What do you do with 40 thousand sensitive, gay engineers...
Or as it is sometimes called... NASA?
As long as we are going to support this bunch of sensitive, careful, shivering puppies, we should put them to work building solar collection farms in orbit.
It seems really, really stupid to finance the current -- POINTLESS -- space station. Why not do real work with real potential value to the human race?
Or is it too much to expect that without developing any new technology -- using off the shelf stuff already developed for space use -- we should expect this useless gaggle of geeks to do us some real work?
Originally posted by StarValleyWyYou send people to the moon with them.
What do you do with 40 thousand sensitive, gay engineers...
Or as it is sometimes called... NASA?
As long as we are going to support this bunch of sensitive, careful, shivering puppies, we should put them to work building solar collection farms in orbit.
It seems really, really stupid to finance the current -- POINTLESS -- space station. Why not ...[text shortened]... eveloped for space use -- we should expect this useless gaggle of geeks to do us some real work?
Seriously. Is there a point to having just another high-tech research agency in the form of NASA? Shouldn't we put some meaning into their miserable existence beyond trying to CTA no end downplaying expectations on various toys sent to take more pictures of Mars?
If a society has the wealth and ability to be "doing stuff" in space, then why not do something like:
Giant solar energy farms that use laser relays to return energy to NEO then microwave step relay to the surface.
Begin to figure out how to do construction in LEO. Software and automation. And don't tell me that the ISS requires construction. Two bolts and a jolt do not construction make.
Develop management methodology for needs and resources. How do we build in situ using available and local materials?
There should be something better for this treasure of a resource to be attempting than putting another bunch of creepy crawlers on Mars to take pictures of more rocks. A rock is just a rock. I think that every prospective NASA manager needs to be sent to southern Utah for a month looking at rocks. Maybe then they could get over their stupid need to take pictures of more rocks.
Originally posted by StarValleyWyYou can't mine unless you know what kind of minerals are there.
Seriously. Is there a point to having just another high-tech research agency in the form of NASA? Shouldn't we put some meaning into their miserable existence beyond trying to CTA no end downplaying expectations on various toys sent to take more pictures of Mars?
If a society has the wealth and ability to be "doing stuff" in space, then why not do so ...[text shortened]... g at rocks. Maybe then they could get over their stupid need to take pictures of more rocks.
Originally posted by StarValleyWyBecause the society in question has an electoral system that favors the interests of large corporations the largest of which are oil companies.
If a society has the wealth and ability to be "doing stuff" in space, then why not do something like:
Giant solar energy farms that use laser relays to return energy to NEO then microwave step relay to the surface.
The oil companies do not want competition from giant solar energy farms.
Of course there are cheaper ways of generating power than orbiting solar energy farms but the oil companies don't want those either.
Originally posted by twhiteheadCrap. I guess I just plain missed the fact that we don't yet have Utopian Marxism implemented. Silly me. I guess I'll just have to sharpen up the old scythe and join you in a rally to kill those evil capitalists.
Because the society in question has an electoral system that favors the interests of large corporations the largest of which are oil companies.
The oil companies do not want competition from giant solar energy farms.
Of course there are cheaper ways of generating power than orbiting solar energy farms but the oil companies don't want those either.
I am so naive. I thought they were taking pictures of rocks because rocks are so pretty. So you say that because there is enterprise in the world, nobody wants to progress? I guess that makes sense.🙄
Originally posted by AThousandYoungThat is true! However, we know to a thousandth of a percentage, the makeup of old Luna. That seems to be the best place to build a solar-powered maglev orbital gun. Then we use THAT to boost THOUSANDS OF TONS of "dirt" into orbit at L5. We catch it there and process it into metals, FUEL and oxygen using open-hearth (open everything) mirror furnaces. Like burning ants with a magnifying glass, except you have to balance the in-bound heat energy from all directions, or you lose containment.
You can't mine unless you know what kind of minerals are there.
Originally posted by StarValleyWyif we'd subtracted the scientists and left the engineers, we'd probably have moon colonies a long time ago.
What do you do with 40 thousand sensitive, gay engineers...
Or as it is sometimes called... NASA?
As long as we are going to support this bunch of sensitive, careful, shivering puppies, we should put them to work building solar collection farms in orbit.
It seems really, really stupid to finance the current -- POINTLESS -- space station. Why not ...[text shortened]... eveloped for space use -- we should expect this useless gaggle of geeks to do us some real work?
Originally posted by zeeblebotYeah, engineers are so much better at stuff than scientists. For example, Lockheed Martin's engineers:
if we'd subtracted the scientists and left the engineers, we'd probably have moon colonies a long time ago.
vhttp://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/