So, we can afford $41 billion in annual subsidies to oil companies who have more money than they know what to do with, but we can't appropriately subsidize an industry that will likely determine the rest of human history.

F*cking f*ck.

Planetary Resources webcast

Starts in 2 hours and 40 min.

SacriliciousBeerSwiller: So, we can afford $41 billion in annual subsidies to oil companies who have more money than they know what to do with, but we can't appropriately subsidize an industry that will likely determine the rest of human history.

F*cking f*ck.

working on it

Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?

I agree that we need to invest in science in this country.

I'd like to see us up our investments in NASA, medical research, alternative energy research and development, and pure research. Feel free to throw in some major investments in mass transit as well.

Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?

Well, there goes this thread.

Either way the gap is going to be smaller than the Apollo-Shuttle gap which was a total of six years. 2017 at the latest will be the first launch of the first manned earth orbital spacecraft from the US since Shuttle (Thus 5 years at the most since the last flight was in 2011). Also a good article on how this gap compares to the previous one.

The Gap in US Spaceflight

swahnhennessy: Well, there goes this thread.

lutz

Well, SpaceX's first launch to the ISS is supposed to be in May 2012. Cargo only, and I dunno how far along their manned variant is.

Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?

Yes, though honestly I'd have to pick Asimov over Heinlein if I had to.

I agree that we need to invest in science in this country.

I'd like to see us up our investments in NASA, medical research, alternative energy research and development, and pure research. Feel free to throw in some major investments in mass transit as well.

Agreed, what's worrisome isn't so much the future of manned spaceflight as much as the future of science in general in the US. Europe and China are investing heavily in the future, the US not so much. Again, past 2020 the future of science in the US becomes hazy and unclear. What's worse, we're giving up on something that not only are we good at but played a key roll in our rise. The idea that we shouldn't invest in it or can't afford it is moronic.

It's only a matter of time until Damien Knight and Ares Macrotechnology buy NASA from the government.

I am only in here because I misread the headline as saying "Heineken".

Fark.

Spade: Well, SpaceX's first launch to the ISS is supposed to be in May 2012. Cargo only, and I dunno how far along their manned variant is.

Was. They've now delayed it in order to tweak code on docking. Since they have to reschedule with NASA, this may be pushed back further than they'd hope.

mr lawson: Planetary Resources webcast

Starts in 2 hours and 12 min.

Waiting patiently...

bbfreak: Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?

Yes, though honestly I'd have to pick Asimov over Heinlein if I had to.

I agree that we need to invest in science in this country.

I'd like to see us up our investments in NASA, medical research, alternative energy research and development, and pure research. Feel free to throw in some major investments in mass transit as well.

Agreed, what's worrisome isn't so much the future of manned spaceflight as much as the future of science in general in the US. Europe and China are investing heavily in the future, the US not so much. Again, past 2020 the future of science in the US becomes hazy and unclear. What's worse, we're giving up on something that not only are we good at but played a key roll in our rise. The idea that we shouldn't invest in it or can't afford it is moronic.

We're becoming a nation of nothing but corporate managers and ditch diggers.

karmaceutical: I think if anything, the Starship Troopers movie warns us of having the government involved in space travel. There is just too much at stake for human kind to let an easily corrupted bureaucracy be the innovator in human space travel.

The problem is short sightedness, not corruption. Without a war to drive it, policies at the federal level have a 4-6 year shelf life, if you're fortunate. Business is typically even shorter, and you're lucky if you can get them to invest on a 24 month timeline (with low risk returns).

A long term manned space infrastructure will take upwards of 10 - 20 years of consistent work to accomplish, with returns being indirect to the over economy and tech level, not the specific investors. This is hard to sell. With little political capital to gain (no competitive war guiding it), and no immediate return on the corporate level, how does one change the culture enough to push something this ambitious? I certainly don't have the answer. Tyson and other modern visionaries are working on such ideas, but we're clearly not moving yet.

Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?

Yes.

Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?

Lots of people- including me- are fans of Heinlein. Some of his stuff was remarkably prescient. You don't have to like every single word he wrote to appreciate the scope of his work.

You can (and should) lavish similar praise on several of the "Golden Age" science-fiction authors- Asimov, in particular.

hogans: Spade: Well, SpaceX's first launch to the ISS is supposed to be in May 2012. Cargo only, and I dunno how far along their manned variant is.

Was. They've now delayed it in order to tweak code on docking. Since they have to reschedule with NASA, this may be pushed back further than they'd hope.

nah..."Was" was yesterday. May 7th is the new forecast.

Khellendros: I certainly don't have the answer

I do. :-)
/switched alts
//still Mr Lawson

I'm a huge fan of Heinlein, but mostly because I'm also a huge fan of having sex with my immediate family members.

Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?



Really? As tempted as I am, I'm not gonna feed the troll.

Musk will have the Dragon delivering people to ISS in 2015, while Boeing is still sitting with their hand out for more government money.

Wenchmaster: Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?

Lots of people- including me- are fans of Heinlein. Some of his stuff was remarkably prescient. You don't have to like every single word he wrote to appreciate the scope of his work.

