Global cooperation; the possiblity of a space without borders

[bigorexia]

Space is an ideal, a thing in itself. A place without borders; just one unending black with intermittent specs of worlds, stars, and galaxies. Wonders beyond imagining waiting to be discovered, and surfaces that has never been tread by a living thing (as far as we know). I don't hold much hope of leaving this planet myself, but I'd hope my children might have more of an opportunity then I had. And currently that hope appears doubtful.

Right now all we have is NASA. An agency that is a relic of a by gone age. An age of nuclear tensions, and strained borders. A time when trust between nations was at an all time low. It is the definition of bloat and mismanagement. NASA needs to be put down. A new system needs to be put into place, a system that matches our world. A system that is cooperation between countries personified. An agency not driven by nationalism but made possible through the very human need to explore and understand. Leave the borders on Earth, let space become something different all in itself.

I originally made a much much longer post, that was more specific on what I'd like to see and what I feel is wrong with NASA, but I felt it undermined my message and I actually would like people to read my idealistic dribble. Really, normally I'm a cynical bastard but something about space just hits home for me.

 

[bodyklok]

Urrr... O... OK?

You want to live in space? Well, space is pretty awesome so I can understand that.

You know NASA isn't the only space agency in the world? The European Unions has it's own space program, Russia still has it's own fleet of rockets, and China has a budding space program as well.

 

[Labyrinth]

The issue with having a non-specific space organisation is that they're government funded and getting governments on a global scale to agree to fund something that big, and not to bicker about the paint colours on the outside of the rocket, is fucking impossible. People are too selfish and absorbed to extend themselves out into the universe as a consolidated effort. If we could.. the possibilities are enormous.

Alas, human nature hamstrings us again.

 

[Thedutchjelle]

Well Europe has the ESA who already teams up with Russia, China, and India every now and then.
Seeing how the ESA is being funded by 18 different countries, I'd say it should be possible.

 

[Kollega]

If you mean merging all space agencies into one big unit and going to explore space toghether,not as nations,but as a united species,then HELL YEAH! If i could live forever,it would be only reason to do so. It's a shame that most politicans are obsessed with overcompensation,and don't look up,to the stars. But then again,there's Obama,and people like him...

So i say that everything is possible. Even far space exploration.

 

[El Poncho]

Urrr... O... OK?

You want to live in space? Well, space is pretty awesome so I can understand that.

You know NASA isn't the only space agency in the world? The European Unions has it's own space program, Russia still has it's own fleet of rockets, and China has a budding space program as well.

Yeah but they are all trying to get one up on each other for their country(s). If they worked together then we might get further into space.

 

[bodyklok]

Urrr... O... OK?

You want to live in space? Well, space is pretty awesome so I can understand that.

You know NASA isn't the only space agency in the world? The European Unions has it's own space program, Russia still has it's own fleet of rockets, and China has a budding space program as well.

Yeah but they are all trying to get one up on each other for their country(s). If they worked together then we might get further into space.

They're efforts regularly e.g. The international space centre. But one could actually argue, that if they were formed in to a single organisation the bureaucratic red tape would make it difficult for them to do anything. In the case of the ISC they were able to get the task done due to an understanding between the various nations, however form them in to one group and you'll probably have arguments about where to build new rocket platforms and such.

Really the one-upmanship they display helps to push them harder, a bit of friendly competition is good most of the time.

 

[Danzaivar]

Yeah we in Europe have a trans-national space program, sure it's kinda crap compared to NASA but it's getting there...

 

[captainwalrus]

Screw cooperation. We need to reinvigorate some of that fierce competition that got us into space in the first place. We should tear up the Outer Space Treaty, and open all of outer space to territorial claims. Allow space-based weaponry. You know, things that would spur interest in space again.

 

[Dele]

The issue with having a non-specific space organisation is that they're government funded and getting governments on a global scale to agree to fund something that big, and not to bicker about the paint colours on the outside of the rocket, is fucking impossible. People are too selfish and absorbed to extend themselves out into the universe as a consolidated effort. If we could.. the possibilities are enormous.
Alas, human nature hamstrings us again.

ITER, ESA.. Globalization tends to go in hand with cooperation.

 

[timmytom1]

mankind by and large is lazy and stupid unless under intense potentially lethal danger.

The truth of the matter right there

 

[Whiskyjakk]

Screw cooperation. We need to reinvigorate some of that fierce competition that got us into space in the first place. We should tear up the Outer Space Treaty, and open all of outer space to territorial claims. Allow space-based weaponry. You know, things that would spur interest in space again.

Space is the ultimate power vacuum (pun intended). Sure allowing occupations and the development of space weaponry might accelerate space expansion, assuming nations believed the rewards were worth the cost. However, personally I would rather have slow, cooperative expansion and not have to worry that disputes over moon territory will cause another world war.

 

[Nickolai77]

I think that the reason for the lack of progress in space technology is down to sheer cost, but more so because we simply do not have the technology to make space travel cheaper and more efficent. Inventions such as the steam engine triggerd the industrial revelution, Pc's, microchips and the internet triggerd the infomation revelution- the recent cracking of the Human genome code could be leading to a genetic revelution- what we need now is some new invention that will allow for the Space Revelution- it ain't come yet, but i sure hope that i live long enougth to see it.

In terms of actual colinsiation of space, i think it should be a co-operative process, humanity needs to at some stage move towards a system where nations are inter-dependant of eachother and work together through various political institutions- not only does this mean no more wars, but also means peaceful progress which is good for everyone. However there should be an element of competition, that is where private companies compete with eachother for profit and thus adds the drive for expansion and new improved technologies. So in short, nations co-operate, companies compete- and of course, politicans should keep out of the affairs of these companies- as it does not do them much good and harms competivness.

 

[Raregolddragon]

Be nice to have such a thing to bad humans have trust issues and seam to only have rally good skills if it involves tearing thing down and building.

 

[Kiutu]

Pfft, he just wants real life to be life to be like those sci-fi games where they have a world space organization, like Halo and Mass Effect.

 

[New Troll]

If given the choice between paying tax dollars to improve the space program or keeping said money to feed thier families in this demoralizing economy, people will always choose the later.

Competitiveness or teamwork isn't the issue. Flight or feed is.

 

[Zombie_Fish]

I can understand your want to go into space, but the fact is, our technology isn't advanced enough to let us survive out there far away from the earth for more than a few weeks. That is where the issues come in about space travel.

Also, if we do go outside the solar system, where do we go? The nearest planet that is similar to our own is millions of light years away, and we just don't have the technology to reach it yet.