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alex_ant

macrumors 68020
Feb 5, 2002
2,473
0
All up in your bidness
Originally posted by lmalave


Hahahahaha! Dude he's 50 and you're 15. I remember when I was your age and was a smarmy know-it-all. Now at going on 30 I realize that I know nothing. And I'm sure skunk at 50 is looking down at my young ass and laughing...
Hmm... I remember being 15 and thinking I knew everything. Now, at 21, I realize I really do! :D
 

MacAztec

macrumors 68040
Oct 28, 2001
3,026
1
San Luis Obispo, CA
Originally posted by lmalave


Hahahahaha! Dude he's 50 and you're 15. I remember when I was your age and was a smarmy know-it-all. Now at going on 30 I realize that I know nothing. And I'm sure skunk at 50 is looking down at my young ass and laughing...

Why does he have to have stupid remarks like he is cool or something? I was just stating what I know/think and he (for some reason) thinks im trying to be highly intellectual. Whatever.
 

wdlove

macrumors P6
Oct 20, 2002
16,568
0
I think the United States or a US Corporation should revisit the moon. I believe they recently found hidden H20 that can be used for the astronauts & fuel, hydrogen. The corporations could use it for mining & a staging platform to visit other planets. The 1st I think would be Mars. If we don't return soon, China has it eye on the moon!

Shenzhou V to launch with a manned mission in the 2nd 1/2 of 2003!

Jiang Zemin “A pioneering spirit”
 

iconrad

macrumors member
Dec 8, 2002
56
0
Canonsburg, PA
Dark Side of the Moon

Originally posted by MacAztec
Why not have a telescope on the dark side of the moon? Like the hubble, only it is completely in no light ever. Why not? Is it more important to send John Glenn up there?

FYI The "dark" side of the moon isn't dark. It gets just as much sun as the side that we, earthlings, see on a day to day basis. I believe that the moon doesn't rotate like the earth, it simply "moves" around the the earth on a fixed orbit. So your telescope on the other side of the moon wouldn't work as well as you think. Because the moon is round, and your telescope is on the fare side of the moon there would have to have a second satellite on the left or right side of the moon, form the earths point of view, in order to receive the image. Plus what would happen if it wasn't right like the Hubble was when it was put up in space. For the first few months the Hubble was a really expensive piece of glass in space until NASA sent up a crew to polish the mirror, something like a few millimeters... not certain on the actual screw up. So in order to to fix a problem or to ship it to the other side of the moon wouldn't be cost effective.
 

skunk

macrumors G4
Jun 29, 2002
11,758
6,107
Republic of Ukistan
Re: Dark Side of the Moon

Originally posted by iconrad


FYI The "dark" side of the moon isn't dark. It gets just as much sun as the side that we, earthlings, see on a day to day basis.

Boy, will the Pink Floyd be disappointed! :)
 

Mr. Anderson

Moderator emeritus
Nov 1, 2001
22,568
6
VA
Ok, lets take this back on topic a bit.

I personally think its great that China will be the 3rd nation to get a human into space and although they are going to have to spend decades to try and catch up to the level of the Russians and US in terms of experience and technology, its good to have a little competition. I'd also like to see them visit the ISSS as soon as they are able - a continuation of a Cold War in space isn't something to feel warm and fuzzy about.

As for MacAztec - you should do some research at NASA - http://www.nasa.gov I had an opportunity to work for a summer - 3 months - at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, and I have to tell you we haven't lost sight getting back to the moon or other planets. Its just damn expensive to do anything at that large a scale. Hollywood and sciencefiction make it look easy, but its not.

As for the Shuttle crew standing by ready to go to the moon, it wasn't the shuttle - it was another Apollo mission, actually 3 more, all cancelled due to lack of money and overall interest. Going to the moon had become too routine to justify the expense. Check the link - http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo_18_20.html

And just so you know, building an Apollo rocket is one thing, its the support of the launch and the mission that rack up the big bucks. All those people on the payroll....

As for a Lunar Telescope - there is another approach being made - the NGST
http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/ - this is the Next Generation Space Telescope that will replace the Hubble. There won't be any telescopes on the far side of the Moon (not the dark side) until we actually get cheaper and simpler form of Earth to orbit vehicle. That will allow us to truly move into space, go to the moon and other planets without the epic proportions needed for an Apollo mission.

Again, try doing a little research and in your searches learn a little about delta v - not the rocket, but the energy requirements for getting off the planet.

