine capability (no to mention food source for manned travel to other planets). If you look at all the deep space probes and mars explorer type things they rely on indirect travel by orbit transfers. It works great, its just too slow for manned flight to be a real possibility.

Tsal · #16 08-03-2008, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afinalfantasy

When do you guys think this will be a reality? I'd say it's quite a long way, it'd be neat to finally see. I mean like traveling from planet to planet, etc.

You'll see public space travel in the form of sub-orbital flights being offered by several companies by 2020. After the commercial operation has been established, the next step is reaching higher orbits, since the companies have less competition the higher they go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Space travel will take off as soon as they put a playboy mansion in space.

They are already planning putting at least one space hotel in orbit, using the inflatable module technology originally developed by NASA and privatized by Bigelow Aerospace.

Commercial space flight is very important, since a single government can put only so much cash on the projects. Multiple corporations stepping in means a lot more cash and tighter production budgets, which also improves the efficiency. This can be compared to the development of aeroplanes and the appearance of commercial operators in the early 1900's.

ROON · #17 08-03-2008, 05:01 AM

With the scraping of the Shuttle program drawing ever closer, we should be able to look forward to seeing some interesting stuff in the future. NASA apparently plans to put man on the moon again, and build basses there. I guess it really comes down to what you consider travel. Sending man between Earth and the Moon is traveling space. And in this day in age if you have the right stuff you can go into space for a few minutes in your own aircraft. But if you mean traveling far and wide, to more distant planets, I still think that is a very long way away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DayoftheGreek

NASA needs much more funding. The general public needs to realize what an asset the space program is. I far to often hear ignorant fools complaining about wasting money on the space program.

With the discovery of water on Mars I'd hope that more people realise the importance and benefits of space travel. Sadly, many people like you said are ignorant of that. Believe it or not I have friends who say "so what?" to the discovery of H20 on Mars.

The USA and NASA might not have enough money left to actually execute something as big as landing man on the moon and creating bases* there, but the US isn't the only country with a space program, so hopefully NASA will be willing to share, or do joint operations with Russia/China and the like.

* Maybe one day we will have MOTM Fenders? Made on the Moon? Hahaha!

...

Benjamin Strange · #18 08-03-2008, 07:46 AM

Saw this on a bumper sticker a while back:

186,000 miles per second: It's not just a good idea, it's the law!

Gard · #19 08-03-2008, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

Saw this on a bumper sticker a while back:

186,000 miles per second: It's not just a good idea, it's the law!

Funny.

I hope to see the day that someone figures out how to break that law...but I doubt it will happen.

And the Carl Sagan quote...what a loss his passing was, no one has stepped up to be what he was for us.

peterbright · #20 08-03-2008, 04:55 PM

Right after Chinese Democracy comes out.