Artemis 1 again

[ozzman]

Orion headed home! A near flawless mission so far.Cool pictures of earthrise after emerging from behind the moon. Now if the heat shield holds up?

[frankmcr]

I just hope Flash and Dale make it back okay.

[ozzman]

Orion splash down at 12:40 pm today. a skip reentry will be performed like a rock skipping on a pond to lesson g-forces it will still be coming in hotter and faster than Apollo. Good luck Orion!

[dnf777]

I think of trying to start my tractor when the temp is below about 40 degrees F. All things mechanical (and batteries) just don't work as well. To then think of the engineering that goes into extremely complex machines that must function in the hostile environment of space boggles my mind. Those things (on an hourly basis) go from roughly 400 degrees to minus 100, and are still expected to perform as if they were in your yard during a nice June afternoon. Hats off to NASA and private engineers! Good luck on re-entry today!

[ozzman]

Flawless splashdown! Now lets get that moon base up and running

[tinnitus]

Originally Posted by ozzman

Flawless splashdown! Now lets get that moon base up and running

I can just imagine the first restaurant review. Great food, but no atmosphere.

[Photojeep]

Originally Posted by tinnitus

I can just imagine the first restaurant review. Great food, but no atmosphere.

Or dear ...

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by tinnitus

I can just imagine the first restaurant review. Great food, but no atmosphere.

Try the green cheese nachos!

[ewalling]

I get the importance of space exploration from Earth through telescopes and calculation. What seems less convincing to me is the impulse to 'get out there' physically. Considering the puniness of human beings in being able to travel space, is all the expense and hullaballoo really worth the 'achievement' of traversing such an infinitessimally small microdot of the universe?

[ozzman]

Originally Posted by ewalling

I get the importance of space exploration from Earth through telescopes and calculation. What seems less convincing to me is the impulse to 'get out there' physically. Considering the puniness of human beings in being able to travel space, is all the expense and hullaballoo really worth the 'achievement' of traversing such an infinitessimally small microdot of the universe?

I think its human nature to do it. why sail the ocean when you'll fall off the edge of the flat earth.why climb a mountain to see what's on the other side.That curiosity got us to where our knowledge and tech is today. imo.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by ozzman

I think its human nature to do it. why sail the ocean when you'll fall off the edge of the flat earth.why climb a mountain to see what's on the other side.That curiosity got us to where our knowledge and tech is today. imo.

Well, at least these other things are doable. People can, for example, get to the top of the mountain: it's within the limits of human capability. But we are so ill-equipped to 'do' space in any realistic sense that it makes the whole endeavour seem rather absurd. It's like asking someone to paint the entire Taj Mahal with nothing more than a slim watercolour brush. The fact we would be able to cover no more than a few square feet brings the whole venture into question, doesn't it?

[TBman]

Originally Posted by ewalling

Well, at least these other things are doable. People can, for example, get to the top of the mountain: it's within the limits of human capability. But we are so ill-equipped to 'do' space in any realistic sense that it makes the whole endeavour seem rather absurd. It's like asking someone to paint the entire Taj Mahal with nothing more than a slim watercolour brush. The fact we would be able to cover no more than a few square feet brings the whole venture into question, doesn't it?

No, to answer the last question.

Just IMO, but I feel there has to be colonization of the moon and Mars and the development of faster than light transportation at some point (safely for people). I know it is science fiction, but it has to be figured out and I think it will be. If we want our civilization to survive long term we we'll need to spread out among the stars.

It's only a matter of time before researchers conquer the aging in our cells and dna/cell editing rids us of cancers (1), and age related maladies. Then what are we going to do with all the people?

Maybe I've watched too much Star Trek, but I think we are the ones to do it (the people of Earth together).

There's a ton of work to be done here just on Earth, but we can do more than one thing at a time. I think we have to.

I don't think the above is political or religious in nature, if it is please delete.

(1) in the news the other day cell editing enabled a young girl to get well enough to allow a bone marrow transplant to put her cancer in remission.