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Space - The Final Frontier
05-22-2012, 08:29 PM
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#1
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: West of the Mississippi
Posts: 17,263
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Space - The Final Frontier
I guess I am just amazed at what is happening these days even if the Shuttle is no longer in operation. As I write this:
1. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is approaching the International Space Station.
2. A Rover are still operating on the surface of Mars.
3. A spacecraft is orbiting Mercury and sending back photos and other data.
and...
4. The fastest man-made object ever is on its way to Pluto.
Truly Amazing.
__________________
Comparison is the thief of joy
The worst decisions are usually made in times of anger and impatience.
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05-22-2012, 08:41 PM
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#2
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,241
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 Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuckanut
I guess I am just amazed at what is happening these days even if the Shuttle is no longer in operation. As I write this:
1. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is approaching the International Space Station.
2. A Rover are still operating on the surface of Mars.
3. A spacecraft is orbiting Mercury and sending back photos and other data.
and...
4. The fastest man-made object ever is on its way to Pluto.
Truly Amazing.
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I agree that it is fascinating... the one that amazes me the most is the Rover... something that was built for '90 days' sure has gone on a lot longer than planned....
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05-22-2012, 09:15 PM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,765
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I've already told DW that the only way I'm ever going back to work is if they ever get the asteroid mining program going (and assuming they will accept unqualified, overweight old guys). Mining Asteroids? Billionaires Aim To Make it a Reality | Sci-Tech Today
This interview ( What is an Astronaut's Life Worth?: An Interview with Robert Zubrin - Hit & Run : Reason.com) shows pretty clearly where I think NASA went wrong. There's no other aspect of working where that much money is spent to ensure safety. And I can guarantee that any astronaut would still go up even without all the excessive safety procedures. They're explorers, cowboys, adventurers. That's why admire them so much.
I've been waiting for this ever since I read The Man Who Sold the Moon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia back when I was 10 or so.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
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05-23-2012, 06:02 AM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 11,328
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Back in 1969 I figured we would have colonies on Mars by now. Now I never give much credence to future forecasts, especially those about dramatic life extension technologies right around the corner.
But cudos for Elon Musk, SpaceX seems to be the real deal and Tesla engines are being installed in Toyotas and Mercedes.
__________________
Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
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05-23-2012, 06:09 AM
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#5
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 225
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Proud
I agree that it is fascinating... the one that amazes me the most is the Rover... something that was built for '90 days' sure has gone on a lot longer than planned....
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Maybe this can be called over-engineering or overly pessimistic in projection? Gee, if we could achieve the same kind of outcome in our ER, it will be super!
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05-23-2012, 07:40 AM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuckanut
I guess I am just amazed at what is happening these days even if the Shuttle is no longer in operation. As I write this:
1. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is approaching the International Space Station.
2. A Rover are still operating on the surface of Mars.
3. A spacecraft is orbiting Mercury and sending back photos and other data.
and...
4. The fastest man-made object ever is on its way to Pluto.
Truly Amazing.
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Agreed. We really can't afford NASA at least in it's former mold anyway...
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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05-23-2012, 10:26 AM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 13,566
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Hey, y'all--you can always sign up for this, from the same folks that couldn't delivery 35 working mototaxis to us in Cuzco a few months ago! I'm sure they'll do a better job with a spaceship!
New Adventure: The Moon | The Adventurists
__________________
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching.”
Gerard Arthur Way
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05-23-2012, 10:50 AM
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#8
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,714
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarah in SC
Hey, y'all--you can always sign up for this, from the same folks that couldn't delivery 35 working mototaxis to us in Cuzco a few months ago! I'm sure they'll do a better job with a spaceship!
New Adventure: The Moon | The Adventurists |
Remind me never to ask you for a recommendation 
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05-23-2012, 11:38 AM
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#9
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 648
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I would love to see a Lunar base/colony before I die (not to actually visit, but just know humans are 'living there' in a rotation somewhat similar to what the space station does now)... at the rate NASA has been promising and then dropping programs such as these I'm not holding my breath that it'll happen in the next 40-70 years.
