May this never get old (Space X booster return)

[Techwright]

As one whose second retained memory is of the first moon landing,  I hate getting jaded about humankind's space accomplishments, but I sadly admit to some of it these days.  However,  this relatively new development of precision returns of the rocket boosters: may this never get old.  One person says it's like watching magic, and I have to agree.

 

 

[Glacier Peak]

37 minutes ago, Techwright said:

As one whose second retained memory is of the first moon landing,  I hate getting jaded about humankind's space accomplishments, but I sadly admit to some of it these days.  However,  this relatively new development of precision returns of the rocket boosters: may this never get old.  One person says it's like watching magic, and I have to agree.

 

This was so cool! Reminds me of something I heard JFK say at the Kennedy Center (audio recording):

 

"We do this not because it is easy, but because it is hard."

 

Of course, he was talking about the Moon - but still; moments like this are where the force of human effort moves the weight of progress ever slightly forward. 

Edited October 14 by Glacier Peak

[Herotu]

I like space exploration, but putting people on Mars is just crazy...

"across the gulf of space 
minds immeasurably superior to ours
regarded this Earth with envious eyes,
and slowly and surely
they drew their plans against us." 

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

On 11/16/2024 at 11:23 PM, Herotu said:

I like space exploration, but putting people on Mars is just crazy...

 

...thiiiis is the vooooiiice of the Mysterons... we knoooooww that youuu can heeeaaarr us, Earthmen...

🟢🟢

 

(that's the sorta-kids version).

 

Yeah, I don't think I could party on Mars anyway.

The place has no atmosphere, it's cold-hearted and has no magnetism.

The core stopped spinning eons ago, leaving Mars unprotected from solar winds - which for us just make pretty lights thanks to our magnetosphere. But as an unshielded planet, it's been stripped practically bare, and is bathed in constant radiation: about 50x that of Earth.  And that's much higher if a solar flare hits.

 

We may have a better option in the Solar System: Callisto. She may have an icy exterior but a warm heart: and is far enough away from Jupiter that her bigger neighbour isn't a problem. Surface radiation is 10x Earth average - but below the average in Scotland, so the worst side effect would be lots of pale ginger people. Best of all, lots and lots of water, and that's fuel, air, and life.

 

Edited November 19 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[Techwright]

I've never really thought of myself as a "worst side effect".  Interesting.  I do consider myself a mutant (the whole MC1R mutation), and as soon as we gingers learn to weaponize our ability to resist anesthesia, Pinky, we're going to take over the world!   Just kidding, I'm more likely a candidate for the sidekick program at Sky High.

 

I'm all for sending people to Mars, however, I'm not for making the trip permanent.  I've seen some concepts for how we can create a stable base, or even a small colony, and I think there's merit to it, but a permanent population should be considered very, very carefully.  Like, 150 to 200 years carefully. The more we consider all variables and test them, the more we create and develop, the better a chance any future permanent colony will have.  The rise in good A.I. and probably combined with good robotics, should make construction and maintenance easier in the decades to come, not to mention discovery of new building materials.  I mean, just consider that we now have graphene and carbon nanotubes, things not known when Armstrong walked on the moon.  I'm also of the opinion that we need to be considering some sort of mid-point station, or perhaps stations, that can react in emergencies faster than a trip from Earth could, and could act as a layover point to give weary travelers a bit of a change of pace.  What that mid-point station(s) would look like, I'm not certain.  The design would have to take the movement of the planets into account, since Mars moves away from the Earth at times, unlike the Moon.