sounds like a waste of money...look how far we went with the automobile in 100 years...is innovation that dead? Will we not have any improvements to our space program in the next 100 years? I sure hope we do, because in the next 100 years the population problem will be huge
How far has the automobile industry advanced in the last 100 years? Four wheels, petrol engine. Personally I'm still waiting for my flying car.
Of course that could be slightly harsh. The land speed record has been broken again and again in that time period. That brings up an interesting point. Only one of those attempts set out to break the speed of sound, all the rest set out to beat the last guy.
We need targets to aim for and any project which aims to pass the incumbent leader in 10 years will be a lot more politically valuable than a project which will reach Alpha Centauri in 50 years. Even if they are the same project.
Having said that this discussion is entirely academic. The proposal was made in 1988 and not followed up. Today, we're just aiming for the Moon.
p.s. Good luck solving whatever population problem there may be via space. I wouldn't like to try shipping a billion people 100 miles. Moving them to another world would need more than improvements to the space program. It would need the space program to be made irrelevant.
I would think our space program more resembles locomotives of a long time ago. Certain fundamental physical constraints are standing in our way as far as very fast propulsion, but you've got a point -- who knows. However, I don't think it would be a waste of money. The costs are fairly minimal compared to what it will take to fix various social problems. :)
Also, worry about population won't help too much. Hopefully if the rest of the world gets industrialized the population will level off. Or we'll start eating each other. Either way...
[+] [-] rtf|17 years ago|reply
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_fate_of_the_universe
It's the dramatic title that does it for me.
[+] [-] vaksel|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] streety|17 years ago|reply
Of course that could be slightly harsh. The land speed record has been broken again and again in that time period. That brings up an interesting point. Only one of those attempts set out to break the speed of sound, all the rest set out to beat the last guy.
We need targets to aim for and any project which aims to pass the incumbent leader in 10 years will be a lot more politically valuable than a project which will reach Alpha Centauri in 50 years. Even if they are the same project.
Having said that this discussion is entirely academic. The proposal was made in 1988 and not followed up. Today, we're just aiming for the Moon.
p.s. Good luck solving whatever population problem there may be via space. I wouldn't like to try shipping a billion people 100 miles. Moving them to another world would need more than improvements to the space program. It would need the space program to be made irrelevant.
[+] [-] sown|17 years ago|reply
Also, worry about population won't help too much. Hopefully if the rest of the world gets industrialized the population will level off. Or we'll start eating each other. Either way...
[+] [-] Anon84|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] altano|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] iamah|17 years ago|reply