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The Top Three Reasons for Humans in Space
An anonymous reader writes "Why humans in space? The Space Review has the top three reasons: 3. To work. 2. To live. 1. To survive. 'To work' means doing stuff in space: research, explore, visit, etc. 'To live' means to have humans/life beyond Earth in colonies/settlements. 'To survive' means that putting humans/life beyond Earth is a very Good Thing in case a very Bad Thing happens to humans/life on Earth."
Who said anything about anti-gravity porn? If there's any zero-gee fun to be had, I'm going to be the one having it, not the one watching!
until you have to mow it
None of these are sufficient reasons, but what will actually drive exploration is power-- military power. That's what drives the satellite and Space Shuttle business today.
First we need to learn about how to maintain this planet, before we go spoiling others. Ecosystems need attention; we need serious birth control; a cure for malaria and AIDs; ways to feed the poor and educate them-- not more money for space exploration-- it helps none of these.
We need to fix how we relate to each other, then we can go and screw up the rest of the galaxy
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
Educate us all why we had to go to the moon in the 60s. Also let me know how it is that the rest of the planet that did not go to the moon continues to exist and thrive.
In particular the question boils down to whether the money spend on human space flight now would be better spent on general technological advancement and not wasted on giant solid rocket boosters.
Perhaps a better question is why not reduce the DOD budget by a few percent and do _both_?
And there's something to be said about learning by doing. We could sit here on earth till the sun goes nova (or whatever) telling ourselves that we're not quite ready yet, but after that _next_ technological advancement we'll start those space colonies going.
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