Artemis Project: Why?

[mso489]

There are pros and cons on both sides, and about two hundred sides actually in play. I think the national competition motive just appeals to a primitive tribal sense of keeping enemies at bay, and is probably not that relevant. Wars are an international problem, no matter how they play out. The need to reach out to discover new worlds and new science should be a positive motive.

We haven't been to the moon in fifty years. The European re-discovery of "the new world" was more brisk than that. But in terms of prioritizing human efforts, going back to the moon and eventually venturing to Mars (the trip there and back, with time on the planet, takes about ten years) I think may ignore other priorities that aren't as jazzy, but may finally doom the space odyssey.

If human life on Earth diminishes, in quality of life and population, there won't be the science and industrial base for space travel at all.

 

[sablebrush52]

This is the first time a major space mission has happened about which I really don't give a damn. With a family as involved in space exploration as was mine, my father had a major hand in designing life support for Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, etc; my uncle trained the Apollo Astronauts how to properly gather Geological samples to try to reveal the Moon's history, co-founding the scientific discipline of exogeology - I was excited by all of the advances in space related science.

As has been stated earlier, data gathered over the years suggests that human space exploration is highly unlikely due to physiological issues. Turns out we're not quite as portable as we'd like to think. Methods to deal with that may be worked out in future but for now, it's home earth and home earth is starting a cycle, intensified by human activity, that will bring massive disruption in the coming decades.

And humans have done a dismal job of either preparing for it or taking action to lessen our contribution to it. A lot of people deal with issues and challenges by ignoring them and pretending that they will go away, and give support to leaders who do the same. Don't tell me what's real, tell me what I want to hear.

Shit happens.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I could sort of understand it if maybe the Moon had some useful resource or way of improving the lot of us mere earthlings but it hasn't....it's just a huge ball of useless grey rocks & dust.

As for building a settlement there, well good luck with that one. As Georged pointed out above, there are many reasons as to why this will fail, not least because we are simply not built to live beyond our own atmosphere (without expensive & extremely cumbersome gear).

And how long will it be before nations start squabbling over who 'owns' which part of the Moon (just as we are now seeing regards the Arctic).

I was a young child when in July 1969 my father got me out of bed to watch the first Moon landing. I was awestruck....what an amazing achievement to get man right up there, I remember it very well but I just cannot get excited about this new venture, the world has changed as have our priorities, but some folk just fail to see that I guess.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[captainsousie]

If we're going to find those aliens who came and trained all of our ancestors, we've got to start somewhere.

 

[Swiss Army Knife]

For the fraction of a penny to the dollars I pay that goes to NASA I don't really care what they do. Or at the very least it's far down the list of my taxman grievances.

 

[sablebrush52]

And how long will it be before nations start squabbling over who 'owns' which part of the Moon (just as we are now seeing regards the Arctic).

Anyone who tries to claim Silver Heights and other parts of the Moon named for my family will get vaporized. Screw 'em!

 

[kcghost]

I can't believe you guys are so negative. I usually see the dark side of things but I can see obvious benefits from this program. You guys have totally lost focus of all the developments of the last fifty years that were made because of the space program. Being #1 isn't easy.

 

[AJL67]

 

[woodsroad]

Anyone who tries to claim Silver Heights and other parts of the Moon named for my family will get vaporized. Screw 'em!

My uncle, Ralph Tranquility, says the same thing.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Being #1 isn't easy.

A bit overrated though.

 

[bullet08]

Space program is a great way to take mind off those with short attention span. It brings up the morale, and help to forget about things not working. It's almost like starting a war to unite citizens, but less destructive.

 

[woodsroad]

A bit overrated though.

Why bring McClelland in to this?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Why bring McClelland in to this?

Because like space travel, I've got more interesting things to worry about.

 

[warren]

it's just a huge ball of useless grey rocks & dust.

So, tides are valueless?

 

[mawnansmiff]

Anyone who tries to claim Silver Heights and other parts of the Moon named for my family will get vaporized. Screw 'em!

Please Jesse, tell me you didn't really fall for that scam.....did you?

Regards,

Jay.

 

[anotherbob]

With the entire world suffering a huge collapse in the value of 'money' and all that that brings with it, I can't help but wonder why America needs to pursue this incredibly expensive vanity project.

Apparently the plan is to eventually send man back to the Moon to plan for the creation a Moon settlement to prepare for landing man on Mars to prepare a settlement there!

I cannot imagine how many gazillions of dollars will be spent on this while folk around the world (including the US) are living lives of extreme poverty.

Well it all fell into place whilst watching Sky News late last night. They had some retired NASA astronaut saying words to the effect of "We don't want China going to the moon and planting their flag there thus claiming it as theirs..." Is that what this is really about?

I'm all for progress and progressive science but this just seems to me to be an incredibly expensive way to poke China in the eye when those monies could be better spent sorting out the problems on this planet rather than trying to colonise another.

Regards,

Jay.

You know sea faring was super expensive and I bet a lot of Spaniards (history people you get it) were like why are we sending idiots out in boats when we got problems here.

 

[beefeater33]

So, tides are valueless?

He didn't say it had no value.

 

[mawnansmiff]

So, tides are valueless?

Absolutely not, but mankind going there or not going there isn't going to affect the tides so not sure why you brought that up.

And yes, space exploration has brought many benefits to mankind, I've never doubted that, I'm just questioning why, after 50 odd years, NASA have decided they need to return there, but my question was answered last night on the news....to get there before China does. It's just a repeat of 1969....'get a man on the Moon at any cost and make sure you do it before Russia does'.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[mawnansmiff]

You know sea faring was super expensive and I bet a lot of Spaniards (history people you get it) were like why are we sending idiots out in boats when we got problems here.

But we could survive no matter where we landed....we can't do that in space!

Regards,

Jay.

 

[fireground_piper]

I think it's a little more complicated than a singular "get there before someone else". The ultimate goal is to get crews to Mars while using travel to the moon as a technological playground for experience and development.

If you can't do all of the things you want to do on Mars, but on the moon, then you aren't going to do it on the even more complicated mission to Mars.

Develop and execute your tools, procedures, pitfalls and experience on the lowest risk platform we have....the moon. Then expand it out.