I feel I need to say something about Artemis as a former NASA employee, Space scientist and engineer.
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@SamanthaJaneSmith I don't see it that gloomy. We are finally let humans travel beyond low Earth Orbit. Right now further than they could ever get from their destination by any means of transportation in the past 50 years. Been there, done that? Sure not.
Also, we won't develop any better spacecraft by sitting around on Earth. Or by just doing in space what we have always done. Even known technologies on the surface will likely not behave the same in space. For getting further, we must go.
@urwumpe I hear this a lot. The issue is that to actually get anywhere you need to invest in science. This is the opposite of what is happening. Politicians want the glory but won't spend the cash on science to actually change anything.
This is particularly true of Trump cutting science. Even gutting NASA.
So I am afraid it is very gloomy IMHO. If you want to get anywhere beyond the moon and perhaps Mars you need new technology beyond chemical rockets.
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@urwumpe I hear this a lot. The issue is that to actually get anywhere you need to invest in science. This is the opposite of what is happening. Politicians want the glory but won't spend the cash on science to actually change anything.
This is particularly true of Trump cutting science. Even gutting NASA.
So I am afraid it is very gloomy IMHO. If you want to get anywhere beyond the moon and perhaps Mars you need new technology beyond chemical rockets.
@SamanthaJaneSmith There is much more on this planet than a demented old pedophile. Sadly also many people who rather trust demented old pedophiles than science.
But should we stop doing science and have science be more successful than they are, just because they don't like what science says?
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@SamanthaJaneSmith There is much more on this planet than a demented old pedophile. Sadly also many people who rather trust demented old pedophiles than science.
But should we stop doing science and have science be more successful than they are, just because they don't like what science says?
@urwumpe That is my point. But science is being gutted by the US government, going to the moon is not science. At best it's rediscovery of the technology we used to have.
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I feel I need to say something about Artemis as a former NASA employee, Space scientist and engineer.
I hope more than anything that the astronauts get back safely. But let us not be fooled by what this is.
Is it spectacular, yes. Is it a feat of engineering, yes. Does it make any advance in science, no. Does it help mankind explore the universe, dubious at best.
Why exactly are we sending humans to the moon? With our technology we will never send humans much further than Mars. The only way humans can possibly go further is through a scientific breakthrough. Good luck with that when Trump is gutting science.
Human exploration needs money spent on long-term advances - not using the same technology to do what we did before, however, glamorous it is.
So why do this and why do it now? Political theatre, a win for a Trump led NASA if it succeeds.
So I hope all works well and all return safely. But let us be clear what this is and why it is being done.
This is my opinion, I do not represent anyone.
I believe you are 100% right
It is definitely political theater
...and also a boost for Musk's IPO of SpaceX. Just watch to see Musk "gift" Trump a chunk of SpaceX stock.
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I feel I need to say something about Artemis as a former NASA employee, Space scientist and engineer.
I hope more than anything that the astronauts get back safely. But let us not be fooled by what this is.
Is it spectacular, yes. Is it a feat of engineering, yes. Does it make any advance in science, no. Does it help mankind explore the universe, dubious at best.
Why exactly are we sending humans to the moon? With our technology we will never send humans much further than Mars. The only way humans can possibly go further is through a scientific breakthrough. Good luck with that when Trump is gutting science.
Human exploration needs money spent on long-term advances - not using the same technology to do what we did before, however, glamorous it is.
So why do this and why do it now? Political theatre, a win for a Trump led NASA if it succeeds.
So I hope all works well and all return safely. But let us be clear what this is and why it is being done.
This is my opinion, I do not represent anyone.
Mars would only have been feasible if it sustained life.
as it is, 'colonizing it' is about as smart as creating golf courses in the desert: poor people will go without water, so rich people can play games.
We are much closer to making Earth into Venus, than we are to living on Mars.
But the Old Fuckers don't care. Some want the world to end with them
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I feel I need to say something about Artemis as a former NASA employee, Space scientist and engineer.
I hope more than anything that the astronauts get back safely. But let us not be fooled by what this is.
Is it spectacular, yes. Is it a feat of engineering, yes. Does it make any advance in science, no. Does it help mankind explore the universe, dubious at best.
Why exactly are we sending humans to the moon? With our technology we will never send humans much further than Mars. The only way humans can possibly go further is through a scientific breakthrough. Good luck with that when Trump is gutting science.
