NASA's Big Announcement - Another Earth?

[farmerbyron]

It's all interesting and cool, provides a ton of specialized and general careers and jobs for the US. I have a hard time spending $18.2 billionish on it though.

As far as govt spending goes, NASA gives the best ROI. We just take it for granted that you can get any channel, anywhere or use GPS with ease. There are countless applications in medical technology that have benefited from NASA technology. Also more efficient engines and energy saving technologies can trace their roots back to NASA research. There is no telling what future advancements could be realized if NASA were given a clear goal of human exploration and sufficient funding to make it happen. I'm a libertarian and about as cut spending to the bone as you can get but NASA is not one of those black holes of govt. spending. There has been too much new innovation and improvement in quality of life to ignore the benefits of investment in NASA.

I just don't understand the mentality of not wanting to know what's out there and having a better understanding of our place in space. It's extremely difficult to grasp the scale of space and it's kind of scary to think about how insignificant we as a species are. This is uncomfortable to some but we can't hold back our potential due to fear of the unknown. Our survival depends on continued enlightenment and advancement.

 

[donner]

Yes sir, IMO NASA gives the least bang for the buck though.

The payoff for this sort of thing isn't always immediate.

How many tech advances came from the space race? How much satellite tech is based on NASA's work?

Now, how many schools could be built for the cost of one stealth bomber? How much defense spending is wasted and how does that compare to NASA's budget?

 

[farmerbyron]

Yes sir, IMO NASA gives the least bang for the buck though.

Ha! My post was being written while you were writing this one. Let's just say that I vehemently disagree with this assessment.

 

[Okie4570]

Oh I very much agree with accomplishments, pioneering, live lost during experimental testing, lives lost on the launch pad, shuttles were not in vain............ I just think at this time, it's run its course as far as spending tax dollars. I've not Google it, but what are NASA'S goals for the future?

 

[farmerbyron]

Oh I very much agree with accomplishments, pioneering, live lost during experimental testing, lives lost on the launch pad, shuttles were not in vain............ I just think at this time, it's run its course as far as spending tax dollars. I've not Google it, but what are NASA'S goals for the future?

http://www.nasa.gov/about/whats_next.html


Plans to get humans to Mars and near earth asteroids. Along with an asteroid redirect mission. Among others. We just don't have the national motivation behind NASA like we did in the 1960s. With proper funding and national priority, these things could be accomplished much faster and the spinoff advancements to mankind would be realized quicker.

Just think, with a manned Mars mission we would need to propulsion technology and/or more efficient and lighter battery technology and solar panels. We also need to develop ways to mitigate radiation exposure for long duration space flight and who knows what benefits could be realized in the medical field from this. Can you imagine the boon to the world if a fission/fusion reactor became reality? This is just pull it out of my a$$ brainstorming here. I'm sure there are many other fields that would benefit greatly from such an effort to explore Mars and beyond.

 

[Street Rat]

LOL you tell those people that they are doing their jobs all wrong!! Go for it! I think we found our new Space Exploration spokesperson, his current work in the field makes him highly qualified to evaluate the statements of NASA. He "knows" everything that professional scientists know.

Give it a rest...


Do you know the proper definition of scientific theory?

Go blow smoke up someone else's Azz

This is correct, NASA could tell us anything and we have to believe it because they are NASA. Sounds logical to me. Seriously, they have photos, you just cannot make that stuff up.

 

[Hawgman]

As far as govt spending goes, NASA gives the best ROI. We just take it for granted that you can get any channel, anywhere or use GPS with ease. There are countless applications in medical technology that have benefited from NASA technology. Also more efficient engines and energy saving technologies can trace their roots back to NASA research. There is no telling what future advancements could be realized if NASA were given a clear goal of human exploration and sufficient funding to make it happen. I'm a libertarian and about as cut spending to the bone as you can get but NASA is not one of those black holes of govt. spending. There has been too much new innovation and improvement in quality of life to ignore the benefits of investment in NASA.

I just don't understand the mentality of not wanting to know what's out there and having a better understanding of our place in space. It's extremely difficult to grasp the scale of space and it's kind of scary to think about how insignificant we as a species are. This is uncomfortable to some but we can't hold back our potential due to fear of the unknown. Our survival depends on continued enlightenment and advancement.

You are giving credit to NASA for things they had nothing to do with. The Navy was tasked with the fundamental tasks of GPS, the Air Force took over at the end and finalized and implemented it. It was a defense project all the way and is still currently maintaining it. Don't feel bad. I've heard NASA given credit over the years for a number of things that they only used, never created or developed. People simply assume that if it has to do with the upper atmosphere or space, NASA must have done it. NASA enjoys this quirk of society and benefit from it whenever and however they can.

As far as the OP, from time to time NASA hits the air waves to garner public interest to secure relevance and funding. To allude to "another Earth" is ridiculous, irresponsible and jeopardizes their credibility.... if the puplic ever does their own thinking.

 

[IndVet]

As far as the OP, from time to time NASA hits the air waves to garner public interest to secure relevance and funding. To allude to "another Earth" is ridiculous, irresponsible and jeopardizes their credibility.... if the puplic ever does their own thinking.

That's a ridiculous statement. NASA hits the airwaves to show the public what their money is being spent on. You make it sound like they're running a telethon like Jerry Lewis used to do. Their motive is exploration, research, and sharing it all with the world. Their recent announcement only said it's the closest thing to earth that we've found, which is true. The only credibility at question here is yours.

 

[cktad]

This is correct, NASA could tell us anything and we have to believe it because they are NASA. Sounds logical to me. Seriously, they have photos, you just cannot make that stuff up.

This is the secret photo of the moon landing that they have tried to hide for years.

 

[Hawgman]

That's a ridiculou
s statement. NASA hits the airwaves to show the public what their money is being spent on. You make it sound like they're running a telethon like Jerry Lewis used to do. Their motive is exploration, research, and sharing it all with the world. Their recent announcement only said it's the closest thing to earth that we've found, which is true. The only credibility at question here is yours.

You've only displayed two things. Your ignorance of how high profile federal agencies are run and achieve higher budget for the next fiscal year. They need to maintain the tax payers/voters interest, therefore getting the funding they need. This doesn't make them somehow "less than", it's just the way it works. Secondly, your juvenile approach to public discourse amongst adults is also on display. Wait, make it three... you are also naive.