Why is SPACE so popular?

[Anonymous]

…a thread to counter the “Why is space so unpopular?” one…I can’t think of anything to write, but feel free to post…

[Bgrigg]

I’ll take the bait! (and that surprises whom?)

Space is the last great unknown. A new surprise behind every discovery. A new discovery every time we look. We (meaning humankind) have trod the four corners of the world. We’ve climbed the highest mountains and plumbed the lowest depths. We’ve trekked across the poles, swam the channel, hiked across Africa, and paddled the oceans.

Space gives us the opportunity to find new sources of power and ore with minimal impact on our fragile environment. It gives us the chance to push our technology past our current abilities and understanding. To discover new and improved ways to do things we didn’t even think were possible.

Space is… There! And we are not.

We are a species that wonders. We wonder what’s on the other side of the fence, town, prairie, mountain range and ocean. We wonder what’s out there in space. Are we the only ones? Are there more like us? Even more that aren’t?

Sure, we can use radio astronomy, and orbiting telescopes to learn more about what’s out there, but until we go there and touch it, we don’t truly understand it. We are questioning species, and there is no small coincidence that “question” and “questing” come from the same root word.

We need to go to space to learn the answers to the questions we have, and to find new questions we didn’t think to ask. We need to go to space because space will not come to us.

That’s why it’s so popular!

Besides (to paraphrase Janet Reno), what’s the point of all those tax dollars if you can’t use them? [:-,]

[RALPH_G_WILLIAMS]

Very informative post that gives us much to think about.

In regards to model building perhaps things go in cycles. I recall in late 1950 through 1960 my older brother was always going to the LHS to look for models of rockets and space craft to build. I would guess the space race with the USSR was the prime cause of this because it was a constant news item. At some point in our history , as Old Father Time marches on, space will increase in popularity as it becomes more important in the public eye.These reasons are listed in a previous post.

What will become of model building in the year 2050? Will WW2 models no longer be sold due to lack of interest and knowledge of the subject?

[redleg12]

Very informative post that gives us much to think about.

In regards to model building perhaps things go in cycles. I recall in late 1950 through 1960 my older brother was always going to the LHS to look for models of rockets and space craft to build. I would guess the space race with the USSR was the prime cause of this because it was a constant news item. At some point in our history , as Old Father Time marches on, space will increase in popularity as it becomes more important in the public eye.These reasons are listed in a previous post.

What will become of model building in the year 2050? Will WW2 models no longer be sold due to lack of interest and knowledge of the subject?

You are making me feel old. Then again I still have my slide ruler and know how to use it. The batteries never run out.

I guess we are like the “old soldiers” we will never die we will all just fade away.

Rounds Complete!

[PontiacRich]

As an answer to this thread I present the entire text of President John F. Kennedy’s speech of Sept. 12, 1962 at Rice University.

It is interesting to read this in 2007 and see just how much has changed in the geo-politics of the world, as well as technology, but how the concept of exploration is as salient today as it was in 1962. Who knows maybe President Kennedy’s speech writers borrowed some aspects of it from what Chritspher Columbus may have said [:D]!

Anyway here it is:

President Pitzer, Mr. Vice President, Governor, Congressman Thomas, Senator Wiley, and Congressman Miller, Mr. Webb, Mr. Bell, scientists, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen:

I appreciate your president having made me an honorary visiting professor, and I will assure you that my first lecture will be very brief.

I am delighted to be here and I’m particularly delighted to be here on this occasion.

We meet at a college noted for knowledge, in a city noted for progress, in a State noted for strength, and we stand in need of all all three, for we meet in an hour of change and challenge, in a decade of hope and fear, in an age of both knowledge and ignorance. The greater our knowledge increases, the greater our ignorance unfolds.

Despite the striking fact that most of the scientists that the world has ever known are alive and working today, despite the fact that this Nation¹s own scientific manpower is doubling every 12 years in a rate of growth more than three times that of our population as a whole, despite that, the vast stretches of the unknown and the unanswered and the unfinished still far outstrip our collective comprehension.

No man can fully grasp how far and how fast we have come, but condense, if you will, the 50,000 years of man¹s recorded history in a time span of but a half-century. Stated in these terms, we know very little about the first 40 years, except at the end of them advanced man had learned to use the skins of animals to cover them. Then about 10 years ago, under this standard, man emerged from his caves to construct other kinds of shelter. Only five years ago man learned to write and use a cart with wheels. Christianity began less than two years ago. The printing press came this year, and then less than two months ago, during this whole 50-year span of human history, the steam engine provided a new source of power.

Newton explored the meaning of gravity. Last month electric lights and telephones and automobiles and airplanes became available. Only last week did we develop penicillin and television and nuclear power, and now if America’s new spacecraft succeeds in reaching Venus, we will have literally reached the stars before midnight tonight.

This is a breathtaking pace, and such a pace cannot help but create new ills as it dispels old, new ignorance, new problems, new dangers. Surely the opening vistas of space promise high costs and hardships, as well as high reward.

