On Aug 6, 11:45*am, "Val Kraut" wrote:
"Sure, it's worthwhile. *Unlike the untold trillions spent in the U.S.
on various forms of welfare that just results in more of them
breeding, needing more welfare, which cuts into productivity and other
programs. *However, they should NOT have wasted $150B on the space
station, it killed planetary exploration."

Given the complexity and timeline of space station activities it seems
really strange that even someone like me who is a fan of manned space can't
name one thing that's been done there that benefitted anybody. When there's
an argument about it's cost I usually post a request for one grand
accomplishment - we were promised many - other than the mythical super
salmonella strain that could be bred there (Is this a good idea? - read the
Andromeda Strain), I get zero answers. Lots of people think we have to keep
it going - What will we get back? - Again I've never heard anything except -
we're now at a point when paybacks will start. Really. NASA had requests out
for proposals for research on the ISS - so maybe they don't know either. I
can't help but think it will never be more that a Political Science
experiment gone wrong that's taken on a life if it's own. The shuttle was
supposed to make access to space cheap and rapid. I have a copy of a US
Senate letter that projected $10Million per launch, 2 week turnaround, 50
launches a year. OK that was 1980 dollars - but now we have 4 month plus
turn around, $650 Million per launch. (Just to put reality in that increase
consider a car that cost $5,000 in 1980 costing $325,000 now - it's not just
inflation) The shuttle was a bad path - the technology just wasn't ready and
the space station kept it alive. And is still keeping it alive. It's a shame
Apollo Applications was cancelled in favor of this route. If you dig out the
old plans you'll find - semi permanent lunarbases, Lunar reconnisance
orbiters, manned venus flybys, deeper space missions etc. All based on the
Saturn V and modified Apollo hardware like the Block 4 Command Module.
(Block 2 went to the moon).

Any society has choices - go forward or stagnate and collapse.
Recent US administrations have decided to stagnate and collapse.
(We are collapsing now - in case you haven't noticed)

Bush was just lying (as usual) when he nattered about some future
(always 'future') plans to go to Mars.
Obamba just flat out said 'We ain't goin' nowhere' when it was his
turn (the week after massive deposits of water were found on the
moon)!

Kennedy (the last 'good' president), sent the US to the moon 50 years
ago.
And the conniving, inept, little neocon puppet men who have followed
him have sent you and the country to 2nd rate status.