I'm currently doing a project for a class where i had to choose from a group of topics and prepare arguments for a debate arguing one a pro or con side of the topic. I chose the topic of whether or not the USA should halt NASA in order to help pay off the immense national debt.
I, for one, think that space travel is very important for the survival of our race because this rock we live on is, contrary to popular belief, very unstable and will fuck us over if we're not careful. So, I got to thinking about the topic and remembered hearing some about ideas of a privately owned space programs. I haven't heard too much about this idea here in the states and how successful these programs would actually be or have been, however. I think that the idea looks really good on paper because of the typical capitalism and competition standpoint so that there is more incentive.
Have any of you looked in this topic? Do you know of any privately owned space programs that have actually been successful? Ultimately, what do you think should the US halt NASA and allow room for other programs to grow?
Virgin atlantic, although I'm not sure it's privately owned, it just had a successful test with their spacecraft
Yeah i think i've heard of Virgin Atlantic. I've also looked into the Private Spaceflight Federation, Blue Origin, SpaceShipOne, and some others. It seems really interesting. I think that if space travel were opened up to private corporations it would help the economy a lot too. Sure, the people at NASA would lose their jobs but then they could get jobs with the new corporation counterparts.
I think privately owned is better, if there is multiple companies wanting to do space travel then the competition will keep things going.
If NASA is on it's own all it will do is sit there sending probes outwards because it has nothing to compete with.
I agree. NASA was doing its best during the space race because it actually had competition.
[QUOTE=ShitBalls;20917175]Virgin atlantic, although I'm not sure it's privately owned, it just had a successful test with their spacecraft[/QUOTE]
Do you mean Virgin [b]Galactic[/b]?
Privatize Nasa, let them compete (they can easily) or let them die. They need an incentive to get shit done and being exposed to competition should do it.
[QUOTE=ShitBalls;20917175]Virgin atlantic, although I'm not sure it's privately owned, it just had a successful test with their spacecraft[/QUOTE]
Atlantic, Atlantic you know that space isn't the Atlantic ocean.
Its galactic
I'd say private is worse simply because space exploration is rarely profitable.
[QUOTE=1-800dialaki;20917471]Do you mean Virgin [b]Galactic[/b]?[/QUOTE]
They run over 40 types of businesses or something, it's pretty easy to get confused.
NASA laid the ground work. The private sector is going to refine it to practical use. They are not opponents. It is a progression. NASA is the past and the present, the private sector is the future.
Space travel should not be the worry of terrestrial governments.
Why is america fine with the spaceprogams being government run but don't want government run healthcare??
[QUOTE=Mingebox;20917737]I'd say private is worse simply because space exploration is rarely profitable.[/QUOTE]
it can lead to being profitable. There's a slowly growing market in space tourism. Also, there are sponsors that would love to slap their logo on a space crafts
[QUOTE=Mingebox;20917737]I'd say private is worse simply because space exploration is rarely profitable.[/QUOTE]
What are you talking about. Yes it is. It facilitates rapid scientific advancement that leads to extreme leaps in consumer products.
FYI government doesn't do science very much. Even NASA has relied on contracting private research in the past.
If you're doing it on the basis of whether the space program is worth it, there are massive contributions to technology and science from the technologies needed to be developed to sustain life in space. Better sunglasses, insulators, and satellites are just a few contributions.
[QUOTE=ShitBalls;20917758]They run over 40 types of businesses or something, it's pretty easy to get confused.[/QUOTE]
Not with a sea. I don't call virgin coke, virgin Atlantic do I
US should keep NASA, it's not like they have the biggest budget of all the US gouverment agencies (look how much the US gives out for the army or stuff like that). I've heard somewhere that the US citizens pay less for the NASA then they spend on cat food. But here's something you could have a look at: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Budget[/url]
NASA is not only a "lol let's fly in space", they also do alot of research in different topics, like material testing, astronomy and theoretical work. Alot of those can't (or wouldn't) be done by the private sector.
[QUOTE=Binsky;20917825]it can lead to being profitable. There's a slowly growing market in space tourism. Also, there are sponsors that would love to slap their logo on a space crafts[/QUOTE]
Maybe for small scale things like space tourism, but it costs half a billion dollars to launch the space shuttle, and I don't think we've gotten to the point where companies can constantly launch shuttles and reliably get their money's worth.
I actually think it's better to have a state run space agency. Not sure how it works, but in my opinion getting the amount of money for things like the Hubble telescope, Voyager, Moon travel and so on might be a bit hard for private agencies.
It also feels that Nasa focuses on more scientific matters while private agencies are all about flying to the space.
Pandorum will happen. :O
You can't leave something like space exploration to a single group with very limited funding. Private sector work will actually advance space tech, because multiple groups can work in unison to forward the common goal of space travel.
NASA openly admits that private funding is better. With the government taking back the gold key to the crapper it would seem that private funding is the ONLY way to put an American in space unless you want to hitch a ride from dem commies.
Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and Bigelow Airspace are three private spaceflight companies.
I don't think private companies are particularly viable yet though, they can't even dream of getting the funding NASA has. Also almost no private spaceflight companies are actually flying anything at the moment, they're still developing and testing their spacecraft. A few years down the line maybe.
Only $200,000 to reserve your ticket with Virgin Galactic for a space flight.
[QUOTE=smurfy;20918869]Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and Bigelow Airspace are three private spaceflight companies.
I don't think private companies are particularly viable yet though, they can't even dream of getting the funding NASA has. Also almost no private spaceflight companies are actually flying anything at the moment, they're still developing and testing their spacecraft. A few years down the line maybe.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, i think with time these programs will prove to be affective. I think that as the years go by the need for a government run program will decrease gradually. It's only a matter of time until we have the resources and technology where businesses can easily be started
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