Human exploration needs money spent on long-term advances - not using the same technology to do what we did before, however, glamorous it is.
So why do this and why do it now? Political theatre, a win for a Trump led NASA if it succeeds.
So I hope all works well and all return safely. But let us be clear what this is and why it is being done.
This is my opinion, I do not represent anyone.
@SamanthaJaneSmith A silver-ish lining for me, is that many younger people were awed by the launch and engineering feat of Artemis 2. They will be in positions of power long after Trump meets maker and thus, will have a chance to better the world through scientific advancement.
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@urwumpe That is my point. But science is being gutted by the US government, going to the moon is not science. At best it's rediscovery of the technology we used to have.
@SamanthaJaneSmith which technology are we rediscovering? Did the Orion spacecraft fly in 1969? Did most people at NASA, that work on Artemis, already work on Apollo ? Or even one? Yes, the mission does superficially that Apollo 13 already did. But it does that with a new spacecraft on a new launcher with lots of new technologies, intentionally and planned, more safely than ever.
I am more angry for killing Gateway. That was a bad decision to please guys that badly need phallic spacecraft...
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@SamanthaJaneSmith @paranoiapen
Personally, it gives me optimistic feels that we are still able to do stuff like this despite all the BS we are also doing.
Watching an ISS spacewalk during the previous Tr#mp misadministration was one of its few bright spots (for me) -- a brief view of extreme competence amid all the self-serving twittery.
@woozle For me, the ISS is also a symbol that humankind could much better cooperate on earth. When astronauts of "enemy' states can live and work together in such a small room, we could also live in peace on earth.
My dream is still that spaceflights become a global cooperation (yes, I watched the very first Star Trek and the first moon landing live.)
@SamanthaJaneSmith @paranoiapen -
I feel I need to say something about Artemis as a former NASA employee, Space scientist and engineer.
I hope more than anything that the astronauts get back safely. But let us not be fooled by what this is.
Is it spectacular, yes. Is it a feat of engineering, yes. Does it make any advance in science, no. Does it help mankind explore the universe, dubious at best.
Why exactly are we sending humans to the moon? With our technology we will never send humans much further than Mars. The only way humans can possibly go further is through a scientific breakthrough. Good luck with that when Trump is gutting science.
Human exploration needs money spent on long-term advances - not using the same technology to do what we did before, however, glamorous it is.
So why do this and why do it now? Political theatre, a win for a Trump led NASA if it succeeds.
So I hope all works well and all return safely. But let us be clear what this is and why it is being done.
This is my opinion, I do not represent anyone.
@SamanthaJaneSmith I'm usually more cynical, but I was getting the sense this was to rekindle a love of space, esp. in young people (hence all the historic firsts, the excitement of setting up trans lunar infrastructure for future lunar presence, and the tech being used to give a sense of humanity and realness to the vehicle and it's occupants throughout the mission).
I also got the sense this was more positioned in *spite* of the current administration in the US that's been gutting NASA. Not a single mention of the Trump administration, or even the federal government.
I read it more as NASA trying to rise above the current moment, to show that the US isn't it's government. Its people can still be international partners to the world, and still do good and inspiring things together with them.
I'm happy it's happening, and suppose that even my usually cynical heart sees this all pretty differently.
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I feel I need to say something about Artemis as a former NASA employee, Space scientist and engineer.
I hope more than anything that the astronauts get back safely. But let us not be fooled by what this is.
Is it spectacular, yes. Is it a feat of engineering, yes. Does it make any advance in science, no. Does it help mankind explore the universe, dubious at best.
Why exactly are we sending humans to the moon? With our technology we will never send humans much further than Mars. The only way humans can possibly go further is through a scientific breakthrough. Good luck with that when Trump is gutting science.
Human exploration needs money spent on long-term advances - not using the same technology to do what we did before, however, glamorous it is.
So why do this and why do it now? Political theatre, a win for a Trump led NASA if it succeeds.
So I hope all works well and all return safely. But let us be clear what this is and why it is being done.
This is my opinion, I do not represent anyone.
@SamanthaJaneSmith Let's be clear, the Apollo program was political theater, too - cold war & all that. Personally I applaud exploiting that sort of thing for scientific progress. As for going to the Moon, don't think scientific projects of that magnitude is the kind of thing you do once & go "Welp, nothing more to learn!", pretty sure Artemis is still going to produce a valuable science & engineering yield.
As for Trump, he's too stupid to take credit without getting laughed at.
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