We have the technolgy to do it. Lets face it. If NASA can build a space shuttle that flies a million miles orbiting the earth and re use it and it lasted for over 30 years. We can build a car last 50 years over 2 million miles. We can build a car that can run without gas and uses no oil by running on solar and electric power that goes unlimited by solar during day driving and 500 miles per charge. We could build electric panels on major highways so cars could run as far where we want to go. We could even build an spacecraft that can take man to mars and the moon and back. We can colonize the moon. Why are we holding back? We should built these ideas.
Because Humanity needs to start exploring space. Cause if anything happens down on earth humans on the moon should prepare for the next step.
Well cars can last over 50 years, and engines can last for hundreds of thousands of miles if maintened correctly. As for what's holding us back, pick any number of issues on this planet that need we need to sort out. Realestically speaking any manned missions beyond Orbital flight would have to be an International effort.
We gotta start advancing technology. Advance it far beyond computers. Like solar,wireless and satellite communications.
Exactly! Unless it is profitable, widespread technological advances do not happen. Sadly, this is true.
Why are we still driving cars powered by technology over 100 years old? Because that's what the car companies want.
^Well the Oil companies, a doubt a car company cares whether we buy a car powered by an internal combustion engine or an electric engine.
Some people with mobility and other medical problems on Earth would find life easier in a 1/6th-gravity environment. As others have said, it's the next (logical) step. We can't go from Earth to a Star Trek-like future (or whatever SF future is your ideal) without intermediate steps. Therefore, a Moon colony is logical. Asking "why would you want to colonize the Moon" is akin to asking "why would you want to send humans off the planet anywhere, including orbiting in a shuttle or space station." In my opinion, of course. Our planet is finite. Some day we will need to expand elsewhere.
I'll just address the spacecraft part. Step one: get funding. Get back to me when you've solved that. Beyond that, the rest of this is just armchair engineering. To put it simply, space is hard. REALLY hard. I've been an aerospace engineer for the last 17 years, but mostly on aircraft programs. A couple years ago I got the opportunity to work on some spacecraft programs, and there were all kinds of new constraints and issues that I hadn't even thought of or considered before. (Coatings commonly used in aircraft that would vaporize and potentially kill astronauts, atomic oxygen eating up seals, micrometeoroid damage, lubricants vaporizing, etc etc etc.........) And that's just for structures! I can't even think of what the systems people have to deal with!
Thanks, that's what I really meant. But it is true for car companies also, in the sense that is what they're currently selling and would cost many fortunes to retool their product.
True but they are now starting to build electric/hybrid cars more than they used to. As well as making internal combustion engine more fficent as fuel efficency can be a selling point these days.
Maybe that's just a tease, or a half hearted attempt to make it look like they're doing something innovative.
There always room for improvement. Like why not try to use the suns engery? The sooner we start advancing technology the sooner we can get in trek technology.
Let me give you another example. Did you know medical technology has advanced than from the 70s? People are living longer today then from the 70s era. And did you know open heart surgery could be a thing in the past? http://healthblog.ncpa.org/could-bypass-surgery-become-a-thing-of-the-past/ We are getting closer to Dr McCoys medicene
You'll have to tell us more about that at some point, I knew space would be difficulty but hadn't considered some of those (eg, atomic oxygen). Also, we can't build an interstellar drive (yet) and we haven't properly worked out cryogenics to make an ark ship feasible (yet). Not to say it won't happen, but as per the above, the challenges are huge. Also: Absolutely. But we have a Govt here goign backwards on solar and wind energy technology, to our great shame, at the behest of Big Coal. Politics and money, it gets us every time. As for medical advances, I think they are going to explode oever the next ten years. I just wish a few of them had happened sooner (and I guess we all do).