Is Space Exploration Essential?

[Amill]

True, but don't you think we have more pressing and immediate concerns here on Earth?

There's always going to be pressing and immediate concerns here on Earth.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

True, but don't you think we have more pressing and immediate concerns here on Earth?

Concerns that are not, in any way, served by space exploration?

Observing the frequency spectrum of stars led to discovery of the structure of the atom. This formed the foundation of modern electronics, which enables everything from your wristwatch to your local hospital's MRI machine to the radar systems that keep ships from colliding.

Who knows what sort of impact will result from the next thing we learn from the cosmos.

 

[Quiddity]

In comparison to what? Feeding the poor? Condom redistribution? It depends.

I do however think we should always keep it funded.

 

[Meow Mix]

A lot of discoveries were accidents that occurred during "science for science's sake," and often were complete surprises.

So, I don't see the LHC as a waste of money at all, either. (Plus, those guys will probably be feeding me data to wrap my brain around. nom nom nom)

Also, regarding going to the moon: the Chinese have declared intentions to harvest He3 from the moon, which we might want to get our hands on too if fusion is the technology of tomorrow, and who knows how far away we are from getting it to finally work efficiently?

We're already doing fusion here on earth in Texas and a few other places, they just aren't efficient yet...

We'll need He3 to do it, and/or tritium and deuterium.

Interesting note: China has also expanded its military reach in the Pacific.

I doubt that it has anything to do with it, but guess what's in the ocean? That's right. Deuterium and tritium.

 

[Aquitaine]

Personally I think Humanity has screwed up enough on just the one planet, it would almost be a crime to the universe to spread our seeds any further than Earth.

Unless of course, if Humanity can sort itself out and get it's priorities right, but if not - it's best we just continue to rot on this planet alone.

 

[Reptillian]

Where's that damn space elevator? I want it now!

I'm no engineer, but I don't think we could do a space elevator with todays technology. I don't think we have any materials that could handle the stresses and strains on a building that was high enough to reach into orbit. It would certainly be an ambitious project though. Maybe in a few hundered years...of course in a few hundered years Moon or Mars colonization will probably be feasible.

 

[Engyo]

I'm no engineer, but I don't think we could do a space elevator with todays technology. I don't think we have any materials that could handle the stresses and strains on a building that was high enough to reach into orbit. It would certainly be an ambitious project though. Maybe in a few hundered years...of course in a few hundered years Moon or Mars colonization will probably be feasible.

It wouldn't be a building; it would be a truss structure of carbon nanotube cable. It is also NOT a self-supporting structure in the way that most buildings are on the earth's surface. It would be more like a vertical suspension bridge, in tension between it's lower anchor point and it's upper terminus (whether that is some sort of station or whatever). There are some really fascinating explorations of this idea in recent science fiction as well as non-fiction. I agree we don't have the technology to produce said cable yet, but it is in the works.

 

[DeitySlayer]

Perhaps not at the moment, but in the long term, there is simply no alternative. We master space travel and terraforming or we die. The Earth will be swallowed up by an expanding Sun in a few billion years, and unless humanity has moved on, we also will be swallowed up.

 

[logician]

Space exploration is essential, and should be greatly expanded. It is the only way to insure our species longterm survival given our propensity to destroy others, and our environment.