Should the US/International Community continue to explore space ?

[InsanityRequiem]

Wait what?
Modern medicine is attributed to the space program?
Please give some examples, this is a pretty ludicrous claim, also we'd know more about the process of cancer and how to combat it through the space program?!

While I'm a bit lazy, I've find a website of articles in regards to what I talked about: http://csimpp.gmu.edu/csimpp-publications-and-presentations/refereed-articles/

Though this NASA website has a list of some of the things space exploration has done for the common people: http://www.nasa.gov/50th/50th_magazine/benefits.html

This website being an educational site regarding what cancer research in space is about: http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=553

 

[razer17]

At the minute, no, we should not explore space. Too much money for the short term, what with the financial state we are in. Let's not waste money on exploring space whne there are more poressing matters.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

In a word: Yes.

In many more words: Humanity is a squishy, fragile species clinging to life on a single rock in orbit around an unremarkable star in a backwater corner of one of countless galaxies in the universe. Said single rock can be easily made uninhabitable by events that wouldn't even register as a blip in the grand scheme of things.

If humanity wants to survive, it needs to get off this rock and learn to live among the stars.

 

[Rednog]

Wait what?
Modern medicine is attributed to the space program?
Please give some examples, this is a pretty ludicrous claim, also we'd know more about the process of cancer and how to combat it through the space program?!

While I'm a bit lazy, I've find a website of articles in regards to what I talked about: http://csimpp.gmu.edu/csimpp-publications-and-presentations/refereed-articles/

Though this NASA website has a list of some of the things space exploration has done for the common people: http://www.nasa.gov/50th/50th_magazine/benefits.html

This website being an educational site regarding what cancer research in space is about: http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=553

Those are contributions to modern medicine, a vastly different thing than claiming modern medicine wouldn't be anywhere near what it is today without the space program.

 

[theriddlen]

Hell yeah we should explore space more, otherwise how are we gonna discover a race of female-only bisexual and totally-looking-like-a-blue-woman-with-tentacles-on-her-head aliens?

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Somewhere out in the universe, there's a hospitable planet that's inhabitants are Pokemon.

Heck yes.

 

[imnot]

Hell yes, just cut the budget to something no one cares about, use the money to build a cool rocket and go to mars!

Even if it's just to dump Sarah Palin there.

 

[Whitbane]

Absolutely, I need to get to Mars to check on all that land I bought. No way I'm letting the EDF or Alec Mason destroy my awesome, red yard.

 

[isometry]

I think we should continue the space program, because of the trickle-down technologies.

Video tape was invented for the lunar landing, because a film recorder would have been too bulky. Ten or so years later consumers got VHS.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

As a species we've stagnated, almost atrophied if you will. We could be exploring space but instead we're still fighting over resources... silly humans.

 

[Lang901]

yes.

1.
we might find and use other Energy Sources

http://www.asi.org/adb/02/09/he3-intro.html

2.
there must be something out there sheer by the numbers of celestial bodies.
and i don't really think we should risk to wait and see if they are friendly.
we need some sort of symbol of power like a fleet to show the other species that we can be equal to them and we are no species that are easy to conquer.

3.
if we find another species we could have a technological jump forward.
or at least find someone we can ally with.

4.
sheer only by the technological breaktroughs we had by trying to find solutions how the universe works and how we could survive in it makes this a clear yes.

5.
our recourses are finite and i do not think we will find a good way to recycle everything even up to 80%.
we might have to start mining the asteroid belt between mars and jupiter.
and we might find accidently new materials.

I have actually seen most of the evidence for He-3 as an energy source and from what I can gather, it's not that great of a source of energy. A good source of energy is Space Based Solar Power. A study done by the NSSO found in one year, one satellite could produce 212 terawatts. For comparison, all of the fossil fuel in the world can make about 250 terawatts. http://www.nss.org/settlement/ssp/library/final-sbsp-interim-assessment-release-01.pdf

 

[RicoADF]

Its a simple question. Should we continue to explore space and if so what should we do there?
I personally think so. There is a lot of knowledge to be gained in space.

Yes we should, however as an international group, not just NASA or Russia etc.
ESA is my personal favorite as its a small example of what we should have, multiple nations working together, in ESA's case its Europe. Take that example as a global space program and that'd be our future.

 

[Alssadar]

Why hasn't this little bugger popped up yet?

As humans, we are only one tiny little being amongst the vast cosmos that span the entire universe of all that has every and will exist. Whether it be some form of Manifest Destiny or not, I feel like humanity must be united in some form of common cause, for the natural expansion in the sake of all mankind. Whether it be to settle land, or find new things, humanity should establish itself amongst the stars--to either become an Empire, or create the relics for some other race in a far off future.
Also, that video was very inspirational-Makes me wanna go to SPACE!

 

[Torrasque]

Of course. We're not going to get anywhere (literally) if we sit here on Earth and try to fix our problems.
There will be a time when we are not killing each other and have the technology to go check out the stars. It will be a very long time from now, but it will eventually happen.
Or we will run out of resources to support the amount of humans on Earth and accidentally the whole population and restart our population again. Either way, we should start exploring space as much as possible, as soon as possible.

 

[madster11]

I want to be a multi-billionaire so i can fund a stack of space programs, one of the main ones being to build a space hotel on the moon.

Startup cost? MASSIVE.
Usefulness? Effectively none.

Revenue from the other billionaires who will spend multi millions of dollars to sleep on another celestial body?
Very high.

Possible expansion to bring back Helium 3, too.

And then we terraform mars.

 

[Tipsy Giant]

I think the international space station should be taken a step further and an international space agency should be created, not just to concentrate our efforts but to give our planet a shared goal and bring us closer to world peace.


Nobel Peace Prize comes with cash right?