I'm not doubting the United States' current engineering superiority. What I'm doubting is the way things are being done.
I wouldn't call the ISS a success. Yes, it is a great achievement in manned spaceflights and perhaps it will some day be useful when it comes to planning manned flights to other worlds but so far very little has been achieved. And why use shuttles to build it when you could have used just a few Saturn V rockets to get all the modules and structures to space. The shuttle is great for transporting humans to orbit and back but it sure is not the best option with heavy payloads. Even though NASA has been set on a course the get the U.S back to Moon and even to Mars I still have my doubts. The ISS is costing the US billions of precious money and now you're basicly trying to get rid off it. And why would the US get rid off something that has real value? They probably wouldn't and that speaks for itself.
The US would be capable of manned flights to Moon and most likely to Mars too, but if it has no value in the political field (getting to Moon was ALL about beating the Soviet Union) the US goverment will most likely stop funding such a project. Though that's just a good thing, because most likely somebody will set his foot on the Moon in the next 20 years or so and the US sure would hate to see someone else doing it first.
And by the way, there are several countries with plans of getting their men to Moon. Russia, China, India and maybe even the Europeans. Russia and China clearly have the resources to do it if they choose to and who knows about the Indians.
NASA does rule the scientific field and does the best job in engineering spacecrafts for scientific purposes mostly because you got the bigger budget (but how long?). The Russians have always been superior to U.S when it comes to launching stuff into space and in my opinion they still are. And isn't that what really matters? But hey, maybe that's why the U.S is hurrying up the new Moon missions and replacing the shuttle with the good old rockets. Why on earth did you replace the Saturn family with the space shuttle? Would have it really been too expensive to have them working side by side, the shuttle for the manned missions (repairs, visits to space stations etc.) and Saturn for the bigger payloads. Now that's where the U.S system fails, everything has to be always done in such a high and mighty manner.
Google is really trying to take over the world and the way they're conquering different internet services is just frightening. I wouldn't be surprised if they would announce a new googlebay (or whatever) online marketplace in the next few years. They are tightening their grip and it's strong! Could they really kill'em all and succeed in taking over the internet?
You're right. But if Google won't do it, I believe Microsoft eventually will. They have the money, resources and willpower needed. At least Steve Ballmer has been very eager to destroy Google.
It seems that they have finally realized that there is dry land outside the US, but why can't they just bust out a real working worldwide map? The demand is there, the technology should be no problem, so what's taking so damn long? I've been waiting for a decent worldwide internet mapservice for the last couple of years. Come on guys, it shouldn't be that hard!
The ISS is just a big waste of money. First of all they don't seem to be capable of making any good use of it. Besides the whole architecture and design seems pretty flawed. The ISS is an international waste of money, that's what it is. If Bush plans to go to Moon and Mars, I recommend to get to it right away and forget the useless piece of junk in the orbit. Nice place for tourist but not very valuable for anyone else, the amount of science commited on that station could have easily been done some other way. They're throwing away all the good stuff but keeping the trash funded. STUPID! If you have to have a spacestation then it would be real nice if you had the guts to make the most of it.
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I love it how Dorminey IS CONSTANTLY YELLING HIS QUESTIONS AT BERNSTEIN. Oh good God I can't even get this post past Slashdots caps filters!
I assume '100 Year Vision of Greatness' will be followed by '1000 Year Vision of Nuclear Winter'.
I'm not doubting the United States' current engineering superiority. What I'm doubting is the way things are being done. I wouldn't call the ISS a success. Yes, it is a great achievement in manned spaceflights and perhaps it will some day be useful when it comes to planning manned flights to other worlds but so far very little has been achieved. And why use shuttles to build it when you could have used just a few Saturn V rockets to get all the modules and structures to space. The shuttle is great for transporting humans to orbit and back but it sure is not the best option with heavy payloads. Even though NASA has been set on a course the get the U.S back to Moon and even to Mars I still have my doubts. The ISS is costing the US billions of precious money and now you're basicly trying to get rid off it. And why would the US get rid off something that has real value? They probably wouldn't and that speaks for itself. The US would be capable of manned flights to Moon and most likely to Mars too, but if it has no value in the political field (getting to Moon was ALL about beating the Soviet Union) the US goverment will most likely stop funding such a project. Though that's just a good thing, because most likely somebody will set his foot on the Moon in the next 20 years or so and the US sure would hate to see someone else doing it first. And by the way, there are several countries with plans of getting their men to Moon. Russia, China, India and maybe even the Europeans. Russia and China clearly have the resources to do it if they choose to and who knows about the Indians.
NASA does rule the scientific field and does the best job in engineering spacecrafts for scientific purposes mostly because you got the bigger budget (but how long?). The Russians have always been superior to U.S when it comes to launching stuff into space and in my opinion they still are. And isn't that what really matters? But hey, maybe that's why the U.S is hurrying up the new Moon missions and replacing the shuttle with the good old rockets. Why on earth did you replace the Saturn family with the space shuttle? Would have it really been too expensive to have them working side by side, the shuttle for the manned missions (repairs, visits to space stations etc.) and Saturn for the bigger payloads. Now that's where the U.S system fails, everything has to be always done in such a high and mighty manner.
Google is really trying to take over the world and the way they're conquering different internet services is just frightening. I wouldn't be surprised if they would announce a new googlebay (or whatever) online marketplace in the next few years. They are tightening their grip and it's strong! Could they really kill'em all and succeed in taking over the internet?
You're right. But if Google won't do it, I believe Microsoft eventually will. They have the money, resources and willpower needed. At least Steve Ballmer has been very eager to destroy Google.
It seems that they have finally realized that there is dry land outside the US, but why can't they just bust out a real working worldwide map? The demand is there, the technology should be no problem, so what's taking so damn long? I've been waiting for a decent worldwide internet mapservice for the last couple of years. Come on guys, it shouldn't be that hard!
The ISS is just a big waste of money. First of all they don't seem to be capable of making any good use of it. Besides the whole architecture and design seems pretty flawed. The ISS is an international waste of money, that's what it is. If Bush plans to go to Moon and Mars, I recommend to get to it right away and forget the useless piece of junk in the orbit. Nice place for tourist but not very valuable for anyone else, the amount of science commited on that station could have easily been done some other way. They're throwing away all the good stuff but keeping the trash funded. STUPID! If you have to have a spacestation then it would be real nice if you had the guts to make the most of it.