Lets see how far we've come

[Syrinx 13]

Yes it's really quite amazing how far we've progressed in such a relatively short space of time. One thing though, two major world wars and all the other conflicts around the globe have helped to spurr that development on. Whatever your feelings about war and conflict you cannot deny it gives impetus to many scientific fields.

 

I suppose it seems that we've slowed our development down in a sense but in reality we haven't. It's just progressing along different lines, medicine, genetics, cyberindustry etc.

 

As for space exploration I doubt whether we will ever see anything like the 60's space race again. That must have been such an exciting and heavy time to have lived through. Looking forward to the pinnacle of putting a Man on the Moon and being faced with possible nuclear conflict...heady days indeed. Personally I regard the Apollo programme as one of the defining acheivements of the Human Race, no matter what political intrigue kickstarted it into action.

 

I'm looking forward the the Ares flights (when they start in 2014) and seeing Man back on the Moon (unless our Chinese friends get there first...good luck to whoever manages it next). Then hopefully Mars before I start to go grey.

 

Who knows what will happen, maybe a radical breakthrough in Physics and\or propulsion technology will provide a new platform for manned exploration. The more I think about it the more I'm excited by the time we live in right now. Sure it's dangerous and has it's demons (whatever period in history did not ?) but things are moving so fast in so many fields it's hard not to feel a little pride in Mankinds accomplishments.

 

And that's the big picture isn't it. Just ask anyone who's slipped the surly bonds of Earth. We live on a little oasis of a planet in the biggest and most awe-inspiring desert you can imagine. Out there is where we're destined to go one day and who knows what language the those brave and intrepid explorers will speak? It'll still be us though, Mankind.

 

So yes, we've come a long way and should give ourselves a slap on the back. It's not been easy. The future won't be either...but it'll be fun getting there won't it !

[+Jug 99]

Yes it's really quite amazing how far we've progressed in such a relatively short space of time. One thing though, two major world wars and all the other conflicts around the globe have helped to spurr that development on. Whatever your feelings about war and conflict you cannot deny it gives impetus to many scientific fields.

 

I suppose it seems that we've slowed our development down in a sense but in reality we haven't. It's just progressing along different lines, medicine, genetics, cyberindustry etc.

 

As for space exploration I doubt whether we will ever see anything like the 60's space race again. That must have been such an exciting and heavy time to have lived through. Looking forward to the pinnacle of putting a Man on the Moon and being faced with possible nuclear conflict...heady days indeed. Personally I regard the Apollo programme as one of the defining acheivements of the Human Race, no matter what political intrigue kickstarted it into action.

 

I'm looking forward the the Ares flights (when they start in 2014) and seeing Man back on the Moon (unless our Chinese friends get there first...good luck to whoever manages it next). Then hopefully Mars before I start to go grey.

 

Who knows what will happen, maybe a radical breakthrough in Physics and\or propulsion technology will provide a new platform for manned exploration. The more I think about it the more I'm excited by the time we live in right now. Sure it's dangerous and has it's demons (whatever period in history did not ?) but things are moving so fast in so many fields it's hard not to feel a little pride in Mankinds accomplishments.

 

And that's the big picture isn't it. Just ask anyone who's slipped the surly bonds of Earth. We live on a little oasis of a planet in the biggest and most awe-inspiring desert you can imagine. Out there is where we're destined to go one day and who knows what language the those brave and intrepid explorers will speak? It'll still be us though, Mankind.

 

So yes, we've come a long way and should give ourselves a slap on the back. It's not been easy. The future won't be either...but it'll be fun getting there won't it !

Excellent observations, Syrinx. In my opinion we are doomed to financial misfires and failure if we make the space thing a race. I don't see how we can get humanity from this surface to another planet's surface without combining our efforts. What is wrong with a joint mission that opens a new frontier on Mars? I really don't see how any individual nation can do it by themselves. Think about the multitude of talent we can gather if there are no constraints on who joins the mission and all contribute. Might have some difficulty with some fundamentalist cultures, but they'd just be left out again just as they have been so many times before. I really don't see any reality to the project any other way.

Edited December 19, 2008 by Jug

[JediMaster 451]

Actually, while most nations couldn't do it, the US could. We just don't want to spend the $$ to do it. However, we'll burn up billions a month in Iraq for far less benefit than a massive space program would provide. So it's just about the will, really.

 

I don't think anyone will argue that the aerospace industry's pace of development took a massive slowdown after 1970. Only 66 years from first flight to the Moon landing, but in the almost 40 years since we've managed only to make an unreliable overexpensive "space truck", a space station that DOESN'T fall out of the sky, planes still don't go much over Mach 2 including the only SST retiring...

 

It's like the only thing still progressing at that rate is the increase in costs.

 

We need 2 things--a materials breakthru (to allow higher speeds and more protection), and a power/propulsion breakthru.