Obama - Hey, let’s land astronauts on an asteroid

[PegLeg45]

This is one of those rare times when everyone has valid points. Solus hit some good ones. NASA is definitely beneficial, and I'd hate to see it go away.......but like any agency, they could handle their budget better.




Every time I think about NASA, I remember an old joke I heard once about NASA spending billions to develop an ink pen that would write in zero gravity, any atmosphere and any position. While the Russians just used a pencil.

 

[tombogan03884]

But the Russians didn't do it because they were clever or logical, they did it because their "planned" economy did not leave them money enough to research their own pen and they could not steal the plans to ours.

[PegLeg45]

But the Russians didn't do it because they were clever or logical, they did it because their "planned" economy did not leave them money enough to research their own pen and they could not steal the plans to ours.

There you go again......throwing glimpses of our own future at us again..........gee, thanks.  


BTW, the guy that told me the joke, a neighbor, worked as an engineer for NASA in the 60's.......until he got tired of the BS and came home to run the family dairy.
 

[tombogan03884]

Sorry to be a Killjoy 

[PegLeg45]

Sorry to be a Killjoy 

Just one of the things I admire about you.......perfect timing with those little 'reality slaps'.

 

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

I've had other people describe it as a total lack of "tact", and "discretion".
I'll have to look those words up someday. 

[Rastus]

But the Russians didn't do it because they were clever or logical, they did it because their "planned" economy did not leave them money enough to research their own pen and they could not steal the plans to ours.

The fact that the Russians did not develop a science base that was productive and instead used a lot of spying to provide plans always put them behind.  It put them behind in space travel and it put them behind in national defense.  It has been reported that the Russians were absolutely astounded how quickly Sadam fell in the first war against the U.S. war machine.

Now we are canceling advanced programs and research.  We had such an edge and you can't rebuild such a thing overnight.  We have been infiltrated by Chinese agents who carry on the Russian tradition but they have numbers and manufacturing the Russians only dream about.

We need a NASA budget, heck, we need a national vision that is not a large part of today's vision...what can government put in my outstretched hand.  I've posted before we need a national program to develop room temperature superconductors.  30%-40% of the power generated never reaches our home and businesses due to line loss.  A crash program in batteries...by the time you get a battery powered car on the road it's lost 50% of the energy a gallon of gas can provide and provides faux benefits to the environment...might be cleaner on your street but it's more damaging to "the villiage" as a whole.  Medical research, materials research, etc. improves our lives.  Big government should have focus on providing answers to questions that can't be easily solved or that may never be solved but that have such great value the problem cannot be ignored...things corporations cannot do or would go bankrupt attempting to do.

Instead govenment does not protect it's citizenry and allows millions of illegals in which requires more and more money to go to entitlements and basic services and detracts from funding greatness in lieu of funding votes to keep politicians in power.

[MikeBjerum]

Back to the original story:

Did they show Armageddon on Air Force One on his way to Florida?  It is not bad to have dreams and goals, but what is his reasoning behind this new venture of trying to hit a moving target?

[Timothy]

I've had other people describe it as a total lack of "tact", and "discretion".
I'll have to look those words up someday. 

Tact:  Telling someone where to go so well, they look forward to the trip!

Discretion:  Humping your girlfriend in the back seat instead of on the hood of the car at the Walmart!

 

[jnevis]

Back to the original story:

Did they show Armageddon on Air Force One on his way to Florida?  It is not bad to have dreams and goals, but what is his reasoning behind this new venture of trying to hit a moving target?

I can see the asteroid though, from a stepping stone perspective.  The moon has a predictable orbit and is relatively stable, we can track it with a great deal of accuracy since it is close.  Going further out, to say Mars, our error is significantly worse.  Think of it as  a unknown distance bullseye shot.  If it's close you can be assured a hit, as the distance increases your chances go down for a clean hit.  If you can successfully hit something at a middle distance your chances of the further distance go up.  In space travel you only get one good chance so stacking the deck in your favor is always a good plan.

Also we don't really know a lot about asteroids and their make up.  Where do they come from?  How are they formed?  The fragments that enter our atmosphere give a glimps but actually hitting one would allow for much more detailed analysis.