Abandon Ship

Am I the only one to think that the government is pushing for space exploration really hard lately and would it be plausible that There is a emergency exit plan just in case of a global exinction event? Such as colonizing the moon or Mars or even beyond leaving the rest of us poor saps to die.

Or maybe it's because China's trying to beat them to it.

Oh come on, what better way to divert peoples attention from the appalling issues around the administration at the moment?

Just drag out the old space carrot to dangle in front of the media, and watch peoples attention move to the desired topic.

Not that anything will actually come of it. Afterall the same senario was posited by his father, and look what resulted? nothing....

[edit on 19-10-2005 by Netchicken]

If anyone decided to abandon ship and colonize the moon because of a major threat to earth, they'd last just as long as we would.

Diversionary tactics. JFK didn't care about space exploration or putting a man on the moon, he just wanted to one up the Soviets. Reagan went through a massive DoD spending spree to kill the Soviets economicly. Now we are back at one upping the commies, this time they are Chinese, cute, cudly and ready to please.

Originally posted by Nventual
Or maybe it's because China's trying to beat them to it.

How can China beat the US to the moon when the US went in the 60s?

Humans have to abandon spaceship earth at some point or we go extinct like the other 99% of animals that have ever lived on earth. Another massive asteroid impact will happen its only a matter of time. Earth can also only support so many people.

The sun will explode (well, expand into a red giant, engulfing several of the planets of our solar system) in a few billion years and I doubt we'll have saved ourselves by that time. I have doubts that it's even possible. No big deal.

Zip

[edit on 10/20/2005 by Zipdot]

Originally posted by Infra_red
Am I the only one to think that the government is pushing for space exploration really hard lately and would it be plausible that There is a emergency exit plan just in case of a global exinction event? Such as colonizing the moon or Mars or even beyond leaving the rest of us poor saps to die.

Are you kidding?

If the government (US or Russia, take your pick) really wanted to set up a base on the moon they could in like 5 seconds.
Except the moon is already taken....

Anyway, I think Nventual is totally right, US simply wants to make a political statement to China that they haven't "retired" from this whole space exploration business.

Also, I think they might want to get some Helium3 (that's the one isn't it?) off the moon for fusion.

Also, [if] there really is an alien base on the moon, I think that has more to do with why US wants to go to the moon than anything else.

Originally posted by Manincloak
Also, [if] there really is an alien base on the moon, I think that has more to do with why US wants to go to the moon than anything else.

I thought this was an "Exploration" thread, I think you're looking for the conspiracy threads... two down and to the right.

Anyway, as far a going to the moon, we need to to expand our eploration capabilities. After all, leaving the gravity well of the moon is a lot cheaper than that of the earth.

As a species, we are the only animals capable of preventing ourselves from being wiped out. Be it from global pollution or global disaster. Not only this, humans have always had a bit of "cabin fever" when we settle in one place too long.

Expansion into the solar system is viable as long as we mine available resources rather than depending on what's down the bottom of this well.

Maybe the US needs to get there first to plant evidence of the so called first moon landings...

If China gets there before the US and see's no evidence of the US first Appolo missions I guess the US would have eat crow..

So the plan is obviously to beat anyone else there in time to create some evidence of the appolo missions. =).

Just kidding of course. I believe fully that the US landed men on the moon.

I do think the world powers are aware of some pending doom heading toward earth and are spinning up the world space programs in order to preserve man kind.

X

It's starting.
www.physorg.com...

Xeven
I do think the world powers are aware of some pending doom heading toward earth and are spinning up the world space programs in order to preserve man kind.

I hope your kidding...and that also goes for the threads author.

If they new about some asteroid or whatever, coming our way they would tell us, so the whole world could get ready. Besides...The odds of the DoD finding some rouge asteroid before the civilians is very low.

If they did find it heading our way, and they only knew about it, there would obviously be a better way to get people to move out into space then to give Nasa money to build a new craft. A more plausable event would be that they would dig very deep into the earth and build several massive bunkers so that humanity would survive. OR if it was REALLY big and they thought that the earth itself would be demolished they would put a tremendous amount of money into a new spaceship...as in the trillions...not billions.

Originally posted by Infra_red
It's starting.
www.physorg.com...

The line of bull is continuing, I think; nothing new is really starting.

I think it's like Netty said, they are simply trying to amuse us with shiny objects while they keep their plates spinning.

Originally posted by Murcielago
If they new about some asteroid or whatever, coming our way they would tell us, so the whole world could get ready.

Come on you can't be serious? Can you give me just one good reason for why they'd tell everyone? Because I can easily give you many for why they wouldn't...

Mass suicide, uncontrollable crime, people don't care about anything, seeing as how they're all goina die so they do whatever.

Nothing in this extremely fragile planet of ours, where humans rely on nothing other than humans for their survival would collapse, and we'd all die before the asteroid or whatever would even get near us.

Who's going to feed 30 mill new yorkers if the farmers in that state decide to spend their last few months on the coast?

Originally posted by Manincloak
Mass suicide, uncontrollable crime, people don't care about anything, seeing as how they're all goina die so they do whatever.

Nothing in this extremely fragile planet of ours, where humans rely on nothing other than humans for their survival would collapse, and we'd all die before the asteroid or whatever would even get near us.

Maybe the "Conspiracy Theorists" are right... The big bad "NWO" or "Illuminati" will supress all information on our impending doom....

Next thing you know, it will be raining cats and dogs, and the little leprechauns will start giving away their pots o' gold.

