Should the Taxpayer pay for what NASA is doing?

[P_T]

MSN

How does a private jet flying without a sonic boom better the Average Taxpayers life?
Has NASA out spent its private venture Taxpayers funded space launch needs ?
A Fat Cow, Pregnant agency is a thought.

 

[daeler]

What are they doing? What are your thoughts on the article?

Why would you just post a link with basically nothing else?

 

[aociswundumho]

Whatever they are doing, the answer is no.

 

[ataraxia]

MSN

How does a private jet flying without a sonic boom better the Average Taxpayers life?
Has NASA out spent its private venture Taxpayers funded space launch needs ?

One of the reasons the Concorde was scrapped was because the sonic boom was too disruptive to people living around airports. If you could get rid of the boom, it would open up commercial travel to supersonic travel again. I am sure many people wouldn't mind going from the east to the west coast, or flying to Europe, in 2 hours or so. It would be a huge boon to business and tourism.

Also, think about the advantages of supersonic military aircraft being able to break the sound barrier over enemy territory without announcing themselves so loudly.

 

[Questerr]

Whatever they are doing, the answer is no.

In your world, humanity would never go into space because it wouldn’t be immediately profitable for rich assholes.

 

[aociswundumho]

In your world, humanity would never go into space because it wouldn’t be immediately profitable for rich assholes.

The rich assholes will do it better and cheaper than the idiot government ever could, and it won't cost the taxpayer a dime.

 

[Roadvirus]

The rich assholes will do it better and cheaper than the idiot government ever could, and it won't cost the taxpayer a dime.

How many SpaceX ships have blown up?

 

[ataraxia]

The rich assholes will do it better and cheaper than the idiot government ever could, and it won't cost the taxpayer a dime.

Nah they'll just buy more luxury yachts. They don't like investing in a lot of untested technology.

 

[Questerr]

The rich assholes will do it better and cheaper than the idiot government ever could, and it won't cost the taxpayer a dime.

Except for the fact that those rich assholes won’t launch a single rocket without taxpayer subsidies.

It took billions of dollars of technological development and infrastructure construction and years of work before a single cent of profit could be made off of space travel. Capitalists wouldn’t make that investment. They need maximized profits next quarter.

If SpaceX and Blue Origin didn’t have the taxpayer as their sugar daddies, they wouldn’t be sending anyone into space.

 

[Questerr]

How many SpaceX ships have blown up?

And every single one of them was taxpayer funded.

 

[MAGAnificent]

MSN

How does a private jet flying without a sonic boom better the Average Taxpayers life?
Has NASA out spent its private venture Taxpayers funded space launch needs ?
A Fat Cow, Pregnant agency is a thought.

There is waste at NASA just as there is with many other government agencies, however much of the scientific and medical innovation is partially the result of space travel.

 

[aociswundumho]

Except for the fact that those rich assholes won’t launch a single rocket without taxpayer subsidies.

Then we agree: they shouldn't get any subsidies.

 

[Questerr]

Then we agree: they shouldn't get any subsidies.

Then there won’t be any launches. Commercial space operations are only profitable because of taxpayer money.

In AnCapistan, no one would ever go into space.

 

[BabaVoss]

Absolutely yes.
100%.
Our existence is entirely dependent on a single world with a particular set of environmental parameters, which are likely to change beyond our ability to adapt.
We need to study our world and our solar system.
We need to eventually move beyond this single point of failure on which we live.
The scientific progress we have made as a result of our efforts to date have benefited humanity enormously.
We have a window right now to explore where we live, and to figure out how to live elsewhere.
If we don't, we will die here.
We won't have this opportunity forever.

 

[P_T]

Absolutely yes.
100%.
Our existence is entirely dependent on a single world with a particular set of environmental parameters, which are likely to change beyond our ability to adapt.
We need to study our world and our solar system.
We need to eventually move beyond this single point of failure on which we live.
The scientific progress we have made as a result of our efforts to date have benefited humanity enormously.
We have a window right now to explore where we live, and to figure out how to live elsewhere.
If we don't, we will die here.
We won't have this opportunity forever.

The Chinese landed its rocket the other day. Big Deal Right. Space Rangers were landing theirs in the 50's in cartoons.
The only people who need Supersonic Transport over the USA are Billionaires. The military does as it wishes with orders.

Most of your points are obviously wrong. Man cannot live happily at low or high gravities for years. The moon, Mars as
permanent Human occupants is dumb.

Trillions in wasted Taxpayers money. Even a world wide funded effort is crazy. Living a Sci Fi life is crazy. Watching too many Twilight Zone's?
Is there no end to STUPID?

