Future of Space exploration?

[Third Opinion]

Are we hitting a phase when future space exploration will slow or even eventually stop altogether.

I mean how much has now been cancelled or due to be:

Space Shuttle last few flights, no replacement.
ESA space truck, unsure future unlikely to be funded further.
New moon landings cancelled
Manned Mars missions not till at least late 2030's but looks likely to be cancelled.
International Space station, likely to be unused by 2020. If it gets that far.

Is it me or are we just giving up now due to costs? I know it is ridiculously expensive but I feel very disappointed by the amount of exploration progress we are likely to see in the next 20-30 years.

 

[Jupiter]

It's a let down that NASA etc doesnt get more funding. I saw a graph somewhere stating how space research funding is about 1/10 of the military funding.

 

[Marine Iguana]

To busy killing each other to worry about going into space

 

[Squark]

Yea, they can't be bothered to keep paying for it

We're not going to progress without pushing the limits of our technology in those areas

 

[Andelusion]

There's too much to sort out on earth first, I don't think humanity is ready to explore deep space.

 

[sigma]

There's too much to sort out on earth first, I don't think humanity is ready to explore deep space.

Of course it is, there will always be too much to sort on Earth.

 

[meghatronic]

It's a let down that NASA etc doesnt get more funding. I saw a graph somewhere stating how space research funding is about 1/10 of the military funding.

 

[OriginalJonty]

It won't become a priority until resources start to become scarce.

 

[sigma]

It won't become a priority until resources start to become scarce.

Surely it's best to try to explore when resources are not scarce? That means it's not too big a deal if we use however many litres of fuel for launches etc.

 

[OriginalJonty]

Surely it's best to try to explore when resources are not scarce? That means it's not too big a deal if we use however many litres of fuel for launches etc.

That would be best but generally we're a pretty short sighted bunch.

 

[sigma]

Depressing thread is depressing. Surely someone must have some good news about the situation?



Perhaps CERN will discover something great that will allow us to advance millions of years within a short period?

 

[Hastarius]

I agree with Stephen Hawking with regards to this. It is precisely because of the problems on Earth that we should start to expand towards the stars as soon as possible.

The dangers of the entire human species being localized on a single planet is pretty detrimental to our long term survival. Not to mention the problems of overpopulation and resource depletion.

Overpopulation of the human race is definitely the problem but without sufficient funding towards space exploration we cannot go very far.

We can view further into space then our technology will allow us to travel at the time. Like people have said, there are costly matters which are unavoidable down here on Earth. The longer we leave it the less chance we have of expanding into our exploration of the universe and eventually our resources will deplete far enough that it will be hopeless.

I'll be far dead before anyhow but I'm sure everyone would want to be paid a lot to have to travel to a new planet and build a civilisation again

EDIT - Ooooo many replies whilst I thought about what I was typing, makes me look like I just copy pasted and reformatted their words >.<

 

[Greenlizard0]

I think the problem as already mentioned is travelling the distances, and the cost of escaping earth's mavity.

Within our own reach is pretty much rock, dust, gas a wide variety of temperatures.

 

[Demoniser]

I think it's a crying shame that there isn't more funding given to or focus on space exploration. Yes the earth and it's population has it's problems, but why should the rest suffer because (insert random group/country) wants to cause problems for the rest of the world.

All i'm saying is, surely it's feasible to work towards solving the earths social, political and cultural problems while trying to push into space.

I wonder if there will be a significant scientific/technological breakthrough or a radical poltical/cultural change in the near future. A Second Renaissance if you will (no not the one from the Animatrix please ). Something that changes the outlook on stuff like this for the better anyway.

 

[scorza]

Space exploration will continue, in fact I'd go as far as to say we will explore more of space in the next 50 years than we did in the last 50. Manned space exploration however will decline, as well it should do since it represents extremely poor value for money and is something of a vanity project. In pure scientific terms many more benefits will be gained from unmanned projects.

 

[Cosimo]

You might want to watch this:

​

and look at this:

http://www.nasa.gov/news/budget/index.html

 

[sigma]

^ Bit less depressing.

 

[teaboy5]

To be honest i see it as a waste of time.

We need to stop spending money on looking at some planet that is 70 million light years away and starting spending it on sorting some of the energy problems on earth.