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Chibibar
This is a good list of all the spin off (at least most of it) from space exploration.
http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html
http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html
Why should "waste" money in space research?
- Thread starter Green_Lantern
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As has been already said, a lot of the value of space exploration research comes from the spin-offs and technologies. The average cellphone now has far more computing power than the computers that flew the Apollo missions, but one wouldn't exist without the other.
Without space exploration research, we'd still be in the fifties...or, at the very least, research and thus, our entire culture, would be completely different.
Oh, and don't forget that we need to put a man on mars to show those silly commies wh's got the biggest genitalia. Right?
Without space exploration research, we'd still be in the fifties...or, at the very least, research and thus, our entire culture, would be completely different.
Oh, and don't forget that we need to put a man on mars to show those silly commies wh's got the biggest genitalia. Right?
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Chibibar
Yea. except the "new" commies is China. either sending someone to Mars or setup a base on the Moon
Yea. except the "new" commies is China. either sending someone to Mars or setup a base on the Moon[/QUOTE]
Both are currently impossible. We don't have the means to survive the long term radiation exposure we'd experience beyond the Van Allen belt. This is the reason why nearly ALL of the astronauts involved with the moon landings have had some serious health problems later in life: the radiation is extreme enough to kill you if you spend a long time out there and they had virtually no protection against it.
I read somewhere that like ... 80% of the Apolo astronauts developed cataracts, and that this is actually pretty good evidence to throw in the face of the 'faked landings' morons.
Circumstantial? Yeah. But cool? Pretty.
C
Chibibar
I read somewhere that like ... 80% of the Apolo astronauts developed cataracts, and that this is actually pretty good evidence to throw in the face of the 'faked landings' morons.
Circumstantial? Yeah. But cool? Pretty.[/QUOTE]
Oh I totally know that we don't have the technology right now, but that is where space program come into play. We can't really "test" these things back home since we have these nice multiple layer of radiation protection that protect our planet. (unless we screw that up)
Green_Lantern
Staff member
QUestion: All those spin-offs, couldn't we find out in another way? did they could only come from space operation?
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Chibibar
Of course you can. The problem is that very very very few company will research stuff that "may" produce a profit down the line. Government funded research allows more open research. Sure private industry DO research many things, but ultimately toward a specific idea/goal and not as open (in my observation)
I believe space exploration "accelerate" many studies because there is a major need for compact, portable, and reusable. Companies LOVE to keep using old tech as long as they can cause it generate profit. Two major I can think of from my econ class are Telephone company (the old lines that Bell install YEARS ago) and Gas cars.
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Chibibar
Yea cause they got the money
Funny that there's no mention of asteroids or meteors. Ya know, those cosmic objects that could really fuck shit up yo. Word.
Seriously though, it would do us no good to pretend that they're aren't hundreds of massive objects in space capable of annihilating all life on Earth as we know it. Just sayin'.
Seriously though, it would do us no good to pretend that they're aren't hundreds of massive objects in space capable of annihilating all life on Earth as we know it. Just sayin'.
K
Kitty Sinatra
Because she's Brazilian. I don't see why she would care about how Canada fritters its money away.
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Dusty668
That's because in most cases these are inventions for a purpose. Most microminiaturization was intended to get needed guidance inside a missile nose cone or fit pounds of performance into ounces of cargo on manned flight. They have the budget to do pure research often or try things not 'directly applicable to market'. In commercial research, first you have toprove why something will make the company money, then how you will make it, then make it.
Once we get serious with space flight we will do something about those, mine them for metals, volatiles, and use the empty shells for silica, and ballast for shielding.
Green_Lantern
Staff member
Because she's Brazilian. I don't see why she would care about how Canada fritters its money away.[/QUOTE]
You forget that I mentioned that she was doing it because of her "Christianity"-ness, and in her mentality is not about the country, but about how people aren't perfect as she is.
(note: before someone shouts about "Attacks on Religion", see that underlined that is her mentality, even she doesn't realize herself)
K
Kitty Sinatra
You should tell her that Russia, India, China and Japan aren't even Christian. 
But anyway, there's really not that much money in space research. NASA's budget is $19 billion - that's 19 out out of a budget of 3,500 billion. And most of that money probably goes to mundane stuff like launching military and communication satellites.
. . . I can't believe I described anything about space as "mundane"
But anyway, there's really not that much money in space research. NASA's budget is $19 billion - that's 19 out out of a budget of 3,500 billion. And most of that money probably goes to mundane stuff like launching military and communication satellites.
. . . I can't believe I described anything about space as "mundane"
Green_Lantern
Staff member
Hey, She is annoying, but she still my sister, I don't want to break her little fragile mindYou should tell her that Russia, India, China and Japan aren't even Christian.
(and isn't Russia back to christianism?)
Good point.
Welcome to the future, my friend, the sky is not the limit, is just a limit.
K
Kitty Sinatra
Probably.
But I was also kinda thinking back to the USSR when they actually had money to spend.
Or just use them to destroy species we don't like. Assuming we have the budget for it...
That's exactly it. Scientists have the leisure of researching apparently useless things that increase our general knowledge. From these research come the actual scientific and technological revolutions.
I'd say something similar happens with space research. In this field large sums of money are devoted to solve outlandish or very specific problems that may not bring any important practical invention, but sometimes do, and since it's something unexpected, no one thought of it before, and will probably be much more revolutionary.
Also, companies can only do short term research, i.e. research that can/may give birth to a product or be sold within a couple of years.
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