One small step...

Nightmare · Post by **Nightmare** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:43 pm

Forty years ago today, the first human stepped foot on the moon. Neil Armstrong uttered his famous line, and after only 8 years since the program started, the US successfully landed someone on the moon. After a few more missions, people and governments promptly lost interest and haven't gone back. There's not really any interested in space or related topics anymore, and missions generally only make the news when something goes wrong (as they will do with the old shuttles). [url="http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/668497"]This[/url] is a nice general article that details different opinions and events over the last forty years, and where we stand today.

There's a lot of discussions around returning to the moon (and farther space) with plenty of people for it and plenty against it and a ton of variable factors in between. [url="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31496353/ns/technology_and_science-space/"]This[/url] is an article that is again rather general, but also goes into some of the newer rocket technology and the general costs involved.

Since I'm a huge space nut, I thought I'd post a topic for discussion to see if anyone else is interested in this. Discuss whatever you want, and some on-topic spam isn't a problem.

Loki[D.d.G] · Post by **Loki[D.d.G]** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:10 pm

If we are to survive as a species, the answer is space. Simple as that. Thing is, i doubt that humans will have the tech necessary to make real headway in space explorations anytime soon.

As for landing on the moon, that was one big publicity stunt, imho.

Invisable Man · Post by **Invisable Man** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:02 am

Loki[D.d.G] wrote:If we are to survive as a species, the answer is space. Simple as that. Thing is, i doubt that humans will have the tech necessary to make real headway in space explorations anytime soon.

As for landing on the moon, that was one big publicity stunt, imho.

this i agree with this 100%

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 4:54 am

Loki[D.d.G] wrote:If we are to survive as a species, the answer is space. Simple as that. Thing is, i doubt that humans will have the tech necessary to make real headway in space explorations anytime soon.

As for landing on the moon, that was one big publicity stunt, imho.

Agree totally with the first part, but not with the second. The difference between then and now is that then the dreamers and folks with desire and ambition were in charge, since then the unimaginative, sterile, bean counting spin doctors have taken over. The writing was already on the wall though, Nixon had become president, a true sign of things to come.

Loki[D.d.G] · Post by **Loki[D.d.G]** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:38 am

galraen wrote:Agree totally with the first part, but not with the second.

I was only being partly serious in my second comment. But in hindsight, the US couldn't let the Russians claim the honor of putting both the first man into space and the first man on the moon, now could they?

Think of the humiliation that would have incurred!

jklinders · Post by **jklinders** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:13 am

The financial injury done to the Soviets during the space race was icing on the cake. Got there first and darn near put them in the poor house at the same time.