Where do you think the future of space exploration lies? What do you think the next big thing is in space exploration? Any ideas on what you'd like to see the big space organisations do in space?
Reply and lets us know your thoughts!
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:50 pm
Krista Wakely
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 71
Location: Southampton, UK
Unfortunately, I don't think a lot of people support space exploration anymore. I find it very disappointing when I hear people say that it's a waste of time, or say that it's not worth the money. I think the problem is that not everyone can see what we are learning from exploring space.
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"Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind; And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:55 am
Ben Schwarz
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 41
Location: Southampton, UK
Personally I dont see the argument, that its not worth the money, when the ammount spent on it is virtually inconcequential... But we cant discuss that here
Personally, the reason I was upset that Enterprise ended was that there will probably be no more star trek, and that has been a very inspirational program to a lot of people, and with that gone, there is nothing to interest young people in Space Exploration... A lot of science fiction, and Star Trek in particular has shown what is possible. It may not be overly realistic, but it shows what the human race is possible of achieving.
The other reason, that many people, i feel dont appreciate, is that sooner or later we will have to leave this planet to ensure the human race survives. If we dont start going soon, it may be too late. The planet may not be able to sustain life for much longer, or we may face a natural disaster from space (Near Earth Object impact for example). One way or another we need to be out there.
The last point I have to make (I promise! ) is that we are human, exploring new lands is what we do. Its only in the last 200 years or so, where you can get on an aircraft and end up the other side of the world a day later, that exploring new world has become almost forgotten. Space is much larger than this planet and its only natural that we, as explorers, search it out.
Haunt me, you taunt me, You torture me back at your lair
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 9:42 am
Krista Wakely
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 71
Location: Southampton, UK
lol
Well, although I support space exploration, and although I would love for us to get off this planet (for more reasons than one ) I really don't think that it would all be as happy and wonderful as some people think it would be. Some of us would work really well out there, but with all of the problems on Earth who's to say it wouldn't be just as bad if we all had our own little planet instead of our own little coutry?
_________________ krista AT bnw-rpg DOT com
"Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind; And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 1:39 pm
Ben Schwarz
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 41
Location: Southampton, UK
It wont be hunky dory... but thats not the point. The point is that in order to continue the human race we need to be out there... in the relative short term its not essential to move out of the solar system, utilising the vast natural resources in the solar system is a must though, the earth can only provide so much...
Haunt me, you taunt me, You torture me back at your lair
Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:11 pm
Trythe
Joined: 03 Jan 2006
Posts: 2
I've got the feeling that there'll need to be a big advance in technology before we go anywhere. Some technology to make us more efficient and move at greater speeds... I personally don't see why we can't travel travel faster than the speed of light since the equations break down at the speed of light, it's simply not scientifically possible to talk about what would happen if you went beyond it.
I think we might stumble across some answers not too far into the future and it will be great to find out what CERN will tell us about the graviton in 2007.
Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 10:45 am
Ben Schwarz
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 41
Location: Southampton, UK
Much of the technology to get to mars at the very least, is there now, it was there 60 years ago, it just requires the will of space agencies to give the go ahead.
As for the speed of light, i'm a bit more skeptical, as actually reaching it is very difficult, let alone crossing it, faster than light travel may well be possible but actually crossing the light barrier may be the problem... Warp flight may be the solution to that though...
Haunt me, you taunt me, You torture me back at your lair
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 10:55 pm
Trythe
Joined: 03 Jan 2006
Posts: 2
I believe we could go faster since we cannot yet interpret what it means to have a complex lorentz transformation giving incalculable time dilation or contraction, so far we have only labelled this phenomenon as "unphysical". We have already seen that quantum entanglement acts on particles at instantaneos effect regardless of distance, as does change in mass resulting in different gravity potentials (ie. the effect of nuclear fusion, fission, spontaneous proton decay, etc.). I think it is this lack of understanding regarding why it is unphysical or what fermions have that bosons do not that keep us ignorant. It would be interesting to research how warp flight would interact with our current space-time model.
Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:52 pm
Al/Trios/Taiki
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 7
Travelling at or above the speed of light is impossible for anything with mass and I'll tell you why:
E(nergy)=M(ass)*C(onstant, the speed of light) squared
So basically that means you need a hell of a lot of energy, add to this the fact that when things get faster the have more mass, means the no matter how much energy you use you'll always need more to reach the speed of light, therefore it is impossible (Thanks to a friend of mine for the explanation)
Oh and don't forget that we'd have to overcome "simple" issues such as the G-Force produced by moving at this speed squashing our internal organs, and any material the craft is made of
However on the issue of space travel I think the main reason people are not so interested is because it's made out to be dangerous, but this should put people off, it'd be like Cavemen (or Cavewomen) putting out a fire because it burnt someone
Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:06 am
Ben Schwarz
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 41
Location: Southampton, UK
Ah but what happens if you are already travelling at the speed of light? can you go faster? Or can you even slow down from that speed?
There are also other ways round that issue. Warp Drive avoids the problem of the speed of light, as there is no theoretical limit to the speed at which you can warp space. (Warp drive works by expanding the space behind you and contracting it infront of you to move you from A to B) If you combine that with a high exhaust velocity engine (possibly nuclear or VERY advanced Ion) then it is theoretically possible to travel faster than light, but with out actually breaking that barrier, if you see what I mean?
Haunt me, you taunt me, You torture me back at your lair
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 1:33 pm
Al/Trios/Taiki
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 7
If you're already going the speed of light, then I have no idea if it is possible to slow down, (Can Light/UV/Radio be slowed?) if you can go faster than light... dunno
Anyone know anything about subspace?
Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:41 pm
Pharees
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 3
Yes, light can be slowed down. Scientists have managed to slow it to 17m/s and even more recently actually managed to stop it completely. Theyv'e also been able to speed it up to 300*C. But none of this provides a solution to faster than light travel because, as has already been pointed out, no particle with mass can reach C because it would require infinite energy.
Both subspace and hyperspace are fictional dimentions that don't exist in reality as far as i know. (Correct me if im wrong.)
Although warp drive is theoretically possible, none of the research on it (and there has been quite a bit) has come up with even a theoretical method of warping spacetime and no one has come up with a solution to the einstein field equation.
As far as Mars is concerned i think any manned missions should be an international effort purely because of the costs involved (£9bn for one mission is what NASA have estimated). The ISS and Iter both show what can be achieved with international scientific cooperation (at least they will when theyre finished ). I think theres still some practical issues that need resolving before we can go to Mars. Cosmic radiation isn't much of a problem for relatively short shutlle missions in low earth orbit but a three year round trip to Mars poses a bigger problem. Also i can't see a three year mission being practical in as small a space as the CEV.
What does everyone else think about going back to the moon? i really don't see the point and have a strong sense of 'been there, done that'. The money would be much better spent on something like developing a completely reuseable horizontal take off and landing space vehicle so that cheap manned space missions would be possible. If only Britain hadn't cut funding for the HOTAL project...
This post is getting fairly long now but one more thing - is there actually any point in manned missions to mars? what would they achieve that robotic missions can't for a fraction of the cost? At the moment the only thing i can think of is that it would be a massive achievement for mankind and thats the only reason i support it, but the lack of scientific value for money is what might make governments decide not to fund such projects. I think it's quite possible the next US administration might scrap the whole project. Bush wanted multiple regular missions to the moon to establish a permanent base and then further missions to Mars but all NASA has budgeted for, as far as im aware, is one mission to the moon...
Lockheed to build Nasa Moonship
Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:28 pm
Adam
Joined: 13 Jan 2006
Posts: 7
NASA hasannounced the Lockheed Martin Corporation will build the next US spaceship to take humans to the Moon.
The US space agency wants to fly the Orion vehicles no later than 2014. Initially, they will go to the International Space Station, but Nasa plans to send one to the Moon in 2020.
Lockheed Martin beat a joint bid from Northrop Grumman and Boeing.
NASA hasannounced the Lockheed Martin Corporation will build the next US spaceship to take humans to the Moon.
The US space agency wants to fly the Orion vehicles no later than 2014. Initially, they will go to the International Space Station, but Nasa plans to send one to the Moon in 2020.
Lockheed Martin beat a joint bid from Northrop Grumman and Boeing.
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) I really don't think that it would all be as happy and wonderful as some people think it would be. Some of us would work really well out there, but with all of the problems on Earth who's to say it wouldn't be just as bad if we all had our own little planet instead of our own little coutry?
