[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by frayedends

The moon doesn't have a system, built by aliens, ready to be activated, which will instantly provide an atmosphere, like Mars does. Come on, man! These are easy questions.

Actually they did but built it on the other side of the moon to keep it hidden

[JerryLBell]

I have been a space exploration and science fiction buff since I was a wee lad. I am SO disappointed in the future we have come to. Where are my space plane rides to huge, rotating-wheel space stations, my weekend jaunts to cities on the Moon, my science outposts on Mars, my manned exploration of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn and more? Heck, where are my flying cars? Not only has 2001: A Space Odyssey let me down but even The Jetsons let me down.

Since folks largely turned their back on travel to the Moon after the Apollo missions, I have felt that the only thing keeping us back was our will to go. Our technology was there, or nearly there, to do all those thingsI mentioned earlier. Everything I read from other space enthusiasts only convinced me further.

But then I started reading A City On Mars by Kelly & Zach Weinersmith. Wowsers. These folks are space enthusiasts like I am but have an understanding of the actual science that is far greater than mine and they have looked at things not with the dewy-eyed enthusiasm of fans like me but with hard-nosed pragmatism and objective reality. Not only am I no longer convinced that we are capable of all of those fanciful things I mention above with technologies, I am also not entirely convinced that we will ever have the technology to do so. That is really depressing for me.

That said, I'm still a space exploration and science fiction buff and hope we will continue with our near-earth manned missions for the great science they do, the inspiration they provide and the shining example of international cooperation they provide. And I'm still gonna read my sci-fi!

[djlnc]

Read Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. Great sci-fi book!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by JerryLBell

I have been a space exploration and science fiction buff since I was a wee lad. I am SO disappointed in the future we have come to. Where are my space plane rides to huge, rotating-wheel space stations, my weekend jaunts to cities on the Moon, my science outposts on Mars, my manned exploration of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn and more? Heck, where are my flying cars? Not only has 2001: A Space Odyssey let me down but even The Jetsons let me down.

Since folks largely turned their back on travel to the Moon after the Apollo missions, I have felt that the only thing keeping us back was our will to go. Our technology was there, or nearly there, to do all those thingsI mentioned earlier. Everything I read from other space enthusiasts only convinced me further.

But then I started reading A City On Mars by Kelly & Zach Weinersmith. Wowsers. These folks are space enthusiasts like I am but have an understanding of the actual science that is far greater than mine and they have looked at things not with the dewy-eyed enthusiasm of fans like me but with hard-nosed pragmatism and objective reality. Not only am I no longer convinced that we are capable of all of those fanciful things I mention above with technologies, I am also not entirely convinced that we will ever have the technology to do so. That is really depressing for me.

That said, I'm still a space exploration and science fiction buff and hope we will continue with our near-earth manned missions for the great science they do, the inspiration they provide and the shining example of international cooperation they provide. And I'm still gonna read my sci-fi!

I always enjoy sci / fi movies like "Dune part one" with its high tech scenes. Movies like that are good for the imagination. I prefer to see the movies BEFORE reading the book (probably the opposite of most people). That is what I did with "The Expanse", which I liked very much. In reality, I never expected to see colonies of people on the moon or Mars in my lifetime. But, there has been plenty of scientific change.

[fdpaq0580]

Should earthlings travel to other worlds? Of course!
It is who we are. It's what we do. Explore!.

[Hape2Bhr]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

What/where are Euro Asian countries?

Russia is in Europe and Asia. China is in Asia. This was taught in elementary school not long ago.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by JerryLBell

I have been a space exploration and science fiction buff since I was a wee lad. I am SO disappointed in the future we have come to. Where are my space plane rides to huge, rotating-wheel space stations, my weekend jaunts to cities on the Moon, my science outposts on Mars, my manned exploration of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn and more? Heck, where are my flying cars? Not only has 2001: A Space Odyssey let me down but even The Jetsons let me down.

Since folks largely turned their back on travel to the Moon after the Apollo missions, I have felt that the only thing keeping us back was our will to go. Our technology was there, or nearly there, to do all those thingsI mentioned earlier. Everything I read from other space enthusiasts only convinced me further.

But then I started reading A City On Mars by Kelly & Zach Weinersmith. Wowsers. These folks are space enthusiasts like I am but have an understanding of the actual science that is far greater than mine and they have looked at things not with the dewy-eyed enthusiasm of fans like me but with hard-nosed pragmatism and objective reality. Not only am I no longer convinced that we are capable of all of those fanciful things I mention above with technologies, I am also not entirely convinced that we will ever have the technology to do so. That is really depressing for me.

That said, I'm still a space exploration and science fiction buff and hope we will continue with our near-earth manned missions for the great science they do, the inspiration they provide and the shining example of international cooperation they provide. And I'm still gonna read my sci-fi!

Think of how far technology has come in the past 100 years and I am confident we will be able to travel far into space.

However unless we are able to figure out warp speed engines we will be limited to just a few planets.

[MorTech]

What for? So you can live in a big metal dumpster?
Why not live in a big dumpster on the moon first?

And what about costs and upkeep? Physics sucks.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by MorTech

What for? So you can live in a big metal dumpster?
Why not live in a big dumpster on the moon first?

And what about costs and upkeep? Physics sucks.

Yes, but all those problems will be solved after the Vulcans make first contact

[Normal]

As a young adult I watched Space 1999, the Jetsons and Star Trek. They lied.

[LuvNH]

Originally Posted by Hape2Bhr

Russia is in Europe and Asia. China is in Asia. This was taught in elementary school not long ago.

You missed the point of TwoBills comment. There are no Euro Asian countries, there is only Europe and Asia. TwoBills is as British as it is possible to be, I imagine he was a might annoyed at the ignorance of the first statement.

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by Normal

As a young adult I watched Space 1999, the Jetsons and Star Trek. They lied.

All fiction is lies! Is that your kernel of truth?

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by MorTech

What for? So you can live in a big metal dumpster?
Why not live in a big dumpster on the moon first?

And what about costs and upkeep? Physics sucks.

Don't you mean, life sucks? After all, if you weren't alive, you wouldn't have any concerns about dumpsters, expenses, or physics.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Yes, but all those problems will be solved after the Vulcans make first contact

They were already here laughed at what they saw and left. Only the resident alien is still here.

[Normal]

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580

All fiction is lies! Is that your kernel of truth?

No, more or less the dreams of the past woven in with great literature such as Fahrenheit 451 etc. There is nothing wrong with dreams and hope though. Perhaps my grandchildren will have a much clearer view of space travel and Warp engines. I do know there are a couple of decent papers on compressing and expanding distances.