Comments on: Why Go to the Moon? http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/ Melding fiction and science in life and on paper Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:36:35 +0000 http://www.today.com/version-2.3.1 By: Hava http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/#comment-2832 Hava Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:09:29 +0000 http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/#comment-2832 I am reading a book called "Bad Astronomy" right now (watch for the review of it later in the week on my site) and in it, he talks about how people think that the moon landing was faked. What idiots. Anyway, this book and of course your posts earlier this week have got me thinking about the moon and how difficult it really would be to put a permanent living station on the moon. I think we've all watched one too many sci-fi movies, and we have this idea in our head that space exploration is much easier (and we are much further advanced) than we really are. We watch people walk through stargates or get beamed around and we think, "Why aren't we doing this in real life?" It's like we've begun to actually believe all that Hollywood is telling us. :-o To want to go to Mars without first testing out our technology and ideas on the moon is nothing short of lunacy. Great post as usual Stephanie. Thanks. Havs I am reading a book called “Bad Astronomy” right now (watch for the review of it later in the week on my site) and in it, he talks about how people think that the moon landing was faked. What idiots.

Anyway, this book and of course your posts earlier this week have got me thinking about the moon and how difficult it really would be to put a permanent living station on the moon. I think we’ve all watched one too many sci-fi movies, and we have this idea in our head that space exploration is much easier (and we are much further advanced) than we really are. We watch people walk through stargates or get beamed around and we think, “Why aren’t we doing this in real life?” It’s like we’ve begun to actually believe all that Hollywood is telling us. :-o

To want to go to Mars without first testing out our technology and ideas on the moon is nothing short of lunacy.

Great post as usual Stephanie. Thanks.

Havs

]]> By: stephanieebarr http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/#comment-2829 stephanieebarr Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:35:49 +0000 http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/#comment-2829 I'm in agreement with both of you, shakespeare and oldwestmom. And I see some foreshadowing because I was going to talk about a moon colony this evening. I’m in agreement with both of you, shakespeare and oldwestmom.

And I see some foreshadowing because I was going to talk about a moon colony this evening.

]]> By: oldwestmom http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/#comment-2827 oldwestmom Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:28:25 +0000 http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/#comment-2827 I agree with all your logic behind the argument to return to the moon. I hope it happens in my lifetime. I think the real power in a return visit to the moon is the hope and inspiration it can instill in us. A project of that scope and scale could really unite us and encourage us to strive to be better and smarter. We NEED to look beyond our world here and up to the stars, and we NEED to maintain perspective about our significance in the universe. Think of what we could accomplish by uniting with our brethren in Russia, Europe, China and Japan. It was a very different world some 40 years ago when the space race was at it's height, when we were suspicious of the Soviets and her Communist allies, Japan was still reeling from World War II, and other nations like India weren't even in the technological picture yet. I can't think of anything we have more in common with all the people in the world than the moon. What would this mean to our children? I don't hear about as many kids wanting to be an astronaut when they grow up. How wonderful would that be to look up at the moon with our kids and actually be on the path to knowing that we'll be back and possibly colonizing it? I think that would be just about the coolest thing I've ever heard. I agree with all your logic behind the argument to return to the moon. I hope it happens in my lifetime.

I think the real power in a return visit to the moon is the hope and inspiration it can instill in us. A project of that scope and scale could really unite us and encourage us to strive to be better and smarter. We NEED to look beyond our world here and up to the stars, and we NEED to maintain perspective about our significance in the universe.

Think of what we could accomplish by uniting with our brethren in Russia, Europe, China and Japan. It was a very different world some 40 years ago when the space race was at it’s height, when we were suspicious of the Soviets and her Communist allies, Japan was still reeling from World War II, and other nations like India weren’t even in the technological picture yet. I can’t think of anything we have more in common with all the people in the world than the moon.

What would this mean to our children? I don’t hear about as many kids wanting to be an astronaut when they grow up. How wonderful would that be to look up at the moon with our kids and actually be on the path to knowing that we’ll be back and possibly colonizing it?

I think that would be just about the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.

]]> By: Shakespeare http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/#comment-2822 Shakespeare Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:11:34 +0000 http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/#comment-2822 I wish we would go to the moon again... if only because it's such a foreign world for us. Seeing old film of the lunar landing is still surreal to me, for it shows so much of what our world isn't. Sure, if Bear Grylls lands in Siberia, it's forbidding in its own right, but he can still make it out of there and find civilization. But out on the moon, well, we really need to have our ducks in a row. Besides, at what point do we realize that going a place one or two times doesn't constitute KNOWING it. I learn something new every time I shop downtown Monroe, and I know if I visit Spain--when I visit Spain--again, I'll learn more about it. The moon may hold more mystery for me than any other heavenly body. But just because I can see its craters from my telescope doesn't mean it doesn't deserve more. I wish we would go to the moon again… if only because it’s such a foreign world for us. Seeing old film of the lunar landing is still surreal to me, for it shows so much of what our world isn’t. Sure, if Bear Grylls lands in Siberia, it’s forbidding in its own right, but he can still make it out of there and find civilization. But out on the moon, well, we really need to have our ducks in a row.

Besides, at what point do we realize that going a place one or two times doesn’t constitute KNOWING it. I learn something new every time I shop downtown Monroe, and I know if I visit Spain–when I visit Spain–again, I’ll learn more about it.

The moon may hold more mystery for me than any other heavenly body. But just because I can see its craters from my telescope doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve more.

]]> By: 100indecisions http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/#comment-2819 100indecisions Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:38:16 +0000 http://rocketscientist.today.com/2009/03/23/why-go-to-the-moon/#comment-2819 I completely agree--both on returning to the moon first (really, go all the way to Mars without even trying the moon? That seems thoroughly counterproductive if you consider the differences in the time it takes to get there), and on the importance of space exploration in general. I've got a friend who didn't like the movie <i>Apollo 13</i> because "they didn't <i>have</i> to go into space and risk their lives, so why should we feel so caught up in the danger they've put themselves in?" which sort of made me lost for words. I completely agree–both on returning to the moon first (really, go all the way to Mars without even trying the moon? That seems thoroughly counterproductive if you consider the differences in the time it takes to get there), and on the importance of space exploration in general. I’ve got a friend who didn’t like the movie Apollo 13 because “they didn’t have to go into space and risk their lives, so why should we feel so caught up in the danger they’ve put themselves in?” which sort of made me lost for words.

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