The opposite of September 11.

[Shaggybreeks]

I saw a movie the other day that I've seen twice before, and it still gives me chicken skin to watch it.

Apollo 13

It's about the "successful failure" of a planned lunar landing in 1970, when there was an explosion on the spacecraft, and the astronauts had to improvise repairs to survive, and fly "seat of the pants" to make it back to Earth.

I'm old enough to remember the lunar missions. I remember that one, when it was happening, and how sad and depressing it was to be thinking that "up there, somewhere" three astronauts were slowly dying. And then the relief we all felt when they safely returned.

I also remember the Apollo 8 flight which was intended only to orbit the Moon. It was around Christmas, and there it was on TV, "live from the Moon", pictures coming back... with an astronaut reading from a prayer book. It was so eery, somber, and humbling... Not the slightest sense of "Yee-haw!". But almost spooky.

And of course, when we finally did land on the Moon. Seems like everybody in the world celebrated (except probably the Soviet space program).

It was the direct opposite of the feeling of September 11, 2001.

Since the Apollo program and the first few shuttle missions, space exploration has been a series of "yet again for mankind" adventures. The unmanned missions of various purposes seem more interesting than the latest shuttle trip.

But that's understandable. The first lunar landing happened less than ten years after the first manned space flight of any kind! And how long have we been flying that shuttle, now? The point is, that the space race between the US and USSR was a real race. Every single mission accomplished something that had never been done before. There were no repeat performances. Every flight raised the bar. Each one had the world watching, each one was a first.

And then it climaxed with Apollo 11.

The effect of the space program was entirely positive to the human spirit. Even those who considered it not worth doing, a waste of money have to agree that it motivated people to think and do some really, really big things.

People sometimes say that the real value of space exploration is not in what we might find, per se, but that it excites our imagination, motivates us, gets us to ... "advance".

I don't disagree with that at all, but I wonder if there might be better goals to set. OK, we've been to the Moon. NOW, what can we accomplish?

The point is, I like challenges for mankind that do NOT involve some kind of war, you know? Something that we can just do, that doesn't involve killing some enemy, or fending off some disaster, or fixing some other disaster or something else that we screwed up.

Sure, problems need to be solved. I'd just like to see some kind of "problem" that isn't a problem. Something to motivate for, to capture our imagination, that is "all good".

And no, I don't mean like Mars, or another Moon landing... I think we've gotten used to space travel. Something...
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[GOOO KNIGHTS]

This is a really cool dissertation, great comparison between September 11.

I believe that space travel has lost its luster, so it's not worth continuing unless we set something concrete to move towards, and I believe that goal is probably establishing a space station on the moon or Mars, you know, bringing all those old SciFi flicks to life. Even a real plan to do that should breathe some much needed life back into the space program. Plus, it can prove extremely beneficial for the human race if executed correctly.

Maybe jetting out farther and trying to find intelligent life on another planet/solar system. It has to be out there somewhere, it's only rational. We've just got to try and find it, communicate with it, befriend it.

It doesn't really matter what it is, but I completely agree that it's about time that we need something in the vein of Apollo 11 to reawake the imaginations of us all.

Apollo 13 is a great movie by the way.

[pharmer4]

I think it is hard to come up with something as difficult to do, yet as visible to the masses.

Perhaps there is a lot of other science fiction stuff we can come up with, for instance living in habitats on the bottom of the ocean etc.

There is the oil exploration going on under the arctic circle, but that of couse is entirely too commercial etc.

I think something like Mars is about the best we can hope for, unless China starts a new race for the moon . . .
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[Rashy]

I think that China launching to the moon, while a big deal, wouldn't really have the same effect as before. I don't think it would start a new moon race. If anything, it will kick NASA into action to send a man to mars. I see mars as the next viable big step for space: we can barely keep a tiny space station in near orbit, it seems that an actual moon base, if even habitable by only half a dozen or so, is too far out at this point. Too much cost, too limited technology, etc.

Mars would also be difficult from the technical point of view... the craft would have to be big enough for all the air tanks and provisions, and that alone I think would make it too big to viably launch from Earth (i.e. we would have to build the components on earth and assemble in space I think). So either way until we make some good advances in technology I think pushing the boundaries in space will mean little more than sending off more unmanned probes.

Living on the ocean floor, that would be pretty interesting, and certainly much more viable I think. In fact, I think we are already taking steps in that direction: http://www.hydropolis.com/ It seems that several such resorts are on the drawing board, and one is opening/will open soon in Dubai.

Of course, there are a lot of problems that need to be solved. Obvious ones such as cancer, AIDS, poverty, etc. and then there are a lot of others that we are working on, such as fusion power, that would greatly help humanity (provided that it proves financially beneficial).
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Rashy!

[kenoodo]

We all have the dreams to discover the stars above, right? It means a lot when we can explore on the other planet.

I agree that we still have many problems on our earth, but it is also important for human beings to go up into the sky. Even those high technologies are always connected with military or national security affairs. And it is hard to tell what and how they are going to deal with so many information they got back.

Anyway, I hope that we are all trying to building our homeland better and more beautiful, not to destroy it or to hurt each other.