I'm gonna go on a little rant here, so please bear with me. I do have a point I'd like to make. Critique gracefully accepted, so long as it is gracefully offered.
If you want to get down to the root of why manned space exploration isn't economical, then here it is: space holds little tactical value, save as a place to hang cameras.
That's it. The only reason why NASA came about was as a response to the Soviet space program - who just happened to come up with the idea of putting a transponder up there just to see if it was feasible. Although they weren't the first. Hitler originally wanted to have colonies (and probably weapons platforms) in orbit - give the poor sick twisted bastard credit: he was certainly visionary.
Anywho, NASA, at it's roots, was a military operation. Don't ask me why they decided to split it off from the newly created Air Force - I guess it made it look a little more friendly to the taxpayers. Their sole purpose at the time was really to compete with those crazy Reds. It started first with satellites, then with manned capsules. Soon enough, the Moon was being eyed hungrily, with Mars, maybe, as dessert.
You see, it was all about invisible threats - that insane craze that right-wingers worked themselves into a frothing frenzy over. These people were so deathly afraid that the Russians were gonna pull something with their space gimmick, and we just had to be a step ahead of them... only to their chagrin, we were always a step behind.
First satellite in stable orbit? Russians.
First man to orbit the Earth (and not the half-assed little hop we did in response)? Russians.
First woman to orbit the Earth (in what I see as a flagrant sin of pride)? Russians. And she was originally a textiles worker!
It was the Moon that changed it all. Soviet workmanship left something to be desired, especially after one particularly nasty disaster wherein an entire Russian crew perished when a atmospheric pressure equalization valve opened far too early during re-entry. Not to say that the American side didn't suffer it's setbacks (Apollo 1 Fire), but our side was quick to find flaws and correct them. Meanwhile, in Russia the program was looked upon with distrust as more and more equipment proved to be... flaky.
When the United States put a man on the moon, that was it. The Apollo missions were cut short and re-purposed to 'friendship missions' with the Russians - America's superiority had been established.
Sure, there was Skylab - something to keep the academics happy. The Space Shuttle itself was something for everyone. Originally intended to 'shuttle' people in and out of orbit, military and academics alike continued to pile in their requests for what the orbiter would be capable of until it became a mammoth of a space vehicle with enough cargo capacity to carry an entire city bus into orbit.
But all them same, the ride was already over. We never did go to Mars because the Russians never made a point about it. And had they perfected their own Buran orbiter, then NASA's shuttles would have certainly received upgrades - all in the name of the military mandate.
This is one of those times that I'm am quite ashamed of my country - even as much of a hawk as I tend to be. We had, back then, the ability to take things to the next level - to go to mars and begin building self-sufficient Lunar colonies with the aim of eventually seeding Martian and Lagrangian colonies. But once the Russians gave up, the funding got cut. And there is no way you can convince the budget committees to give on it - they're too busy playing tug-a-war between the DoD and Welfare - never mind even bigger problems such as the Trade Deficit.
My only real hope of going to space is left in the hands of corporate entrepreneurs, for in this day and age they are the ones that truly rule the USA.
If you want to get down to the root of why manned space exploration isn't economical, then here it is: space holds little tactical value, save as a place to hang cameras.
That's it. The only reason why NASA came about was as a response to the Soviet space program - who just happened to come up with the idea of putting a transponder up there just to see if it was feasible. Although they weren't the first. Hitler originally wanted to have colonies (and probably weapons platforms) in orbit - give the poor sick twisted bastard credit: he was certainly visionary.
Anywho, NASA, at it's roots, was a military operation. Don't ask me why they decided to split it off from the newly created Air Force - I guess it made it look a little more friendly to the taxpayers. Their sole purpose at the time was really to compete with those crazy Reds. It started first with satellites, then with manned capsules. Soon enough, the Moon was being eyed hungrily, with Mars, maybe, as dessert.
You see, it was all about invisible threats - that insane craze that right-wingers worked themselves into a frothing frenzy over. These people were so deathly afraid that the Russians were gonna pull something with their space gimmick, and we just had to be a step ahead of them... only to their chagrin, we were always a step behind.
First satellite in stable orbit? Russians.
First man to orbit the Earth (and not the half-assed little hop we did in response)? Russians.
First woman to orbit the Earth (in what I see as a flagrant sin of pride)? Russians. And she was originally a textiles worker!
It was the Moon that changed it all. Soviet workmanship left something to be desired, especially after one particularly nasty disaster wherein an entire Russian crew perished when a atmospheric pressure equalization valve opened far too early during re-entry. Not to say that the American side didn't suffer it's setbacks (Apollo 1 Fire), but our side was quick to find flaws and correct them. Meanwhile, in Russia the program was looked upon with distrust as more and more equipment proved to be... flaky.
When the United States put a man on the moon, that was it. The Apollo missions were cut short and re-purposed to 'friendship missions' with the Russians - America's superiority had been established.
Sure, there was Skylab - something to keep the academics happy. The Space Shuttle itself was something for everyone. Originally intended to 'shuttle' people in and out of orbit, military and academics alike continued to pile in their requests for what the orbiter would be capable of until it became a mammoth of a space vehicle with enough cargo capacity to carry an entire city bus into orbit.
But all them same, the ride was already over. We never did go to Mars because the Russians never made a point about it. And had they perfected their own Buran orbiter, then NASA's shuttles would have certainly received upgrades - all in the name of the military mandate.
This is one of those times that I'm am quite ashamed of my country - even as much of a hawk as I tend to be. We had, back then, the ability to take things to the next level - to go to mars and begin building self-sufficient Lunar colonies with the aim of eventually seeding Martian and Lagrangian colonies. But once the Russians gave up, the funding got cut. And there is no way you can convince the budget committees to give on it - they're too busy playing tug-a-war between the DoD and Welfare - never mind even bigger problems such as the Trade Deficit.
My only real hope of going to space is left in the hands of corporate entrepreneurs, for in this day and age they are the ones that truly rule the USA.