wassup Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 So, as many of you know (I hope), today Bush outlined his plans to expand and progress the national space program in the coming decades. You can read more about it HERE. Some important aspects of his plan are: complete ISS by 2010 begin developing a new manned exploration vehicle, called the Crew Exploration Vechicle, to replace the Space Shuttle when it retires in 2010 Robotic missions to the moon by 2008, and a manned mission to the moon by 2015 and no later than 2020 Do you think these goals can be achieved, as outlined by the president? Is $12 billion dollars in funding over the next 5 years enough to meet all these goals? Keep in mind that the Apollo missions cost almost $20 billion dollars in 1950/1960s currency rates. (info here). Could Bush be pushing and advocating for a renewed space program to increase his approval ratings in this crucial political year? PS: Look at Bush's budget plan HERE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinWalker Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 I'm all for the plan. I think he's simply using this plan as a vehicle to gain support in an election year, but I'm still behind it. It's not enough to make me vote for Bush over another candidate, however. But the space program needs revitalization and support. I think this is a good way to stimulate the economy as well. But $12 billion? That's probably just enough to fund the studies, research and initial development, but implementation (actually putting people and materials on the Moon and Mars) will cost significantly more. Just invading a backwards country with out-dated weaponry cost us $160 billion plus! Surely you misunderstood that figure.. I'll have to read the link The spin-off technology and the associated jobs and market confidence will be good for the economy however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 As stated, with Bushes current budget for space he'll be lucky if he can even build a shuttle. The plan I support fully, We (humans) need to expand our horizons. And to fully explore mores we (humans) must be there for ourselves, Not everything is seen in a camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MennoniteHobbit Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 Here's my opinion, folks. (If u don't care about my opinion, just stop reading.) First of all, I support his plan for space stuff. But, where will all the MONEY come from? Let's hope he won't turn Dean on us and give us more taxes. Next of all, why do we need to go to Mars? Or let me rephrase that: why do we want to colonize Mars? If we got there we would die. And no, we couldn't live on it even with high-tech gizmos. The only relevant thing I see in the Mars matter is strictly research. Aliens, I don't much care 4, yet. Other lifeforms, maybe. Colonizing it, definitely not. Last of all, the I think the original reason for the ISS was fine, but now other countries have gotten tired of it. (I think... haven't researched enough on other countries to now the exact details.) I think if we're the only ones involved w/the ISS, it should be converted to sumpin else, not thrown away. Bottom line: We need something physical to pay for all of this, maybe something called money. I think the only wrong with President Bush's plan is the source of income for all of this. He needs to rethink that part up more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagobahn Eagle Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 What are we going to Mars for? These are some outstanding US problems: An outrageously high violence and crime rate: It's amazing that a country can have a large enough army to deploy forces to 112 nations and still have enough forces to invade and occupy both Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as send additional troops to Libya, and still have just about the highest crime rate on Earth. If we're so powerful -which we are- why don't we use our power to defend our own country? Discrimination/Gap between "classes"/police apathy towards lower classes and minority "races": A "low-class" Latin girl I know got raped by a guy in her own appartment complex and pressed charges without anything happening. She took it to a higher court, but still nothing happened. As she said, "they just received the charges and put it behind them". She now has to live in the same neighbourhood as the guy who raped her. On the other hand, a girl I know at my school slapped a guy in the face and his lawyer dad sued her and tried to get her expelled from school. So if you slap a rich "white" guy, you're in trouble. If you rape a low-class minority girl, you'll most likely remain as free as the bird. Enough said. Debt: We definetly won't find money on the Red Planet. Drug abuse: While a D. A. R. E. centre on Mars might keep astronauts from planting hashish farms in the colony greenhouses, they'll have little effect on Earthlings. A sky-high divorce rate: Why can't the State try to prevent this from happening? Low budget: With the vast army expenses in other less-important fields, the State is forced to neglect other areas like Welfare and the school system. Pollution: 5% of the world's population. 50%+ of its CO2 emmisions. Bush, regrettably, does not seem to care about us, the People, at all. When a President prioritizes his own interests above the People's, he's doing a pretty bad job. And don't get me started on Iraq. Waste of money and thousands of lives. Sigh. The way Bush is letting our country go to Hell, I can see why InsaneSith wants us to find new places to live:rolleyes:. Eagle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Originally posted by MennoniteHobbit If we got there we would die. And no, we couldn't live on it even with high-tech gizmos. And just where do you draw this conclusion from? I'll assume there is some credible source somewhere that states clearly "If we go to Mars we will DIE" Sure, we don't have the technology to create a colony on a new planet NOW, but that doesn't mean we won't EVENTUALLY, and we'll never get to that point without lots of research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 My idea is we make the moon a prison. It'll help that over crowded prison crisis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcd1234 Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Originally posted by ET Warrior And just where do you draw this conclusion from? I'll assume there is some credible source somewhere that states clearly "If we go to Mars we will DIE" Sure, we don't have the technology to create a colony on a new planet NOW, but that doesn't mean we won't EVENTUALLY, and we'll never get to that point without lots of research. I agree. At the rate that technology improves, then how can you not believe that eventually we would be able to go to Mars and eventually colonize it if that were our intentions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MennoniteHobbit Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 OK, I now agree... but still, where will the money come from? That's all I'm worried about. Besides, it takes heck of a long time to get there, and fuel and the stuff needed to get there isn't cheap. We'd need enough oxygen on the shuttle or whatever we're using, we need oxygen on the planet (we could find out a way to make an "oxygen converter"), and we need food. If indeed there was water on Mars, there probably isn't now, right? And, even if we colonize Mars, like I said before, resources aren't cheap. Maybe in comparison to others, but not generally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 Originally posted by MennoniteHobbit where will the money come from? The same place the money we get to try and put people on the moon. Taxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.