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Old 02-02-2010, 09:26 AM
 
1,134 posts, read 2,853,167 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HB2HSV View Post
Nothing wrong with robotic exploration. In fact, it makes sense to do so, take as much data and understand the environments, before humans are involved. But at some point, man has to venture out to space if exploration has any meaning at all.

We are still very limited in our ability to explore. It takes a satellite (Viking) over 30 yrs just to get out of the solar system. We still have much to do if we are serious about explore beyond the solar system.
I don't think Constellation makes much difference in that sort of grand scheme.

Quote:
Originally Posted by HB2HSV
Your "roomba"? That would be your wife, right?
lol touche
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Old 02-02-2010, 09:33 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marilyn Ann View Post
Isn't a roomba one of those little round robot vacuums?
Yep. I highly recommend them; they work great.
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Old 02-02-2010, 09:44 AM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,338 posts, read 93,427,408 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DvlsAdvc8 View Post
Yep. I highly recommend them; they work great.
I just let the ants clean the crumbs off the floor.
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Old 02-02-2010, 09:47 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles View Post
I just let the ants clean the crumbs off the floor.
I could do that, but then I'd still have dog hair everywhere. I suppose I could just say its some fancy imported carpet.
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Old 02-02-2010, 09:53 AM
 
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I thought this article I read this morning on NASA's direction change was pretty good - thought I'd share.

NASA reboots, focuses on cheaper, sustainable exploration

Quote:
"The fact that we poured $9 billion into an unexecutable program does not mean that we should pour another $50 billion after it," said one, "that's what i'd tell taxpayers." Another argued that this did not mean a fundamental change for NASA, saying "We're not canceling our commitment to explore space; we're canceling Constellation."
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Old 02-02-2010, 10:49 AM
 
4,923 posts, read 11,142,848 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mimpdaddy View Post
I think i'ts a good change maybe private companys will take exploration further than NASA. Also Huntsville must adapt and change.
Maybe, but part of the problem I see with canceling out the program is the lag between the time NASA stops the programs and private industry is in a position to pick it up. Another side effect is that without those jobs immediately available, there will be a decline in students seeking science/engineering degrees.
Some will argue the lag will be short and I hope so, but it will be there with the attendant loss of jobs and smart people going into the necessary fields.
One other detail,will private industry research things that there won't be a profit in?

I agree if worse comes to worse and Congress doesn't protect the Constellation project that Huntsville will survive, but there's no denying that it'll take a hit and change the face of Huntsville.
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Old 02-02-2010, 11:30 AM
 
8,742 posts, read 12,856,404 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DvlsAdvc8 View Post
I don't think Constellation makes much difference in that sort of grand scheme.
OK let's think this through logically now.

Personally (and that's just me talking), I think the greater goal of finding "life" or another planet suitable for human habitation would require us to leave our solar system and go to another solar system. The reason is simple, our "earth" exist because it is exactly the right distance from the sun. It will freeze if its too far away, and it will burn us up if it's too close. So given my simple logic, we'll need to find another "earth-equivalent" and the obvious way of finding such is our ability to travel outside of our solar system and enter another one.

Obviously we don't have that capability to do that now. So here are the interim steps as we mature our technologies and our ability to travel further & further in space. The scientific community agreed the most logical planet to visit is Mars. But even that is too much "challenge" for us to handle at this time, so in the VSE it plans to return to the Moon as our "baby step" before we can embark this huge human mission to Mars.

This time is suppose to be different. Instead of a few days of visit to the Moon, take some photo opportunity then come back and declare it a success. We are suppose to learn how to "live" on the Moon, because one day we will want to be able to live on Mars.

So you'll ask: what is the point of ALL these? Why not just send robots and be done with it?

Well... do robots eat, poop, sleep and have sex in space?

If not, then how do they help human's role in exploring another planet?

Why do we bother to find other life forms in space? Does it fundamentally affect your view of human race? religion? purpose of life? Are we the only living creature in this vast universe? What can we learn from another civilization? Another intelligent life-form? Does God exists?

What can we learn from space travel? The concept of time? The expanding universe? The 4th dimension?

I am not claiming the Constellation program addresses all that. Some may claim that it is poorly executed. But at least it points toward the right direction.

Ironically, by canceling the Constellation program but increase the overall NASA funding, that NASA will [may] hire MORE people as a result. They will be doing/ developing a bunch of technologies, but what bother me the most is that there is no focus. If there is no "mission" to focus on what/when/how the technologies come together, then it will be just a bunch of rocket scientists playing in their sandboxes. You write software, therefore you need to know before you start what do you want the software to do WHAT?

Without a mission, the "what" is missing and we're just spinning our wheels.

[End of Soapbox]
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Old 02-02-2010, 02:55 PM
 
1,134 posts, read 2,853,167 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HB2HSV View Post
So you'll ask: what is the point of ALL these? Why not just send robots and be done with it?

Well... do robots eat, poop, sleep and have sex in space?

If not, then how do they help human's role in exploring another planet?
HB, its for exactly those reasons that I think exploration should NOT be done by humans. Everything we hope to discover in person, can be discovered through our robot extensions. Its not romantic, but neither is living in space beyond its novelty. I don't think human's have a role in exploring an inhospitable planet. When we find a hospitable planet within conceivable reach, then we can talk.

Much in the way we say, 'send the right person for the job', the robot is just much better suited to the job of deep space exploration. The only reason you'd want to send a human being into space is for colonization - to stay - maybe a necessity in the extremely far off future, but a novelty idea otherwise. There are simply too many things about the task that are detrimental to the human body - from the effects of radiation, to loss of bone and muscle mass from zero g conditions. It's just a mess of unnecessary risk easily avoided.

I don't think NASA's underlying mission has really changed. You know what you're doing, you just not sending men to do it. I think only the way in which NASA accomplishes its mission has changed. Same job, different tool. Durable robots suited to harsh environments over frail humans who must bring their environment with them. This is already the lionshare of our space exploration.

NASA will continue to develop propulsion systems. Develop space exploration vehicles. Just not this rocket, and not manned vehicles. NASA will continue to send those devices to explore and gather the data we need to help us answer scientific questions.

We don't need to live there in order to make discoveries there.
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Old 02-02-2010, 03:32 PM
 
975 posts, read 2,662,896 times
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Are there private companies already invested in what the Constellation does?
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Old 02-02-2010, 03:39 PM
 
975 posts, read 2,662,896 times
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NASA's 7 new space pioneers are companies | al.com
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