Exploring Mars A Waste Of Money?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Waste of money reality check:

[Coito ergo sum]

All this rocket fuel is wrecking the climate. It is time to reduce utterly these futile foolish attempts at conquering the vastness of outerspace and stopart behaving like primitive apes.

What if it takes a thousand years to develop the first space elevator? You lack patience.

Space elevator is an awesome idea. It's doable now.

[Coito ergo sum]

Should space exploration continue when there are problems on earth?

An answer from NASA: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/08/wh ... space.html

Yes, because the solutions to our problems are to be found up there.

To forego human exploration of space is to condemn mankind.

[Coito ergo sum]

We can't waste money on a space elevator. We've got an oversized military to fund. And GE needs to get tax credits. Screw science/engineering.

Australia has an oversized military? Better do something about it, then.

[pErvinalia]

I do. Why do you assume I don't? Are you getting butthurt that I pick on America too?

[Coito ergo sum]

I do. Why do you assume I don't? Are you getting butthurt that I pick on America too?

No, I was just wondering where all the threads are that you've started about Australia. I'm interested in learning about it.

[pErvinalia]

Sure you are.

[cowiz]

We can't waste money on a space elevator. We've got an oversized military to fund. And GE needs to get tax credits. Screw science/engineering.

Australia has an oversized military? Better do something about it, then.

Not since Gallipoli

[Warren Dew]

Space elevator is an awesome idea. It's doable now.

It's an awesome idea, but no, it's not doable now. We're like an order of magnitude away on the strength of materials.

[JimC]

Space elevator is an awesome idea. It's doable now.

It's an awesome idea, but no, it's not doable now. We're like an order of magnitude away on the strength of materials.

I'm pretty sure Warren's right on this. But I agree it is awesome, and not impossible at some stage in the future.

[Coito ergo sum]

Sure you are.

I'm on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, waiting for all the threads critical of Australia...

[Svartalf]

Space elevator is an awesome idea. It's doable now.

It's an awesome idea, but no, it's not doable now. We're like an order of magnitude away on the strength of materials.

I'm pretty sure Warren's right on this. But I agree it is awesome, and not impossible at some stage in the future.

How will we know until we actually try? Sure, a failure would be a COLOSSAL waste of money, but at least we'd know that we need to work more on high tensile strength materials.

[Coito ergo sum]

Well, part of developing the project is advancing the materials. Folks working on the idea are pretty sure that strong enough materials are in our near future.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Well, part of developing the project is advancing the materials. Folks working on the idea are pretty sure that strong enough materials are in our near future.

Making super strong material for the elevator might translate into safer cars, or bridges that fall down less often or elevators that don't go into free fall. That's the great thing about research, you get surprised a lot.

[Warren Dew]

Space elevator is an awesome idea. It's doable now.

It's an awesome idea, but no, it's not doable now. We're like an order of magnitude away on the strength of materials.

I'm pretty sure Warren's right on this. But I agree it is awesome, and not impossible at some stage in the future.

How will we know until we actually try? Sure, a failure would be a COLOSSAL waste of money, but at least we'd know that we need to work more on high tensile strength materials.

For a while we were trying every year.

http://www.spaceelevatorgames.org/

Well, part of developing the project is advancing the materials. Folks working on the idea are pretty sure that strong enough materials are in our near future.

The people I know in the space elevator business think adequate materials are 20-40 years off. I think some groups are still working on the stuff, and good luck to them.