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05-23-2012, 11:46 AM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 13,566
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But once you get a new life insurance policy, maybe your wife will ask for some suggestions! 
__________________
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching.”
Gerard Arthur Way
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05-23-2012, 11:58 AM
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#11
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,714
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Sorry, no insurance. One of my guiding principles is always make sure to be worth more alive than dead. It's one of the reasons I stopped working.
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05-23-2012, 01:12 PM
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#12
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,241
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How does not working make you worth more alive than dead 
In my thinking, you are now an expense with no income..... and the pot of money can go a lot farther with one than with two... 
SOOO, you have to be bringing more to the table than just 'not working' to be worth more alive than dead.... just saying.... 
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05-23-2012, 02:18 PM
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#13
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuckanut
I guess I am just amazed at what is happening these days even if the Shuttle is no longer in operation. As I write this:
1. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is approaching the International Space Station.
2. A Rover are still operating on the surface of Mars.
3. A spacecraft is orbiting Mercury and sending back photos and other data.
and...
4. The fastest man-made object ever is on its way to Pluto.
Truly Amazing.
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5. An SUV size Rover landing on Mars in August.
Mars Science Laboratory: Rover
__________________
“I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said” Alan Greenspan
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05-23-2012, 02:53 PM
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#14
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,733
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuckanut
I guess I am just amazed at what is happening these days even if the Shuttle is no longer in operation. As I write this:
1. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is approaching the International Space Station.
2. A Rover are still operating on the surface of Mars.
3. A spacecraft is orbiting Mercury and sending back photos and other data.
and...
4. The fastest man-made object ever is on its way to Pluto.
Truly Amazing.
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I have been following the adventures of Iron Men er Elon Musk with great interest. I had no idea that Mars Rover was still operating that is very cool.
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05-23-2012, 03:01 PM
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#15
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: San Carlos, CA
Posts: 639
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And, Voyagers 1 and 2, launched in 1977, are still fully functional and in regular communication with us. Distances from Earth are 11+ billion miles for Voyager 1 and 9+ billion miles for Voyager 2. It takes over 33 hours for a command to be sent by radio, and the response received.
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05-23-2012, 03:01 PM
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#16
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: GTA
Posts: 1,728
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By coincidence, I saw my first Tesla in the "wild" on the weekend (not a common thing in Canada). It is a stunning little mobile.
I think I'm joining the Elon Musk FanBoy club. Is there anything this guy can't do ?
With all due respect to Steve Jobs, Elon seems like the real visionary genius and they should soon be erecting statues to this guy in California.
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05-23-2012, 03:56 PM
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#17
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Koogie
By coincidence, I saw my first Tesla in the "wild" on the weekend (not a common thing in Canada). It is a stunning little mobile.
I think I'm joining the Elon Musk FanBoy club. Is there anything this guy can't do ?
With all due respect to Steve Jobs, Elon seems like the real visionary genius and they should soon be erecting statues to this guy in California.
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Well, with all due respect, (I'm a fan of SpaceX) Steve Jobs did it without government subsidy's.
__________________
“I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said” Alan Greenspan
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05-23-2012, 04:31 PM
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#18
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: GTA
Posts: 1,728
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Bikerdude
Well, with all due respect, (I'm a fan of SpaceX) Steve Jobs did it without government subsidy's.
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I'm not reflecting on how it was paid for. I'm just agreeing with the OP. Some amazing things going on right now and Elon is behind one of the most monumental new developments in recent memory in space travel.
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Family Motto: "Every penny's a prisoner"
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05-23-2012, 05:36 PM
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#19
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,901
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__________________
“I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said” Alan Greenspan
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05-23-2012, 05:57 PM
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#20
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,765
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Quote:
No, but to take your analogy further, people did have music players and telephones back in those days too. Personally, I'm not convinced the Apple stuff has improved life that much. They've certainly increased the distraction factor in the world. Although I'm glad to have made a lot of money on the stock.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
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