Come on, do you honestly believe that you can keep thousands of backyard astronomers quiet all over the world? After all, they are the ones that usually find the NEO objects.

Originally posted by Infra_red
Am I the only one to think that the government is pushing for space exploration really hard lately and would it be plausible that There is a emergency exit plan just in case of a global exinction event? Such as colonizing the moon or Mars or even beyond leaving the rest of us poor saps to die.

Nope. The government isn't pushing very hard at all for this.

I was around during the first space race. Think about all the current output on the war in Iraq and on bird flu... and now imagine that instead of discussing THOSE two topics and having those budgets -- that all that money and all that talk and so forth were being put into the Space program and that for every article on Iraq out there, the articles were instead on the Space Race and on space science and on colonizing the moon and other planets.

THAT was what it was like during the 1960's.

This is just token yapping by our government.

We're not sending missions to the space station any more, Hubble's status is still somewhat iffy, there is not a major launch every two months or so....

The only thing that's happening to the US in terms of space is that we're losing position quickly and right now we have less capability than France or Russia. Soon China and India will also outmatch us. And their students are doing better than ours in terms of science education.

Originally posted by Byrd
I was around during the first space race. Think about all the current output on the war in Iraq and on bird flu... and now imagine that instead of discussing THOSE two topics and having those budgets -- that all that money and all that talk and so forth were being put into the Space program and that for every article on Iraq out there, the articles were instead on the Space Race and on space science and on colonizing the moon and other planets.

I envy you that Byrd. To have been alive during that time, for a few days in '69, the world as a whole stood in awe as we as a spcies extended our grasp and captured the universe... if only for a moment.

I agree that we are far far behind where we could have been. We had the capability to reach Mars back in the '70's but, with Vietnam and political pressures back home... no one was interested... Now we are becomming the new technological 3rd world.

I wish we could recapture just some of that wonder and pride in our accomplishments... Now, we just let our government decide how far to throw us back into the stone age.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
How can China beat the US to the moon when the US went in the 60s?

If China beat the US back to the Moon it will still dent US pride!

Yes the US made it there in the 60's, but the fact remains that at present they have no way of returning! And China are working to make sure they do!

The US should have kept up the Moon missions, maybe we'd be closer to Mars now...or further!


Mic

Manincloak - It depend on time. If they discovered it and found out it was to hit the earth in a month, which is not enough time for any large space project, or bunker project, then I think they would not tell us until its around a day or two from hitting us. But if they found out it was going to hit the earth in like 10-15 years I think they would tell us, so people can get started on digging bunkers and whatnot.

Byrd
We're not sending missions to the space station any more, Hubble's status is still somewhat iffy, there is not a major launch every two months or so....

yes we are, and we will be sending construction payloads until 2010...unless you are refering to this very moment. The Shuttle is still on track with a may launch, hubble is doing fine, and is likely to keep taking pictures for a couple more years...not that I care about it...Since theres better telescopes out there now.

Byrd
The only thing that's happening to the US in terms of space is that we're losing position quickly and right now we have less capability than France or Russia. Soon China and India will also outmatch us. And their students are doing better than ours in terms of science education.

China is launching people into space once every 2 years...and has launched 3 so far...If you think they are even close to us on space related programs you've lost your mind.
Less capability then France!!!? That is just plain redicluous, can you please remind me how many people they have sent to space.....oh, thats right...NONE. As for Russia...they have been using the same rocket for the last 40 years! They are currently (finaly) looking for a new spacecraft, The Kliper, but thats still years off. and as for india...they have a fast growing economy (like China) but when is comes to space they are still far behind...China is decades behind us...and India is behind them.

wetwarez
Now, we just let our government decide how far to throw us back into the stone age.

- Nasa's newest concept pics of the new CEV are better then anything out there, that doesn't sound backwards to me.
and besides, the US is doing more puching toward public space flight...and actually making money from it, in a few years there will be several companies that will give anyone a ride into sub-orbit.

MickeyDee
Yes the US made it there in the 60's, but the fact remains that at present they have no way of returning! And China are working to make sure they do!

Those are 2 cleverly worded statements...The fact is the US will land on the moon (again) before China does, China is not working on a moon capable craft...They are working on there next shenzhou 6, which will launch in 2007. There moon "plans" are only concepts at this point...While the US is currently working on the CEV, which is the craft that will take them to the moon.

Murcielago

- Nasa's newest concept pics of the new CEV are better then anything out there, that doesn't sound backwards to me.
and besides, the US is doing more puching toward public space flight...and actually making money from it, in a few years there will be several companies that will give anyone a ride into sub-orbit.

There is a huge difference between 'concept' and reality. NASA hasn't even come out with a budget for expected costs as most of the money for launches have been eaten up by the crippled shuttle program.

Do you honestly believe that with the current political environment and the situation that we've gotten ourselves in in the Middle East that the Congress would actually consider the funding requirements?

Right now, anything that the current administration can do to deflect public attention from Iraq is what their main goal is. I mean the reality is that the current successful missions that have occured (i.e. Mars, Saturn, Jupiter) were funded and approved well before this administration.

Don't get me wrong, I am not 'Politicizing' this thread but find that the financial backing for such a project weak at best.

And as far as sub-orbital space craft are concerned, look at Virgin Galactic. They are on the cutting edge and privatly owned.

We will colonize and explore beyond earth, but I don't think NASA is the one to lead us there....

[edit on 10-21-2005 by wetwarez]

if they do get a moon base who would go (or be sent) politicians or the scum

[edit on 22/10/05 by mik0001000]