Space tourism...

[Gabriel]

Quick ponit NASA sucks!!
A large amount of called off launchers are not deleyed due to danger but to the bad weather will cause few people to come and watch the launch, which cost money.
They are on the other hand currently seeking and working on way to make cheaper launches which when successful will reduce the coast and allow more exporation and help in the long run.
NASA needes to open them selves up to paying space trips, it wouldn't cause problems as most missions are to just put up satiltes (If they not charging companies for these things they should) or fix things nowadays.
As for using the money to help other poorer nations, we already qive alot and it normal go to the rich or to buy the needed tools from us. To really help them we need to get in on the ground and build irgation systems that we know work or Hydropontic farms that grow all year round and quit just throwing money at it.

[Legolas]

I don't think the 'tourists' are making a choice between going into space and helping the poor, weak and underfed. It's between going into space and having an even large bank account.
If you could get millionairs to donate all their money to charity there wouldn't be anyone rich enough around, and so you'd have no issue. Whether or not they should be made to give up their (often hard earned) money or be able to spend it as they wish is a completely different issue than whether or not someone should be allowed to 'buy' a seat in a spaceship.
Which I think they shouldn't, if just for the fact that they go into space with almost no trainging at all, taking hte place of a man or woman who has trained for just such a trip for most of his/her life. On top of that you'll have problems such as the crew having a hand less in case of an emergency.

Sure, NASA could use money so I can see why they would allow it, but in my opinion they should at least postpone space tourism until they are done with the scientific research near Earth. Get a reusable ship before flying people up there, they can build machines to simulate zero G in the mean time and put those in the would-be tourists' backyards to keep them busy while other people go about doing their jobs.

[Dreamer128]

quote:

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Originally posted by Legolas:
I don't think the 'tourists' are making a choice between going into space and helping the poor, weak and underfed. It's between going into space and having an even large bank account.

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Hey, think of Bill Gates who has donated fortunes to various charity's(not that he can't miss it). I guess there are still a few good millionairs out there.
Personnaly, I think that the future of men lies in space. Its only a matter of centuries before we have cleaned up our own planet(or totally ruined it), moving into space will then be the next step.

[Legolas]

Oh, you are absolutely right there. I'm not saying that you can't have a heart just because you also have money.
I'd think that millionairs who are willing to spend such a sum on a trip into space would not be giving it away if they couldn't, even if they do donate anohter part of their fortune to charity.
Of course, you're never sure in a 'may do if' situation.

[Redblueflare]

quote:

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Originally posted by Link:
Space tourism will help us? I hope you understand what I mean with space tourism; people (read: millionairs) go into space by paying NASA a lot of money. That's what I'm talking about.. I really don't see anything positive about that.. sorry!

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I mean the very long run. Nasa simply doesn't have the money to send or even create a ship capable of long distance travel. (I'm talking like light years away.) Some people are sure there are other planets out there in space. There *might* be, but I'll believe it when I'll see it. Still i'd rather have the money go to starving people too, no risk. We'd know the money would be for a good cause.

[Azred]

I don't mind if those who are incredibly wealthy pay their way into space for a joy ride; were I able to afford the price I might do that myself. I do beleive that NASA is pursuing the wrong projects, though. Rather than searching for water on Mars (even if they find tons of water, what are they going to do about it? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] ) they should be trying to put a launch pad or rendezvous point on the Moon. The forseeable future of space exploration is inside the orbit of the Moon, not outside.

As far as seeing to the welfare of humanity, let us not give money to people who are hungry; rather, let us try to create more productive farms with which to feed more people.

[Morgan_Corbesant]

well, if i had the money, i would go. im not too bright, lets face it. i wont EVER make it into nasa, so i wont ever go into space. i WANT to go into space, just to do it. so, if i had the money, i would DEFINATELY go. as far as the humanitarian support in africa and asia......well, sally struthers has that down pat, and as far as im concerned, we as Americans spend WAY too much money helping out other countries in need. im sorry to sound like an asshole, but come on. America is at war with afghanistan (and rightly so), why the hell do we need to spend millions of OUR tax dollars, not only to bomb them, but to FEED them!? they dont even WANT it, the only reason they take it is because if they dont, they just wont eat. its that or starve. personnaly, i would drop nothing but pork based products to them, and make them eat that!!!! j/k

[Morgan_Corbesant]

oh, and i bring up afghanistan, only because it is a prime example. i meant no harm or offense to anyone here.