Good luck,

D
 

MacAztec

macrumors 68040
Oct 28, 2001
3,026
1
San Luis Obispo, CA
Re: Dark Side of the Moon

Originally posted by iconrad


FYI The "dark" side of the moon isn't dark. It gets just as much sun as the side that we, earthlings, see on a day to day basis.

I dont think you're right about that. Im going to go do some research to prove you wrong.

Edit: Ok, we only SEE one side of the moon. It still gets light, but we never can see that side of the moon.
 

rice_web

macrumors 6502a
Oct 25, 2001
584
0
Minot, North Dakota
I'm very excited about this. I don't have many reasons because it's getting late, but could you imagine the potential for space flight fifty years from now? Heck, we could have a settlement on Mars with a few thousand inhabitants, we could have probes shipping out to Alpha Centauri, and a view of Planet X, I dare say. But, that's only possible if the interest is there, and China may just spur America's interest, and maybe Europe's. I hate to turn it into a race, but if that's what it takes, I'm all for it.

I just thought of something, actually. It was the U.S.'s planned missile defense system that triggered this, wasn't it? I've heard that Russia and Europe are trying to do the same.
 

kiwi_the_iwik

macrumors 65816
Oct 30, 2001
1,110
1
London, UK
Geez - skunk's in a filthy mood...

So skunk - this is for you:

Velcro was just an example. There are many benefits that came from the Space Race. For example, one that instantly springs to mind - just take a bit of time to stop and think about that fantastic piece of electronic hardware sitting on your desk in front of you, giving you the ability to thrust your (dare I say - angry?!?) opinions on your unsuspecting colleagues...

...your computer.

Without the aid of computers, we never would have left the gravitational pull of the Earth, and managed to navagate our way to the Moon. It was from those early days, where computational power could now be measured in comparison with the modern-day pocket calculator, that the personal computer came into being.

So don't get all "shirty" when you know you're wrong. Just be big about it and move on - life's too short to have an attitude.
 

skunk

macrumors G4
Jun 29, 2002
11,758
6,107
Republic of Ukistan
Originally posted by kiwi_the_iwik
Geez - skunk's in a filthy mood...
:) :)
Do I LOOK like I'm in a filthy mood?

My (original) point (seems like years ago) was simply that since that great achievement in 1969, the payback has been less than spectacular. A number of things have progressed faster (like computers) but the great advances for humankind foreseen at the time just have not materialised. It was a hugely impressive effort, but it stalled without leading to much else. If it had been truly worthwhile except as a "victory" over the USSR, don't you think it would have gone further?
I don't want to appear mean-spirited, and in the future we may well see more benefit, but the vast cost of the space programme necessarily reduced the resources available elsewhere, just like a war. You don't find people claiming the war was useful because it accelerated aircraft development or radar. In the same way, I think it'll take more than US pride, Velcro and Teflon to justify the space race.
:) :) Happy Skunk :) :)
 

Mr. Anderson

Moderator emeritus
Nov 1, 2001
22,568
6
VA
Re: Re: Dark Side of the Moon

Originally posted by MacAztec


I dont think you're right about that. Im going to go do some research to prove you wrong.

Edit: Ok, we only SEE one side of the moon. It still gets light, but we never can see that side of the moon.

damn macaztec, this is the second time you've posted this in a thread - I thought we'd explained it enough before. Didn't I post a pic of the whole moon, near and far side?

But as for the telescopes on the 'far side' of the moon, the only real benefit would be for radio telescopes since there would be significantly less interference from the earth's transmissions. But inorder to get data back to the Earth, we'd have to set up a few satellites around the moon that could relay the signals.

D
 

GeneR

macrumors 6502a
Jan 2, 2003
708
0
The land of delusions, CA.
Hey but wasn't Armageddon really a documentary?

Sorry. Dumb humor, I know. But given the ideas swirling around here, I figured I'd lighten it up a bit (if possible). If China plans to go into outer space, cool. Maybe it will get the US to start focusing on an industry that can help bolster the economy.

Competitive incentives might help focus us beyond these terrorist issues that have been dotting our lives in the media. And, maybe we might be able to create an international arrangement where industries of many of the world can work together in an effort to finally move into space.

The International Space Station seems like such a great first step towards world peace. Maybe that's the next step for the US? Refocus?

If the next president of the US decides to focus on space instead of becoming a war president, will we be better off? I would like to think so.

;)
 

skunk

macrumors G4
Jun 29, 2002
11,758
6,107
Republic of Ukistan
Even though the space race has not been terribly productive so far, it's certainly a lot better than the arms race or the global extinction race which we seem to be engaged in.
 
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