So it is not surprising that some would have us stay where we are a little longer to rest, to wait. But this city of Houston, this State of Texas, this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward–and so will space.

William Bradford, speaking in 1630 of the founding of the Plymouth Bay Colony, said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage.

If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred. The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space.

Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolutions, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power, and this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. We mean to be a part of it–we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding.

Yet the vows of this Nation can only be fulfilled if we in this Nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first. In short, our leadership in science and in industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others, all require us to make this effort, to solve these mysteries, to solve them for the good of all men, and to become the world’s leading space-faring nation.

We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours.

There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency.

In the last 24 hours we have seen facilities now being created for the greatest and most complex exploration in man’s history. We have felt the ground shake and the air shattered by the testing of a Saturn C-1 booster rocket, many times as powerful as the Atlas which launched John Glenn, generating power equivalent to 10,000 automobiles with their accelerators on the floor. We have seen the site where the F-1 rocket engines, each one as powerful as all eight engines of the Saturn combined, will be clustered together to make the advanced Saturn missile, assembled in a new building to be built at Cape Canaveral as tall as a 48 story structure, as wide as a city block, and as long as two lengths of this field.

Within these last 19 months at least 45 satellites have circled the earth. Some 40 of them were “made in the United States of America” and they were far more sophisticated and supplied far more knowledge to the people of the world than those of the Soviet Union.

The Mariner spacecraft now on its way to Venus is the most intricate instrument in the history of space science. The accuracy of that shot is comparable to firing a missile from Cape Canaveral and dropping it in this stadium between the the 40-yard lines.

Transit satellites are helping our ships at sea to steer a safer course. Tiros satellites have given us unprecedented warnings of hurricanes and storms, and will do the same for forest fires and icebergs.

We have had our failures, but so have others, even if they do not admit them. And they may be less public.

To be sure, we are behind, and will be behind for some time in manned flight. But we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead.

The growth of our science and education will be enriched by new knowledge of our universe and environment, by new techniques of learning and mapping and observation, by new tools and computers for industry, medicine, the home as well as the school. Technical institutions, such as Rice, will reap the harvest of these gains.

And finally, the space effort itself, while still in its infancy, has already created a great number of new companies, and tens of thousands of new jobs. Space and related industries are generating new demands in investment and skilled personnel, and this city and this State, and this region, will share greatly in this growth. What was once the furthest outpost on the old frontier of the West will be the furthest outpost on the new frontier of science and space. Houston, your City of Houston, with its Manned Spacecraft Center, will become the heart of a large scientific and engineering community. During the next 5 years the National Aeronautics and Space Administration expects to double the number of scientists and engineers in this area, to increase its outlays for salaries and expenses to $60 million a year; to invest some $200 million in plant and laboratory facilities; and to direct or contract for new space efforts over $1 billion from this Center in this City.

To be sure, all this costs us all a good deal of money. This year¹s space budget is three times what it was in January 1961, and it is greater than the space budget of the previous eight years combined. That budget now stands at $5,400 million a year–a staggering sum, though somewhat less than we pay for cigarettes and cigars every year. Space expenditures will soon rise some more, from 40 cents per person per week to more than 50 cents a week for every man, woman and child in the United Stated, for we have given this program a high national priority–even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us.

But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, re-entering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun–almost as hot as it is here today–and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out–then we must be bold.

I’m the one who is doing all the work, so we just want you to stay cool for a minute. [laughter]

However, I think we’re going to do it, and I think that we must pay what needs to be paid. I don’t think we ought to waste any money, but I think we ought to do the job. And this will be done in the decade of the sixties. It may be done while some of you are still here at school at this college and university. It will be done during the term of office of some of the people who sit here on this platform. But it will be done. And it will be done before the end of this decade.

I am delighted that this university is playing a part in putting a man on the moon as part of a great national effort of the United States of America.

Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, “Because it is there.”

Well, space is there, and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God’s blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.

Thank you.

[spong]

Because SPACE is BIG really BIG you may think its a long way to the corner shops but that nothing compaired to SPACE…Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy

[Gerarddm]

…and another reason why JFk can be counted amongst the great presidents.

[DanCooper]

Well, my little country doesn’t have much when it comes to space, yes we have had two astronauts (Dirk Frimout and Frank Dewinne) and per head of our population we spent more money into space technology than any other European country, but we are small very small when it comes to space travelling.

However, we may finally have a “first timer” on something space-related. A popular Belgian radio station (Q-Music) has started some kind of raffle with the first price being… a trip to space, no less. Yup, not one of those would, could-be tickets that can be purchased for a couple of bucks, but a real suborbital trip (after a 4-day astronaut-course) in 2010. (the vallue of the trip is 75000 euro’s (which is about 100000 dollar))

So how is that for promoting space heh [:)]

[m60a3]

I haven’t the time, regrettably, to read everyones posts above. ( VERY limited computer access right now )

… to me Space should be a fun venture. Talk about scratchbuilding!!

