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A Shining Example of Space Benefits.. »
Posted by: GregD 2 years, 3 months agoA simple NASA technology that protected Apollo and Skylab is still coming to the rescue in space and on Earth.
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GregD
My name is Greg and I'm a Community Leader here on Propeller.
You can usually find me imbibing coffee in copious amounts, playing with ...
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Comments: 45
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colcam
March 28, 2007, 8:33 a.m.Put simply, every dollar spent on "space" is actually spent on Earth, and even minor things wind up paying major benefits.
We-- as in the human race-- need to move into space to live, to mine materials, and to give Earth some breathing room. We cannot export excess population, any more than Europe did when America was settled, but part of human nature is having a new frontier for those who need new frontiers.
There are benefits for those who move off planet, but even bigger ones for those who stay behind.
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AnvilHead
March 28, 2007, 10:59 a.m.I'm with you, our source of limitless resources is just the other side of our terrestrial gravity well, Titan is covered in gasoline, the asteroid belt filled with irona nd nickel, the moon is largely made of aluminum, it's like God said to us come here and build a limitless paradise.
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Countryhick
March 28, 2007, 11:57 a.m.NASA , "when we find something on another planet worth while we will exploit it to the fullest" .
And WOW got something shinny out of Billions spent WOW .
Great job , shinny makes people happy .
We risk mens lives and Millions of dollars to retrieve a Moon rock , is it any different than what can be found here on Earth , NO , but it came from the Moon , WOW .
Oh I forgot we got a mattress material that is now exploited , now we can rise and shine . :)
Note: I can drive 50 miles from where I live and there are thousand of acres with nothing on them but grass and trees , so where is all this crowding at , might leave the city once and awhile , might see something .
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MacR
March 28, 2007, 1:05 p.m.Lets see what marvelous things that the space program has done for us. All of you idiots that think that we have not had things come from it, think about this.
The computer you are on. Wow NASA helped devoloped computers for the programs. Remember the Shuttle and the all of the Apollo moon programs and satelites before the computer were built by using slide rule. So was how the computer was built. The communications you use to talk to your friends and co-workers using wireless headphone w/mic hmmmmm Plantronics devoloped for the programs for space.
The infra-red products out there. Wow another for the space program. And I have not even gotten to the Sponge mattress and velcro. Even though those were devoloped by the space programs. Nah there are not hundreds of thousand of things we use everyday that did not come from space programs. WRONG but close your eyes some more.
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MacR
March 28, 2007, 1:07 p.m.Now let's talk of new metals and medicines that has come from the space programs. Nah you think everything is discovered on this bright shiney blue rock. How slow witted some people are when it comes to the space programs.
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tjs177
March 28, 2007, 1:07 p.m.I think space exploration is a good idea. Although our planet doesn't have any current problems with population problems (besides china ha)or MAJOR resource problems (gas isn't out yet) it is still good to start the exploration of space for the benefit of the future. With the way they Earth is predicted to be in the next 100 years... well the future looks grim. As far as risking men's lives, astronauts know that they have one of the dangerous jobs on the planet before they begin any form of training. Stephen Hawking is right. Even if you do not like the idea, aren't you curious to find out what is out there. With infinite amounts of space there is bond to be something amazing that can change out lives as we know it, and im not talking about anal-probing aliens haha.
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Countryhick
March 28, 2007, 1:18 p.m.Could someone have been inspired to do or create all the wonderful things that all the MORONS think we needed the Space program for have been created with out it , YES .
Another ploy to glorify the spending of Trillions for a few examples of advancement .
Think Bill gates said I am going to create Microsoft so we can go to space NOT , MORON .
Makes me sick when someone that appears to be intelligent and spew such MORONIC gibberish as above , MacR .
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tjs177
March 28, 2007, 1:29 p.m.Yes someone else could have possibly have done. but would they have had the money or the time to? some of the things created by the space program require certain expensice equipment that a normal person could not get their hands on. Please try to reframe from calling someone a moron. no need for that. I admit that the money we have spent on NASA is a bit extreme think about all the time you have paid money for an overpriced item and average all those for your lifetime. although the comparison will be smaller. dont you think youve made a few mistakes with money as well? It's not jibberish if it's the truth, btw.
PS: Bill Gates' Microsoft has nothing to do with space. He created a software to make computer use easier.. the only relation is that the computer was developed by the space program.
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HMMace
March 28, 2007, 1:31 p.m.We should move--if just to get away from these crazy murdering muslims..I do hope our "smarties find a way soon..Then these murdering muslims ccan have this place..in the meanwhile, we must give our politicians--
"tasks' to do after being elected..so they do not just lay around and line thier pockets..If there are no tasks--we need no politicians..Noting to do--?? Lay them off..No work--no pay..
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DNCY
March 28, 2007, 3:03 p.m.Bottom line people is we as a species must get off this planet.
It is necessary to locate and exploite required resources to support our needs to do so.
Any other direction of thoughts on this topic is short sighted and just plain wrong.
Returns on investments in space program are soon to go to the private sector. Commerical space flights in two years for the wealthy. Everything starts out for the wealthy and works its way down.
