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Space Blog
LooseChanj writes "Ed Lu, a member of
the Expedition 7 crew of the ISS has been sending back some extremely
well written and interesting commentary
about his mission, and some of the things one has to deal with in
space. This is exactly the kind of stuff we need to see more of
out of NASA!"
It's nice to see that at $20,000/pound, we're sending gozilla toys into orbit. The true irony would be if he were doing it from the Japanese Experiment Module
To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.
--E.C. Stanton
To be sure: Since ed's logs appeared on spaceref , I've been looking out for each new installment, they are good, really. but... since the Colombia 'mishap' (what a stupid word, why don't they call a disaster a disaster, for that what is it, for NASA, at least) NASA seems to do everything to polish up their public image, in a way that's great, but they're sometimes too obvious, and start looking ridiculous. Nasa's newsletter used to be informative, but since Colombia it's just one 'come over to the party' rag; no hard info anymore, only things like kids at nasa, nasa ont tv blablabla. I'm afraid they actually pressed lu to publish these things, because he has a good pen. I can imagine those 2 guys have a hard time up there, and nasa nagging 'hey Lu, when's the next article coming down, you can sleep if you're back on earth! Ok a bit exaggerated, i guess, but still...
Sending a millionaire into space is IMO the most worthwhile thing the station is doing. The science is probably not worth what they're paying for it, but creating a market for space tourism will be one more source of funding for research that will lower launch costs and indirectly help science. ISS is there not for science but because it's *cool* to have a space station. While I agree it shouldn't have been built, tourism is a more honest use for it, and a good use in the long term I think.
Perhaps sending millionaires up has nothing to do with science - but if the funding cannot be found elsewhere (like the Russian taxpayer) why not let those self same millionaires foot at least part of the bill?
Good job Ed. He has little enough time up there maintaining that thing without having to worry about posting a blog for those of us destined to dig in the dirt our whole lives. I for one am glad he posted these, even if some are a bit bland technically for an engineer.
"Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect."- Steven Wright
Why? Should space be kept only for those of us who are physically perfect, have trained for years and years as pilots, and now as astronauts? Why shouldn't other people be allowed into space? Also, I'm sure Russia could use the money, and it's not exactly hurting anyone, is it? Space belongs to us all. It is for everyone to conquer, not just astronauts and experts. If rich people can go into space, soon the prices will go down, until more and more people can go into space. I think that is worth it.
-Dae
"Alle reden vom wetter. Wir nicht." - SDS Sozialistischer Deutscher Studentenbund.
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did you actually read any of his entries? how do you know they don't provide value if you didn't?
Given that I will probably never have the chance for long-term spaceflight in my physically capable lifetime, I would darn well like to know what it feels like to sit in a capsule, and what it's like to have a few million pounds of highly explosive stuff behind you blast you up at incredible speeds - the moments when the boosters are jettisoned, etc.
I'd like to know what it's like to fly through a space-station, and what particular difficulties are encountered during what's run of the mill on earth (eat, sleep, brush your teech, go to the restroom).
I'd like to know the views, the feelings, the daily life - because even if I cannot make it up there physically, for at least a short while my imagination can.
So, you think tax dollars are better spent to make some astronomers giddy about this nebula or that galaxy they can see? well, those nebulas and galaxies arn't going anywhere for the next few billion years. But there are people who might be interested in what space is like but won't ever have a chance to go up there. They won't last nearly that long.
What's wrong with providing a taste of space for everyone like that? do we not deserve some piece of the rewards for all these achievements in space? human experience should be shared by all, not just a few scientists, methinks.
My life in the land of the rising sun.
Lighter objects? In zero-G? I think he may mean objects with large surface areas compared to their mass,
Powered by onion juice.
The ISS is a symbol of humanities accomplishments. We do it because we can...when has the human race needed any other excuse?
Not only that, but the lessons we learn there (technical as well as psychological) are neccessary for what we need to do; making sure we don't have all our eggs in the same basket (just look at what hit our neighbouring planetoid a while back!).
As for your logic, it sucks; "Sending Millionaires up in space has nothing to do with science !!!! So the ISS is not about science."
WTF?.
Anyway, as others have already said, space tourism is (along with comsats) the only thing that brings commercial money into space development. Therefore, it's hugely important that it is encouraged. Not just for the resulting science which such an influx and cheapening of spaceflight brings, but also because it's fun.
-- Waht? Tehr's a preveiw buottn?