Will we ever go back to the Moon?

[Sukerkin]

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/asteroid20100907.html

More reasons to reach for beyond the skies. Altho' we are starting to get a handle on just how many bowling balls we're splaying skittles for, one thing that is especially chilling is those searching and tracking freely admit that, even if we track every object, there is still a good chance that something will come out of the blindspot caused by the sun with it's orbit changed just enough to smack it into us with almost no warning.

We desperately need a colony - 1000 people 'elsewhere' than on Earth would be 'all' the insurance policy we need. 500 people would do as a last ditch redoubt altho' there are more long-term problems gentically (if what I recall from my 1970's biology still holds true ).

 

[cdunn]

The important point is that if we do not develop and expand our space-faring capability then we are going to die as a species. It's not a theoretical "If" it is a statistical "When".

That astral media whore, Apophis, is probably going to miss us this time around, altho it will pass within the orbital radius of the moon (if I recall correctly). Next time, after 2036, who knows where orbital perturbation is going to send it?

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/oct/HQ_09-232_Apophis_Update.html

That much is agreed. I just don't think that our current societies are fit for the effort, or for that matter, even willing to make the attempt.

 

[72ronin]

(if what I recall from my 1970's biology still holds true ).

Haha i like that, subtle but thought provoking..
Apparently JPL is working hard on Ion engine etc from parusing through the link you provided.
Also alarming is observation from earth(Hawaii etc) can be not entirely accurate. As when probes do fly byes and get close ups asteroids/comets can end up being larger than first estimated etc.
Also trajectory estimation has to take into consideration more than orbital pulls etc
YOIKES..
At this point, it looks like continuation of species efforts are to dig holes in the ground! kind of like an osterich lol..

 

[Sukerkin]

Aye, I have to concur that that is a profoundly depressing but nontheless realistic observation .

So to lift our spirits and our eyes a little, here is a photo slideshow on the BBC of the beauty that is up there above our heads:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14792580

 

[cdunn]

By refusing to give NASA the cash-on-hand required to actually get work done, the US Congress has delayed the James Webb Space Telescope by 3 years and added $1.7 billion dollars to the price tag. The "West" does not want to do space. If mankind ever reaches to the stars, he may have Han ideographs painted on the side of his ship, but we'll probably manage to take them down with us.

 

[72ronin]

Why, though?
Were already Researching GeoEngineering.
Weve nothing to Worry about until the Sun decides to Inevitably Explode.

GeoEngineering?

 

[72ronin]

Actualy, in the process of sussing out geoengineering, i came across haarp and all sorts of stuff.
That was interesting.

Ended up concentrating on the magnetic field. "South Atlantic Anomaly".. Apparently theres a weak spot there which continues to weaken, and lots of fluctuations going on all over the place. Hubble apparently gets switched off over this part of the world during orbit to avoid damage from charged particles!
Magnetic pole shift is evidenced to have happened many times in earths history, nothing alarming about that in itself, it will happen again too but no dought is a looong way off.
What is alarming is the weakening in the south atlantic region is continuing, and an estimation is that the whole southern hemisphere could also be weakened within say 200 yrs.

 

[Sukerkin]

The nasty part for us, as the magnetic polar inversion gets under way, is that our 'shield' gets very weak during the process. We're going to have to get pretty vigilant about taking care of ourselves when outside and minimising exposure.

 

[72ronin]

http://youtu.be/sq3AKiXZJ-M

Just found this.
Has the funds for this completely ceased? Surely after the years of dedication/sacrifice etc this is still a priority!

 

[Sukerkin]

Never underestimate the stupidity and short-sightedness of those in government, I am sad to say, Ronin. They are quite capable of throwing away a reservoir of knowledge and experience without any thought about how to get it back once you've lost it.