why NOW???

why are we expanding the exploration of space now???

why didnt the human race continue after the first moon landings???

i mean... why did we not plan to go to mars, or any other planet, after those moon landings???

why not send robots to mars back then??? why did we wait 'till now???

alota questions sry...but there good onez...



[Edited on 20-3-2004 by they see ALL]

I wonder the same thing I was around when the first sattilite was launched and by know I thought we would have colonies on the moon and mars.

I still dont know why we dont

Space exploration has been merely a political pawn. Most everything that has been done in space is either a show of power or government distraction. Only when the time is right for the government will they do anything publicly in space. This certainly explains why the long waits.

Who knows what all they do in secret...

IMO, there shouldn't be any space exploration at all when there are so many problems on the earth that need more immediate attention.

Good questions.
I think that after the first moon missions they decided to concentrate on the shuttle and the large orbital telescopes such as Hubble. I believe they said that the cost of more moon missions was prohibitively expensive.

I have a suspicious feeling that Hubble (or one of the earth-based telescopes) may have picked something up - something rather nasty heading our way, and thats why things have heated up. They want to get colonies running on Mars before the earth gets hit.

I dont know about that but that is why the space program is so important for just such a problem.

For now all our "eggs" are in one basket so to speak, all it would take is a metor to wipe humans from history

I wondered that too. Why now ? what do we (or our governments) know now that they didnt in the 70's ? Why stop the moon missions only to start them again now ? Or maybe its just that the number of people on earth is growing so much that maybe we have to go to mars or risk massive overpopulation here.

how come we didnt continue the moon landings? its all polotics. we beat the russians, game over

I think the big factor is money. After NASA had been to the Moon, they wanted to work and develop on other things closer to home, like building a space station, but things haven't worked out as planned. I think they worked themselves into a corner so to speak. The shuttle is extremely limited and that has crippled NASA I feel. Not to mention the over amount of beaurocracy at NASA these days.

Why not now? Better now then later I say.

I think it is politics and money.

Until private enterprise steps in to really open up space for the masses, we'll just sit on this planet and wonder what could be.

I bet if gold was found on mars, like a large field of gold nuggets. There would be an incentive for private business to invest in space exploration.

I agree. I think privatization of space is the way to go. I think one would see more developments and inovations that way. I would assume anyway.

Space is expensive.

Unless we are doing it for politics, we tend not to do it at all. Even now there isn't the cheap technology to commercialize space. People talk about it, but they did 50 years ago too. The truth is you can make more money manufacturing plastic junk to sell to tourist than you can with anything in space.

Yes, sigh... you came up with some very questions. I think tring to find the answers would be better.

why are we expanding the exploration of space now???
Are we? Or should i say are we any faster than before? Every 10 or so years we have a newer and better orbiter, probe, or lander/rover, but that has been steady since Viking 1. Bush talks of Moon bases and missions to Mars, but it is also an election year and these vehicles he wants to use aren't even on paper yet.

why didnt the human race continue after the first moon landings???
Cause the US beat Russia. The game was over.

i mean... why did we not plan to go to mars, or any other planet, after those moon landings???
It would cost a lot of money and our technology wasn't up to the task.

why not send robots to mars back then??? why did we wait 'till now???
We needed better technology. Take a look at a computer from the 1970s compared to a palm pilot.

cuz

THE GOVERNMENT SUCKS.

THEY ARE COWARDS, ONLY CARInG FOR THEIR OWN PIGGISH NEEDS, AND USING ITS CITEZENS AS PAWNS.

sorry, had to get that out, but thats how I see it.

but you should see our politicians up here in canada
they get these dam feasts for lunch at a fancy resturaunt.

So dont be so surprised about the government hiding space activities

Some say to prepare for the war against Jesus Christ upon his return. I didn't but, some say this. To verify what they say, they claim that we don't build colonies or stuff like that. We put weapons in space.

You do the math.

im not religious or anythingm but why would we war with Jesus christ? isnt he like our savior or somthing?

We're expanding now because we can.

The moon happened, the Kennedy Died, and the Vietnam war, then Nixon, then They jumped ahead with the Shuttle, then Reagan and 'Star Wars' during the increasing Russian conflict, and the early start of intervention in Afghanistan all the way up to the first Iraq war, since then in about 1990, we've really been doing a lot of spacework, this jump comes after many years of advancement, it really seems fairly natural, but I think that Bush just said this to get the vote, most NASA officials doubt it is highly doable.

um, we have sent probes to mars... as well as several other planets. i can list the significant US probes for you...

Mercury
Mariner 10 1974-75

Venus
Venera 1978
Magellan May 1989 and August 1990

Mars
Mariner 9 1979
Viking I and II 1976
Pathfinder 1997
Global Surveyor 1997
Odyssey 2001

Jupiter
Voyager I and II 1979
Galileo 1995

Saturn
Voyager I and II 1980-81
Cassini 2004

Uranus
Voyager II January 1986

Neptune
Voyager II August 1989

Pluto
no missions yet, but a fast fly-by mission is in the works.

Agreed. Politics is a main factor in space missions. It's done to show power or achievement and to focus people on something optimistic. And privatization actually, in case some of you don't know, has already begun. There are preliminary steps being made by visionaries, entrepeneurs and investors to start businesses in space travel. Some would offer trips that circle the earth a few times, others to the moon and back and so forth. Of course, it will be expensive, BUT, it is an untapped market and there is endless potential in it. Once a few or more separate businesses get involved, competition will drive the prices down, and stimulate better and cheaper methods of travel. Basically, the beauty of the "free hand." Once we develop easier techniques of travel, the PEOPLE will have the chance to do their OWN explorations and experiments into space. For instance, one could launch their own probe if they wish to observe whatever they desire. And then, all the things we worry that the gov. may be covering up in regards to mars/space/aliens will certainly be made clear. NASA is fine, but we shouldn't rely TOTALLY on it. Business and privatization will open a HUGE door for us all. And it's closer than some may think.

Heelstone: Even though the motives for space and exploration missions to the moon and mars may be wrong, it is still VERY beneficial for all. You say there are problems here, which is too true, but it's still worth investing in space because colonization on mars and the moon (and then beyond) is necessary. Eventually, over population problems will become very serious and desperate. The earth only has so much space, but even more crucially, resources are scarce. So we need to spread to mars and the moon. These problems may not be imminent now, but at some point they will. And we need to start now anyway, because it will take just as long to develop colonies on them. We don't want to wait til the problem gets huge, and THEN start. That would just suck.

Why are we putting missles in space? Maybe the powers that be like the status quo? People don;t like to give up authority, ya know.