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WCFIELDS
March 28, 2007, 4:27 p.m."Operating rooms have also used space technology to improve conditions for patients and staff. Insulated bed sheets are used to warm pre- and post-operational patients; Viagra, used to give astronauts something to play with while in Space, has found warm acceptence here on our posturepedic foam play stations."
I knew it!
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tjs177
March 28, 2007, 4:38 p.m.thanks dude. yeah its hard to predict the future. thats why i say in the next century haha. we never know how fast technology will grow. when we went to the moon our space technology was considered to be rapidly growing. although we do developed a lot of technology... to jump from satellites to landing on the moon is a big difference. i dont think its the fact that we cant go to mars... its just the fact that it would take a lot more time than it did to go to the moon. NASA could use some reorganization but i think that it will get its 'feet back on the ground' soon.
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MacR
March 28, 2007, 6:37 p.m.I can understand how some people think that NASA is a waste of money. We have allowed things to happen with that program that no other company would allow. The Shuttle comes to mind on that. Let's face it we wasted the knowledge we learned from the Apollo programs and built a Shuttle.
We put all that money into Sky Lab and let it fall to the earth. It could have been the staging platform for the International Space Station. Hind-sight is always 20/20. We are still putting money into the Shuttle and not coming out with anything new for at least another 10 years.
Ok so yes we have wasted money. But compared to what the U.S. has wasted money on in the last 40 years. It's still low in comparision. But country once you pull your head out from under your pillows and realize that there are great things in-store for us out in space will you understand, child.
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darkside2er
March 28, 2007, 6:50 p.m.The concept of NASA, and by extension, space research, as being a waste of money is something that is truly alien to me, and IMHO should be something alien to anyone with a modicum of sense to research a topic prior to discussing it. Robert.A.Heinlein summed up the benefits of NASA, and space research in a speech to congress decades ago (the exact reference escapes me at present, but I could dig it up if required). In said speech, Heinlein pointed out that he survived a near-fatal stroke at least partially due to the development of space based technologies. The Idea being that the funds diverted to research to aid astronauts to survive in space helped to create the machinery and equipment that monitored his body whilst he was recuperating from the stroke.
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darkside2er
March 28, 2007, 6:50 p.m.Add to this the concept that a single iron-based asteroid could contain more iron than the human race has EVER mined from earth, than almost any conceivable financial or time expenditure pursuing such endeavours becomes insignificant, as the rewards would be infinitely larger. We live in a society where instant reward and gratification are the norm. Historically, it has been the people that dared to dream, and dared to take the "long shot" risks that have provided the rewards. The historical trading routes between the far east and europe took months, if not years to navigate, yet netted massive rewards for those that were willing to take such a risk. development of space technologies is one such a risk. "Dare to Dream" I say, and take those risks, so that all humanity may one day reap the benefits
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Countryhick
March 28, 2007, 8:18 p.m.The Space Program came about (or Space Race) because Russia put up a Satellite before we did , and everyone got paranoid that the Russians were better than us (U.S.A.) at some thing , God forbid .
What I would like to know what is so wrong with Earth that we have to keep looking for something in Space ? Guess everyone is still paranoid of the Russians .
So what is the most life changing invention that came from the space program ? (Internet was not developed for the Space Program)(Shuttle computers are slower than a PDA device).
Then what is the most life changing invention that did not come from the space program ?
And remember one cost Trillions to develop and one Millions maybe .
Most of us grew up being taught Space Program , Good , Russians , Bad .
SO lets here it Smart Guys and Gals .
Can someone show me how to tie my shoe , oh I forgot NASA developed diapers that are good for 600 mile drives .
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MacR
March 28, 2007, 9:04 p.m.It is hard for someone like you to understand what space exploration would be. Imagine someone who has the vision of Galileo or Da Vinci and they are working on some project that NASA has going. Or do you think that people like them could sit still knowing that there is a vast canvas waiting for them to explore.
Would you have been that Queen that wanted to follow old doctrine when it came time to prove that the world was still flat? I bet you would. So crawl under your rock leave the exploring to the visionaries. Your kind is dwindling and I for one am glad. Cause it is people like you that has held the program back for so long. It is people like you that gripe when we could have had something to protect us or get us more mining grounds when we run out of things. Your the first ones to biotch but did not want to look ahead.
I am glad your kind is dwindling, this herd has gotten to thick headed.
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KrazyKapt
March 28, 2007, 9:06 p.m.Wrong again Hick the internet was a military developmet in conjuction nasa. We may never get the benifits of space i was reading in the detroit free press today that not enough areonatical eng. were coming out of school to replace the retiries. They whould rather studie the "cooler" programs comp.design. And the chinese and Indian workers are going back home because there econimes are booming. If we wait untill we need space then it will be to late.
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aceofspades1
March 29, 2007, 12:37 a.m.Wonder if countryhick has On Star or a GPS to find his/her way around that open country. GPS, satellite phones, dish tvs just couple of everyday things brought about by the space progam.
I think Countryhicks' Space Program is between the ears.
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