Deputy PM says Russia aims to end ISS participation in 2020

Discussion in 'Science and Technology' started by Brolan, May 14, 2014.

  1. Robert Maxwell

    Robert Maxwell memelord Premium Member

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    We never took our focus away from space because our focus was never on space to begin with. NASA's budget in real (inflation-adjusted) dollars has remained more or less steady since the mid-'70s. Its budget was not slashed to make way for welfare spending--that is quite simply a lie.

    While I do think our space exploration budget should be higher, I don't think the focus should be on manned travel. NASA gets far more scientific bang for the buck with unmanned probes. It's very expensive to protect our fragile sacks of meat when we go rocketing around.
     
  2. MANT!

    MANT! Vice Admiral Admiral

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  3. Metryq

    Metryq Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    THE CRADLE OF SATURN has an opening scene where a private company shows up the Air Force by literally flying circles around the government's new cruiser with a nuclear thermal rocket. It will be a long time coming, but one thing private enterprisers might have in mind is testing advanced engine designs once safely out of Earthly jurisdiction, where no one can claim that endangered salamanders or turtles are being threatened.
     
  4. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Yeah, Elon tweeted that a couple weeks ago.
     
  5. Yminale

    Yminale Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Elon Musk, promises a lot, delivers sometimes. I'll believe it when he actually has hardware ready to launch.
     
  6. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Actually, SpaceX has had a pretty good track record. They're even starting to get their flight rate up this year.
     
  7. Yminale

    Yminale Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    That happened at Tesla (minus the battery problems). Funny how things work out when Elon Musk isn't running things.
     
  8. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Considering Tesla didn't start getting it's act together until Musk took direct control, I'm gonna have to call you on that. And the fact that Musk is "running things" at SpaceX currently.
     
  9. Yminale

    Yminale Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Elon Musk hasn't run day to day operations for either corporations since 2008. Right now he's nothing more than a glorified spokesperson and fundraiser.
     
  10. MANT!

    MANT! Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I (and the facts beg to differ) please see the following

    http://www.spacex.com/about/leadership

    please back up your assertions with actual facts please..
     
  11. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Yep, ditto for Tesla:
    http://www.teslamotors.com/executives

     
  12. Dryson

    Dryson Commodore Commodore

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    Don't worry we have private space firms such as Stratolaunch to help keep the ISS going.

    The real question is should we consider those here in America who are obviously applauding the Russian ploy to be traitors and siding with an enemy that is causing domestic terrorism by trying to shut down the ISS?

    I think so. They'll be seeing more than four lights that much is certain.
     
  13. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Then we'll also have to round up everyone at NASA that actively worked with Russia.:rolleyes: "siding with the enemy" and all.
     
  14. Dukhat

    Dukhat Admiral Admiral

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    I'm assuming you're joking about the "traitors" comment. With that said, the ISS has been a colossal waste of money and resources. For its pricetag we could have built thousands of robotic space probes and explored every nook and cranny of our solar system. Good riddance.

    IMHO, the only reason why a space station should exist is to be a waypoint/construction/docking facility for an interplanetary manned spacecraft.
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2014
  15. DarthTom

    DarthTom Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    It hasn't been totally useless:

    Top 10 Things ISS has helped with

     
  16. Dukhat

    Dukhat Admiral Admiral

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    ^All of which could have been done far cheaper by other means. There was once an idea to recycle the shuttle's external fuel tank upon orbit and convert it into a makeshift space station instead of just letting it burn up on reentry. Unless there was a logical reason why this wouldn't have been feasible, we could have had literally over a hundred mini space stations built from already existing materials in which to perform the above experiments. Even if they only lasted six months, those hundred stations in total would still have been cheaper to produce than the ISS, because they were already being produced anyway.
     
  17. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    It wasn't feasible.
     
  18. Metryq

    Metryq Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    ...by adding big pockets in space suits to hold purring cats.
     
  19. Dukhat

    Dukhat Admiral Admiral

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    Ok, but why?
     
  20. DarthTom

    DarthTom Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    IMO the big loss with the ISS was the lack of international cooperation in using the station to assemble at the station a spacecraft a jointly funded manned mission to Mars. If all of the nations involved in the ISS would help pay for a mission to Mars, American taxpayers and the US Congress would be far more likely to fund the project at considerably less expense.

    Such a project would have been humanities first attempt to work together to explore the stars.