'The Eagle Has Landed’: The Apollo 11 Mission, 45 Years Later

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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If you want to talk technology, look back to 1969 and think how incredible it was for the US to actually land a man on the Moon with what little technology available to them at the time. It was back when calculations were made and problems solved on a slide rule and rudimentary computers. That technology was enough to get Apollo 11 to the Moon and back safely 45 years ago today.
 
Mars next, right?

We'll go land there one of these days (before anyone else ofc) and then never return.
 
atp1916 said:
We only did it to stick it to the Soviets.
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That was the only reason the Government was even willing to go. Not for "mankind" not for anything else other than to show the world its superior capability. Mind you the Soviets also did it for the exact same reason.

But its still one of the most important moments in human history. And we did manage to do it. Its sad that we haven't really done anything quite as incredible since then though..
 
The sad part is we really haven't accomplished anything nearly as historic since then. I'm starting to fear that despite all our technological advances since then I won't be around when or if we finally put people on Mars.
 
Still using rockets... still not going to colonize and industrialize space with rockets.
 
One of my first memories in life was dad taking me outside in the evening after watching the astronauts on TV and explaining, or trying to explain, to me that the men on TV were on the moon. Hard for a kiddo to wrap his head around.
 
michael.pa2 said:
The sad part is we really haven't accomplished anything nearly as historic since then. I'm starting to fear that despite all our technological advances since then I won't be around when or if we finally put people on Mars.
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Unless you were just born no you will not be around for when humans actually go to Mars.

The biggest reason for this is because the lack of technology and funding. There are so many fundamental issues with a human based mission to Mars. Radiation being the biggest issue , Cabin Fever (or also known fictionally as Space Dementia) and food. We are tackling these issues but without proper funding they are moving at a snails pace.

We won't even be close to a manned mission until probably 2035-2040 at this pace. We might not even bother going at this point considering probes and rovers seem to be the preferred method of exploration. But the sad part is that a human being , in a few days of research on Mars , could accomplish more than all the Rovers combined over the last 10 years..
 
Keep punching Buzz!!

buzz.gif
 
And all that money being funneled to places used to keep certain people in power.
 
Godmachine said:
Unless you were just born no you will not be around for when humans actually go to Mars.

The biggest reason for this is because the lack of technology and funding. There are so many fundamental issues with a human based mission to Mars. Radiation being the biggest issue , Cabin Fever (or also known fictionally as Space Dementia) and food. We are tackling these issues but without proper funding they are moving at a snails pace.

We won't even be close to a manned mission until probably 2035-2040 at this pace. We might not even bother going at this point considering probes and rovers seem to be the preferred method of exploration. But the sad part is that a human being , in a few days of research on Mars , could accomplish more than all the Rovers combined over the last 10 years..
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Well there is this: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/1...021-may-trigger-space-race-in-middle-east.htm
 
I think astrophysics Dr Neil Tyson made some accurate points regarding mega projects funding, where he said the main driver for the mission to Mars has to be either militaristic or economically motivated. Cold War was really the main reason why the Moon landing was well funded.

Today, the Mars project would have to be economically driven for it to receive continuous funding support.
 
Turns out the greatest block to the advancement of humanity is peace. Piddly little skirmishes in countries with funny names, in places nine out of ten people can't even point to the general direction of them simply won't do anything other than spur production of weapon systems for use against such underwhelming adversaries. And while we have economic competition, intense at that, there is no incentive for mega-projects for something as small as landing on the Moon. Let alone Mars. Instead we have become mired in squabbles over social policies and arguing over which coffers deserve the greatest donations. Shlumo won't care about Mars or the Moon unless Shlumo views Nation X's ambition to go to them with genuine apprehension as only at that time will Politician Y see incentive to ask the whole nation for funding as part of a power-building strategy. Of course, if Politician Y can do that to the citizenry, and get Shlumo to rally behind the bid, that's even better. Make people think they want something to make them think it came from them.

Not to say going into space under false pretenses is a bad thing. I agree that, ultimately, we cannot progress unless we progress beyond our little speck of dust suspended in a sunbeam in one of the lonely dark corners of our galaxy. I just don't see any politician having the fortitude to propose something that won't pay off in a year even if it would mean spurring an industry that would continue indefinitely and, which would ultimately, be the final industry. (Unless we find an industry concerned with existence beyond our universe, but, that's just insane to speculate about) Alas, while individuals are intelligent and can see the benefits of expanding, people are idiots. Given that we still have Flat Earthers, Moon landing hoaxers, and plenty of other intentionally ignorant (and proud of it) idiots, and they have just as much power in voting as the rest of rational society, politicians will fear losing to them rather than push forward. Not to mention that politicians seem to be wont for their own squabbling and conspiracy theories. I suppose we just have to wait for the privatization of space travel. At least that seems to be making progress as the private sector is able to cater to the whims of individuals far better than the public sector.
 
blitzkommando said:
we still have Flat Earthers.
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But...the Earth IS flat.

42,000 kilometers at equator, highest mountain (you know it's name) is nearly 9 kilometers, deepest ocean (you know it's name) is a little over 9 kilometers, so approx. 9 kilometers either way.

Now open your favorite drawing program and draw a line that is 42000 pixels wide, then draw in the highest and deepest places, they are only 9 pixels tall/deep, compared to the 42000 wide...

