Space Race: Game ON!

SteveOBHave · 1 Sep 2006 at 09:56

http://content.techrepublic.com.com/2346-22_11-31109.html?tag=fdlead1

NASA tries to get the private section into the rocket-launching business by awarding a total of about $500 million to two companies to develop low-cost flights to the International Space Station.

SexyGreyFox · 1 Sep 2006 at 10:01

PsiFox · 1 Sep 2006 at 10:42

^ Where is the soup chicken?

KASM · 1 Sep 2006 at 12:04

PsiFox said:
^ Where is the soup chicken?

you mean Soup Dragon

Vulcan · 1 Sep 2006 at 12:19

Also: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,112123,00.html?ESRC=topstories.RSS

ScarySquirrel · 1 Sep 2006 at 12:46

LOL, low cost?

Check out the prices for these babies.

Phate · 1 Sep 2006 at 13:03

PsiFox said:
^ Where is the soup chicken?

Soup Dragon Foo'

Clangers pwn!!!!1!!eleven

SteveOBHave · 1 Sep 2006 at 13:14

ScarySquirrel said:
LOL, low cost?

Check out the prices for these babies.

Considering each shuttle launch costs around £300Mil... it's not too bad

Edit: other estimates put it at around 4-500Mil US$

Visage · 1 Sep 2006 at 13:17

SteveOBHave said:
Considering each shuttle launch costs around £300Mil... it's not too bad

Considering the same figure could provide a years treatment for a million AIDS sufferers in sub-sharan africa, I disagree.

da_mic_1530 · 1 Sep 2006 at 13:24

PsiFox said:
^ Where is the soup chicken?

lmao, you mean dragon

Inquisitor · 1 Sep 2006 at 13:29

Visage said:
Considering the same figure could provide a years treatment for a million AIDS sufferers in sub-sharan africa, I disagree.

The US already gives a huge amount of money to the third world. Do you suggest that every last US dollar go towards this cause? Utilitarianism at its best

Radiation · 1 Sep 2006 at 13:43

Visage said:
Considering the same figure could provide a years treatment for a million AIDS sufferers in sub-sharan africa, I disagree.

Come on you could say that sort of thing about countless stuff where an excessive amount of money is spent, at least here its worthwhile, we got to try and get out there properly at some point, i would agree that using rocket tech is quite outdate and expensive but what better do we have? possibly an antigravity type propulsion but thats still kept secret if true.

I would like to see a space race by companies for asteroids rich in resources and R&D in science and technology because if we don't soon we may not get another good chance in the future with the way the world seems to be heading.

PsiFox · 1 Sep 2006 at 13:59

KASM said:
you mean Soup Dragon

Getting old memory failing

Memphis · 1 Sep 2006 at 14:18

Visage said:
Considering the same figure could provide a years treatment for a million AIDS sufferers in sub-sharan africa, I disagree.

Do you have any other arguments? You said almost exactly the same thing in the Vulcan thread if I recall correctly.

I think I have about £2 in coppers lying around somewhere. I guess it's just reckless of me to ignore that money given it could be helping AIDS sufferers in Africa :rolleyes:

.

Ignore list, meet Visage, I'm sure you'll get on very well!

SteveOBHave · 1 Sep 2006 at 14:25

Visage said:
Considering the same figure could provide a years treatment for a million AIDS sufferers in sub-sharan africa, I disagree.

Meh - not that I don't think it is a worthy cause, but there is more to life than humanitarian concerns, and who's to say that something found or some technology developed in the process of the space race doesn't lean itself to helping cure aids or cancer.

There is the symptomatic solution and then there is treating the cause!

Anyways, please try to keep the thread relevant, if you want to talk about humanitarian concerns, start a new thread elsewhere.

Visage · 1 Sep 2006 at 14:28

Memphis said:
Ignore list, meet Visage, I'm sure you'll get on very well!

Im not sure whether my ego will ever get over the shame of being ignored by someone on the internet.

MoNkeE · 1 Sep 2006 at 14:33

Visage said:
Im not sure whether my ego will ever get over the shame of being ignored by someone on the internet.

Why so sarcasm? You seem to try so hard to get yourself on these lists...

-RaZ

Visage · 1 Sep 2006 at 14:36

MoNkeE said:
Why so sarcasm? You seem to try so hard to get yourself on these lists...

-RaZ

I wasnt being sarcastic.

Radiation · 1 Sep 2006 at 15:08

I wonder if humans could ever get to mars or elsewhere past the moon, i heard theres a belt/sphere of radiation around the earth that can't be passed without some danger, also heard other stories about this that seem even more strange, like the fact we simply can't survive outside the earths field for some reason.

Hamzter · 1 Sep 2006 at 16:21

Radiation said:
I wonder if humans could ever get to mars or elsewhere past the moon, i heard theres a belt/sphere of radiation around the earth that can't be passed without some danger, also heard other stories about this that seem even more strange, like the fact we simply can't survive outside the earths field for some reason.

The belt of radiation around earth is the Van Allen Belt, it's a huge belt that holds the earths atmosphere on, without it the atmosphere would slip down to the south pole, and the earth would be laughed at by all the other planets

Seriously tho, there's not much risk by the belt, you'd be travelling in a rocket that passes through the belts in no time, it's only a problem if you're sitting in it for hours or days without shielding. In deep space there's cosmic rays, a bit more of a problem but with sufficient shielding it shouldn't be too dangerous. I think there's research being done on magnetic shielding at the moment, where a magnetic field is used to deflect the particles, which would be much better than conventional shielding which is very heavy.