Comments on: Save the space shuttle …

By: satan

satan — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:06:15 +0000

Space travel…I find it a funny subject because nobody is going to get anywhere near Mars (manned flights) for almost another 100 years. I mean look at the wasted money involved…1 BILLION for shuttle turn arounds never mind repair costs to a fleet of ancient vehicles that barely get out of the atmosphere as is. Apparently now they’re going to PAY the Russians for transport to the station when there’s no more shuttles,who forks the money out for that? Why go to another planet when you haven’t even finished ruining this one first? What does the government pay for the emissions output when they launch of the shuttles every time, not a dollar! Now that’s being eco-friendly,it’s time to come back to reality on THIS planet. For the money being spent on all these ’space’ programs there has been no equity and/or return on what is put in.Besides I won’t let you get farther than the body you call the moon,you’re just not smart enough to realize the planet is your base,it’s your lives,without it you don’t and/or won’t exist.

By: Joshua Kiser

Joshua Kiser — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:35:18 +0000

I think this is a great article, and personally I believe travel would be extremely possible. And in order to fix the debris problem…. We should look into something like positively charge hulls to repel debris. And find a way to make it continue to grow in charge i.e. strength with the kenetic movement energy of the ship.

By: Andromeda

Andromeda — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:51:39 +0000

Jox aside, this article should have explored using anti-matter fuel.

By: Andromeda

Andromeda — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:50:14 +0000

Actually why bother about a spaceship. I would fold the space plain and jump from one end to other, while sitting in my chair and an oxygen tank.

By: Andromeda

Andromeda — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:48:17 +0000

I would put an umbrella infront of the space ship – like a snow mover. There you go!

By: jessica

jessica — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:33:27 +0000

you need more info on speed of space shipa

By: Richard Griffiths

Richard Griffiths — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:37:51 +0000

Would it not be feasable for some kind of repellant field to gently shove approaching debris onto a path away from the ship or would that in turn give equal opposite force causing the ship to divert from its course? Even so this could be compensated for! I guess so anyway but I’m no physicist and this is pure speculation but at least the dream is still alive in me and hopefully many others which in turn increases the likelyhood of someone who actually knows what they are doing will show an interest too!

By: holoman

holoman — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:52:17 +0000

We could also just stay put and be hit by debris like the ISS.

There are methods and materials that will be discovered in the exploration of space that will
solve these and many others issues.

It seems to me even when man was sailing his puny sailing ships from Britain to the America’s or
the Spanish from central America that the perils of destruction and pirates (space debris) didn’t avert
their exploration and it wont stop interstellar space exploration either.

By the way, 1 g is not to protect the hull of the space craft but the safety of the humans inside, as the speed is continusly increased (32 ft/sec^2 or 9.8 m/sec^2) = 1g force of gravity on Earth.

It will be interesting to see out future ancestors living on Mars and mining the solar system and beyond.

By: madscientist

madscientist — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:47:51 +0000

The acceleration is only 1G which doesn’t put a lot of strain on the hull. So theoretically you could do it in a water balloon because of the low acceleration. The only thing you have to worry about is space debris. If u hit anything at relativistic speeds (close to lightspeed) you will probably be ripped to atoms by the kinetic energy released.

By: kur-zyr (I'm out of comments)

kur-zyr (I'm out of comments) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:17:38 +0000

what i don’t understand is how they expect the space shuttle to stay in one piece as they approach the speed of light (i just skimmed through this article btw, so i might’ve missed the crucial point explaining that)

jw though

By: holoman

holoman — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:21:18 +0000

I dont agree.

I figure the thousands of folks who have worked to build a reliable space vehicle will seriosly disagree. As well as the historical facts.

In point of fact, there is billions invested with talent that cannot be replaced.

I feel it is time for the space shuttle to earn back some of the $$$$$ invested. A brick oven is sufficient to do the job

if it can go near light speed.

I am also for progress but I am also against waste and disloyaty to the great people who spent their lives making the shuttle a success.

By: maudyfish

maudyfish — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 13:55:46 +0000

The space shuttle is an antiquated clay brick oven!! You yourself have great ideas for the future………
It amazes me that you of all people would hold back progress by suppressing new inventions and ideas
to make new and better shuttles!! Or is this a NASA advertisement?????????