....now look at the whole line you drew, see, the Earth is flat.
 
haste. said:
Well there is this: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/1...021-may-trigger-space-race-in-middle-east.htm
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Bigelow Aerospace has also "announced" plans to go to Mars by 2030. SpaceX has a rocket powerful enough to get there right now in the planning stages and says it could get humans on Mars in the late 2020's.

The cold hard reality is that simply having the launch vehicle and lots of cash isn't enough. There has to be new technology invented to deal with the fundamentals of going there and surviving. I don't care what the UAE claims its going to do , its a smoke screen project meant to strengthen its oil interests. The only reason UAE would even announce such a plan is to simply announce its branching into other interests so it can support industries that depend on its chief export. If I'm still alive by 2021 and the UAE actually does land humans on Mars then I'll eat my shoe.

Private industry has to have a for profit interest to want to go do anything in space. Space mining is the only .. ONLY reason a private industry has any interest in furthering our capability. The Government would only do a manned mission if it could be done on the cheap and if they could use it for political gain.

If China announced they were going to build a military base on Mars tomorrow our Government would IMMEDIATELY dump hundreds of billions of dollars into NASA and the Aerospace industry at large and have us there inside of 5 years. But since there is no "Soviet" opponent to challenge us there won't be any interest. Russia couldn't give a fuck about space right now , they are dumping their responsibility for the ISS in 2020 and have zero plans to make their own space station ..again (so far..). China has an interest in space but nothing that could challenge us as of yet. Once China gets far enough however that might spark another space race.

No other Government is even within spitting distance of where we are at and we don't even have a Government funded LEO , we have to catch a ride with the Russians (which I'm sure will end probably in the next few weeks because even more sanctions being placed on them for the plane being shot down). Right now SpaceX has the highest probability of taking Astronauts into LEO but they will need a few more years to get the whole thing safe.

Deep space exploration (so basically anything beyond the Moon at this point...) is left to probes and even then probes are so expensive that there will have to be a revolution in cost to keep them going as well. Our society is too self interested with its individualized purposes to not see the fact that without expansion into Space we have a 99 percent chance of going extinct either soon or a few thousand years from now. Our society couldn't handle a more hardcore calamity. Wouldn't take much to throw us into chaos beyond repair.

So I have very little hope that private industry will really get us to Mars. What WILL get us to Mars is the lowered cost of space exploration. Cheaper , stronger materials. Proper active and safe radiation shielding. Foods that can be stored and grown under many hostile conditions.
 
Hornet said:
I think astrophysics Dr Neil Tyson made some accurate points regarding mega projects funding, where he said the main driver for the mission to Mars has to be either militaristic or economically motivated. Cold War was really the main reason why the Moon landing was well funded.

Today, the Mars project would have to be economically driven for it to receive continuous funding support.
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The Moon Project was funded because Kennedy proposed it and then got shot.
 
What annoys me are the folks that go on saying "oh Apollo cost billions!"

It didnt cost much at all. Sure the money went it but it created thousands of jobs, hundreds of businesses and products that many of us still use and make money today.

Apollo probably made money in the end.
 
Godmachine said:
The biggest reason for this is because the lack of technology and funding. There are so many fundamental issues with a human based mission to Mars. Radiation being the biggest issue , Cabin Fever (or also known fictionally as Space Dementia) and food. We are tackling these issues but without proper funding they are moving at a snails pace.
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As for the cabin fever issue, send an Aspie!

:D:p
 
daglesj said:
What annoys me are the folks that go on saying "oh Apollo cost billions!"

It didnt cost much at all. Sure the money went it but it created thousands of jobs, hundreds of businesses and products that many of us still use and make money today.

Apollo probably made money in the end.
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Adjusted for inflation the Apollo missions cost roughly 1 trillion dollars by today's standards. I doubt that actually made money. We've cusped the 1 trillion dollar mark with our war in Iraq. Just imagine if we had put that funding into NASA. We probably could have gone to Mars by now.
 
It wouldn't cost a trillion to go to Mars. It's pretty simple to build a large spacecraft and push it to Mars. There's nothing theoretically difficult about it, you just have to do it and test it. The main problem is that there really is no reason to go there at the moment.

How many of you who want someone to go to Mars have gone to Antarctica on vacation? Why haven't you?
 
The sad thing is the current Administration and Congress have wasted at least a trillion dollars on 'stimulus' packages that in my state resulted in many handicapped capable sidewalk ramps on streets with no actual sidewalks, built for the most part by folks not legally in the country. And then they wonder why so many folks are frustrated with government.
 
Dead Parrot said:
The sad thing is the current Administration and Congress have wasted at least a trillion dollars on 'stimulus' packages that in my state resulted in many handicapped capable sidewalk ramps on streets with no actual sidewalks, built for the most part by folks not legally in the country. And then they wonder why so many folks are frustrated with government.
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In my area they repaved a road on the crest of hills 3000 feet above any cities that terminates in two single lane roads. There's maybe a dozen houses up there. They didn't fix roads in the cities.
 
Aluisious said:
How many of you who want someone to go to Mars have gone to Antarctica on vacation? Why haven't you?
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Because flying or boating to a large continent located at the southern magnetic pole within Earth's breathable atmosphere with regular temps well below freezing and has nothing of interest to see to most people is way more boring than a place that roughly varies between 34 to 249 million miles away with mostly the same conditions with much of the same nothing of interest to see but no breathable atmosphere and you have to get there by hitching a ride on a spaceship. A fucking spaceship. That's why. :D
 
I'd donate $100/year in the form of guaranteed taxation with the rest of this country to fund a Mars mission within 10 years for no other reason than my personal amusement.
 
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