You can (and should) lavish similar praise on several of the "Golden Age" science-fiction authors- Asimov, in particular.

I like Asimov. Heinlein creeps me out.

devine: Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?



Really? As tempted as I am, I'm not gonna feed the troll.

Okay, I'll concede that I probably read some fiction that you don't like as well. I shouldn't assume that Heinlein has no fans because I don't care for him. I'm hardly an expert on Science Fiction after all.

natazha: Musk will have the Dragon delivering people to ISS in 2015, while Boeing is still sitting with their hand out for more government money.

To be fair...so is Elon. Where do you think the money from COTS came from?

SacriliciousBeerSwiller:

We're becoming a nation of nothing but corporate managers and ditch diggers.

which in some respects would be fine, except people want a few trained and licensed backhoe operators... not lots blokes with shovels.

SpacePort Terra: natazha: Musk will have the Dragon delivering people to ISS in 2015, while Boeing is still sitting with their hand out for more government money.

To be fair...so is Elon. Where do you think the money from COTS came from?

This, and Musk doesn't have a time table for manned spacecraft yet. At Space X they're more concerned about making regular cargo flights to the ISS, and then maybe a manned flight sometime after that. Which is fine, because honestly that is where Space X's focus is right now. Boeing meanwhile can focus all their resources on their spacecraft for only carrying humans. Technically Musk has an edge, after all his spacecraft has already gone to space and returned but we'll see.

Should be an interesting 5 years or so.

MistaWaRe: I'm a huge fan of Heinlein, but mostly because I'm also a huge fan of having sex with my immediate family members.

Go on...

bbfreak


Either way the gap is going to be smaller than the Apollo-Shuttle gap which was a total of six years. 2017

I'll take that bet.

FTA:

The spacecraft will initially launch from Florida atop United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rocket

There is NO human rated A5. Sorry it doesn't exist yet.

It'll be doable along the 3D Realms time line...


"When it's done". (and 2x as many years minimum)

bbfreak: SpacePort Terra: natazha: Musk will have the Dragon delivering people to ISS in 2015, while Boeing is still sitting with their hand out for more government money.

To be fair...so is Elon. Where do you think the money from COTS came from?

This, and Musk doesn't have a time table for manned spacecraft yet. At Space X they're more concerned about making regular cargo flights to the ISS, and then maybe a manned flight sometime after that. Which is fine, because honestly that is where Space X's focus is right now. Boeing meanwhile can focus all their resources on their spacecraft for only carrying humans. Technically Musk has an edge, after all his spacecraft has already gone to space and returned but we'll see.

Should be an interesting 5 years or so.

I'd personally like to see both succeed brilliantly.

I also like SpaceX's focus on what works now. Evolutionary instead of revolutionary, you might say.

mr lawson: Planetary Resources webcast

Starts in 2 hours and 40 min.

inb4 public hysteria and armageddon references

bbfreak: SpacePort Terra: natazha: Musk will have the Dragon delivering people to ISS in 2015, while Boeing is still sitting with their hand out for more government money.

To be fair...so is Elon. Where do you think the money from COTS came from?

This, and Musk doesn't have a time table for manned spacecraft yet. At Space X they're more concerned about making regular cargo flights to the ISS, and then maybe a manned flight sometime after that. Which is fine, because honestly that is where Space X's focus is right now. Boeing meanwhile can focus all their resources on their spacecraft for only carrying humans. Technically Musk has an edge, after all his spacecraft has already gone to space and returned but we'll see.

Should be an interesting 5 years or so.

I can grok that.

Was hoping a space taxi would look more like



than



...But I'll take whatever I can get.

swahnhennessy: Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?

Well, there goes this thread.

It was poorly phrased, that's all. No big deal. The proper question is "Is anyone over the age of 15 actually a fan of Heinlein?"

///Isn't privately funded space travel supposed to be done by a couple of plucky teenagers using spare parts in their back yard?

Raoul Eaton: "Is anyone over the age of 15 actually a fan of Heinlein?"

Yes.

Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?

Yes.

MistaWaRe: I'm a huge fan of Heinlein, but mostly because I'm also a huge fan of having sex with my immediate family members.

Funny, I'm a huge fan of having sex with your immediate family members, too.

Lunaville: devine: Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?



Really? As tempted as I am, I'm not gonna feed the troll.

Okay, I'll concede that I probably read some fiction that you don't like as well. I shouldn't assume that Heinlein has no fans because I don't care for him. I'm hardly an expert on Science Fiction after all.

Guess those twilight novels keep ya entertained.

Herr Flick's Revenge: Lunaville: devine: Lunaville: Is anyone actually a fan of Heinlein?



Really? As tempted as I am, I'm not gonna feed the troll.

Okay, I'll concede that I probably read some fiction that you don't like as well. I shouldn't assume that Heinlein has no fans because I don't care for him. I'm hardly an expert on Science Fiction after all.

Guess those twilight novels keep ya entertained.

Let's not hold up Heinlein as the antithesis to the Twilight novels. Heinlein was creative, but he wasn't an especially gifted writer. He sure was impressed with his own abilities and intelligence, however.