posted 04-09-2007 03:24 PM               

I just wonder if this "space tourism" is not a setback for the real space exploration. I guess we cS' want to see some results when it comes to space exploration and I would love to live to see another moon landing.

But ya it's $20 million and that's money for the agency.

I can't wait to see Paris Hilton or Britney Spears going to the ISS, cause they have the $$$...

It seems that NASA relies on the Russians, to keep their space program running for now.

In the 1960' and 1970' the Apollo's were lined up for moon landings one after another, It only took a few months to launch the next Apollo to the moon! Even Apollo 13 disaster did not hold up the space program!

Now after a shuttle disaster it takes years before NASA is back on track. Even the 'next' moonlanding seems to be postponed till 2015!

Are we not losing too much time going back and forth to the ISS ?

I watch NASA TV every day and it seems that a lot of time is wasted in the ISS.

Before we go back to the moon, the ISS will be already history, scrap.

Does it really take that long, after almost 30 years, running the Space Shuttle and doing experiments, to go to the moon or furture manned space exploration ?

I do not want to upset people here, the fact is, I'm getting older and I hope to see another man on the moon.

'Real' space exploration keeps me alive and going, but it seems to go the other way...

I should not be suprised if the soviets or China set a man on the moon before the USA.

O well, I guess I'm getting old, I better start doing my taxes now.

Just wonder what you guys think.

posted 04-12-2007 09:49 AM               

Such flights don't favor the development of "space tourism", certainly not for you and me. And private companies planning suborbital flights won't help either (achieving orbital velocity is different matter...). Besides, as Gherman Titov said, the few orbits are fun to watch but after a while, you get bored (from Colin Burgess & Francis French's Into That Silent Sea).

As to space exploration, well, in deep space, there's nothing to explore. Planets, moons, asteroids, yes, but then you don't need to send people to "explore" (and get hard science done)...

Sure, nice pictures would come from such manned exploration, especially if you haven't seen Apollo (like me). But that's dubious reason to invest so much to watch (again) what already exists on DVDs...

Just my opinion.

posted 04-12-2007 03:47 PM               

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Well, I think I would be not forthright if I did not say that it does present a little bit of a drawback. When you don't have a trained professional up here, there's a certain amount of care and feeding that goes into taking care of them.

However, on the upside, I wasn't a big believer or fan of the tourism business, at least on the International Space Station, but I have to say that Anousheh kind of turned me around on that. She was great while she was up here, not only in terms of being a crew member but her interaction through her website with the ground both during and especially after the mission were phenomenal advertisements for the good we are doing up here in human space flight.

So, I am a big believer now, and I think they are very useful asset for us.

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