I may yet try it someday.

60

[Hartmann352]

You are making me feel old. Then again I still have my slide ruler and know how to use it. The batteries never run out.

Ahh Redleg, eventually the “batteries” will run out, but using a slide ruler will not be a concern anymore. Let’s just hope the batteries don’t run out for a long time.

Dave

[redleg12]

You are making me feel old. Then again I still have my slide ruler and know how to use it. The batteries never run out.

Ahh Redleg, eventually the “batteries” will run out, but using a slide ruler will not be a concern anymore. Let’s just hope the batteries don’t run out for a long time.

Dave

Dave

Thanks. I’m hoping to be like that “old solider” and never die, just eventually “fade away”! I hope for both us that fade is a long way off. I have too many project on the shelf I have to work on yet!!

Rounds Complete!

[Hartmann352]

I’m only in my late 30’s [BH], but I to went on a stockpile mission last year, that tapered off this year,(ebay, brand new Hase JU-87D, $35 with shipping included, couldn’t pass it up). I have to stick around to build up all on the shelves, use up all the paint & wear out the compressor & airbrush. I just can’t bear the thought of my beloved wife selling it all at a rummage for [2c] on the $ if I depart before all work is complete.

I’d have to haunt her for the rest of her days.[:-^]

[Anonymous]

…why is space so popular? …well you can’t beat the combination of booze, women catfighting and getting drunk on your Govt-paid job while waiting around to be launched into orbit so you can then pseudo-write books, appear on morning shows and be a paid space consultant for the rest of your lives…what a gig !!!

[gulfstreamV]

…why is space so popular? …well you can’t beat the combination of booze, women catfighting and getting drunk on your Govt-paid job while waiting around to be launched into orbit so you can then pseudo-write books, appear on morning shows and be a paid space consultant for the rest of your lives…what a gig !!!

Still bagging on NASA… Different thread…same 'ol same 'ol. I hear NASU is doing some good things in the Ukraine. Why don’t you focus your wit on them.???[(-D][(-D]

[sb36]

Because I work in a 7’x7’ room and all the shelves are filled w/ unbuilt kits[:D] Any “SPACE” I can find is very popular indeed!

[Chuck_Fan]

There are a thousand reasons why space should be so popular. But appearently none of them are good enough to actually make space popular.

BTW, I don’t care for popularity and has made 5 space shuttle models in my time.

[HawkeyeHobbies]

Simple: There is a lot of it between a blondes ears, and who doesn’t like looking at a good looking blonde? [:-^]

[DrewH]

Simple: There is a lot of it between a blondes ears [:-^]

HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAA! I had to run from my wife after saying that out loud [B)] [(-D]

[JohnMcD348]

I’ll give a hand at it.

I can see how it is both UnPopular and Popular to many. In the hayday of the 50’s through the late 60’s, there was excitement and new challenges to overcome. I was born in 1970 and don’t remember the Apollo missions but I do recall SkyLab and the beginnings of the Shuttle Program. I also grew up and live about 80 miles from KSC. When ANYTHING goes up, I can walk out into my backyard and if the clouds aren’t obstructing, I can see the launch clearly. That is what has kept my interest in the Space Program alive all these years. Not many people are that lucky. It’s a simple blurb on the news. This week is a perfect example. STS-122 was suppose to go up this past Thursday. It was scrubbed. It may go up today(Sunday). It was originally postponed for 24hrs. I had my 4year old son there that day with special tickets to get the “Upclose” view of the launch. He was dissapointed but understood. The following evening, we caught a small infobit fromt eh local news stations(Orlando) that the launch would yet again be postponed until Saturday. My wife watched the news at 11pm that night as we had planned on returning to KSC Saturday for the launch. As I was driving home from work at 12am Saturday morning, I heard yet again that it was postponed until Sunday(Maybe). If the local news media doesn’t cover the happenings and it has become Passe, then there is nothing left to spark the interests and imaginations of those who follow.

Now, for those who still hold that keen interest as I do, Space has brought about 100’s of 1000’s of new innovations that we take for granted in our everyday lives. I don’t remember specifics but it is averaged that for every $1 spent on space exploration, it has given back over $100 in science and technology. Where else could you find an investment return like that. Look at how it has helped in the health industry. That pacemaker that keeps the heart going, the micro electronics involved in every day items we use and throw away. That is what amazes me every time I think about the space program and what it does for us.

[robspace54]

I was just less than three years old when Sputnik 1 and 2 were launched. I remember very clearly my Dad telling about Sputnik 2 and her canine passenger. “No son, the doggy can’t come back down as they have no way to bring her down.” I cried.

One month after I turned three Explorer I went into orbit. And the race was on. I am a child of the Space Age. It is because of space exploration that I became an engineer. And although I do not build launchers, spacecraft or planes, the machines that I help to design make the parts for those craft (as well as a whole lot of other stuff).

You will see many real space models on my shelves. You might say that I am fully infected by the bug!

Rob