Maybe a Base on The Moon with Telescope and Radar occupied with an Ai puter and a couple of Robots would be wise.

 

[phoenix2020]

I'm generally supportive of many of NASA's priorities and programs but not all.

I believe in the flagship science and cosmology programs for which we are simply unequaled on the world stage at this time. From Deep Horizons to Perseverence to James Webb, NASA's flagship exploratory programs have hit the target again and again. The crown jewel of our federal government, without question. I also support their planetary sciences programs.

I'm somewhat mixed on the ISS. I would prefer that we maintain a manned presence on LEO but going forward I would like to see the United States and China cooperating rather than competing. Unfortunately with the current administration any notion of such cooperation is out of the question at least through 2028. Perhaps afteward?

I'm profoundly negative on the "jobs programs" that is the SLS and Lunar Gateway. These are silly, stupid wastes of money and frankly it isn't NASA's fault - a bunch of Congress Critters insist on keeping these jobs programs going despite few results and tens of billions spent. If ULA can't cut it vs. SpaceX then they need to lose out on funding. I agree with very few of Trump's actions but killing SLS is a big positive in my book.

As for the Moon and Mars, I'm reforming my thoughts now. Until recently I was highly supportive, particularly with SpaceX getting close to making these things potentially cost-effective. That said with the rapid development of AI, I think the focus on zero-gravity and extra-planetary fabrication and manufacturing is more important than putting people on another surface. So, I support the ambition of establishing capability, but I'm not convinced it should be human capability whether it be on the moon (as NASA/Donald/Joe/etc. would prefer) or Mars (as Elon would prefer).

 

[madman]

How many SpaceX ships have blown up?

Yikes! @aociswundumho wants NO TAXES at all. Goodluck with your fantasyland government.
If you're sick and cant pay for care, you die. No government intervention.

​

 

[phoenix2020]

Then there won’t be any launches. Commercial space operations are only profitable because of taxpayer money.

In AnCapistan, no one would ever go into space.

I think this was true before Falcon 9.

After Falcon 9, everything changed.

 

[Questerr]

I think this was true before Falcon 9.

After Falcon 9, everything changed.

Falcon 9 only exists because huge taxpayer investments in space technology development and infrastructure construction.

If there was a blank slate, capitalists would never develop something like the Falcon 9 on their own. Humans would never go into space in the dream world of AnCaps.

 

[phoenix2020]

How many SpaceX ships have blown up?

Relative to the number of successful launches they perform every year, not very many at all.

Their track record is pretty much unparalleled in the history of rocketry.

 

[Questerr]

Yikes! @aociswundumho wants NO TAXES at all. Goodluck with your fantasyland government.
If you're sick and cant pay for care, you die. No government intervention.

​

@aociswundumho wants no government at all, but he still wants capitalism, which means the rich will make themselves into a new de facto government in a form of feudalism.

 

[phoenix2020]

Falcon 9 only exists because huge taxpayer investments in space technology development and infrastructure construction.

I don't disagree.

If there was a blank slate, capitalists would never develop something like the Falcon 9 on their own. Humans would never go into space in the dream world of AnCaps.

This is factually untrue - living in Silicon Valley I can't throw a stone and not hit the headquarters of some tech company started by capitalists with big dreams but little taxpayer investment. Just because you never got to work with "capitalists" who want to have fun making cool shit that people will want to buy, doesn't mean tens of millions of them don't exist.

 

[Questerr]

I don't disagree.

This is factually untrue - living in Silicon Valley I can't throw a stone and not hit the headquarters of some tech company started by capitalists with big dreams but little taxpayer investment. Just because you never got to work with "capitalists" who want to have fun making cool shit that people will want to buy, doesn't mean tens of millions of them don't exist.

So you are saying that capitalists would have been willing to spend years upon years of failed launches, R&D, building infrastructure, etc that went into developing space rockets without seeing a single cent of profits for decades?

 

[phoenix2020]

So you are saying that capitalists would have been willing to spend years upon years of failed launches, R&D, building infrastructure, etc that went into developing space rockets without seeing a single cent of profits for decades?

Yes. I've been a part of such projects for all sorts of advanced technology and product development efforts, for better and for worse. Some work out, some didn't, few received taxpayer funding. Wait, you haven't?

 

[Questerr]

Yes. I've been a part of such projects, for better and for worse. Wait, you haven't?

What project were you part of where the company saw zero profits and huge multi-billion dollar losses (with no ability to offset it with tax write offs because in AnCapistan those don’t exist either) for decades?