Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[PTTG??]

It has come to my attention that some people think that the NASA lunar impact mission known as LCROSS seems to have a wide following of people who think that this will cause some kind of damage to the moon.

I know of one of these people personally.

A few facts:

FACT: The lander is about the weight of an SUV.

FACT: The Moon is about as massive as 1% of the earth.

FACT: If 100 SUVs fell from great height into the Nevada desert, all at once, it would barely measure on most seismographs.

FACT: Since the 1960s, nations around the globe have been landing and impacting probes of all kinds into the moon, including those both larger and smaller than this one.

FACT: Since the BEGINNING OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM the moon has been struck by objects ranging from pebble-sized to the size of mountains to the size of entire continents.

FACT: Even today, meteor impacts occur regularly.

FACT: The Moon is still there.

FACT: The Moon will remain there.

FACT: You moron.

There are other complaints, such as that it's unfair for us to experiment with the moon as it's not "ours". This is not true. The Moon belongs to "all mankind", although admittedly it's more like "all mankind that has access to large amount of rocket fuel". The knowledge gained by this experiment will most likely be information that can help all of mankind. It will be shared. Perhaps we will find water; if we do, that means that everyone- all of mankind (with rocket fuel,) will know that the moon can provide for further exploration. Theories will be redrawn and we will know more about how the solar system came into being.

The last and perhaps worst complaint about this mission is that it is too expensive.
NASA recieves about one half of one percent of the Govt. budget. The Department of Defense accounts for twenty one percent of the US budget.

In terms of dollars being converted into megatons, even if the entirety of NASA funding was funneled into this mission (which it is not; there are many other missions, research projects, and outreach programs that receive funding through NASA), then NASA blows up far less money than the DoD.

But efficiency isn't everything. And I'll admit that often we get little practical use out of of NASA projects. If you think that this means that NASA should not exist, however, then you are wrong.

To work, to eat, to sleep- this is to exist. We cannot exist without doing these things. But to learn, to play, to discover, to explore; these things are to live. If we do not do these things, then we might continue to exist- but not live.

And if you would rather exist than live, in exchange for one half of one percent more going to fund assault contractors, or street cleaning, or tax collection, then you aren't even alive right now.

[Kagus]

All of this is irrelevant, of course, since we never put anything on the moon in the first place.  This whole lander controversy thing is just a government cover to keep us from noticing what's really threatening society.  Namely, RAINBOWS.


That may have seemed a little off-topic, but it's just to make it clear that, whatever stupid ideas you've heard recently, or whatever moronic conspiracy theorists happen to wander past you, there is absolutely no sense in getting worked up about it because there's someone half as smart and twice as loud just around the corner.

But aside from all that, this is a new one to me.  Seriously, do we have lunar environmentalists now?  That's hilarious.  Heck, if it turns into a real movement, it'd be funnier than Rainbow Lady and Mind Control iPhones put together.

[Realmfighter]

That was beautiful

[Aqizzar]

There is one honest complaint to be made about LCROSS.  It's going to cost 79 million bucks to crash an already used rocket and take pictures of the dust cloud.  That seems excessive to me, and I'm not seeing the great scientific value of finding some dirty slush in space for that kind of money.

But anyway, all these people bitching and moaning about how this goofy experiment will damage the Moon are missing the most important fact- We're going to blow the crap out of the Moon.  That is fucking cool.  If anything, I'm disappointed that it won't actually do any real damage.

Hey, will it be visible from Earth?

[PTTG??]

...We're going to blow the crap out of the Moon.  That is fucking cool.  If anything, I'm disappointed that it won't actually do any real damage.

Hey, will it be visible from Earth?

Thanks for bringing up an important point I missed- science is awesome.

And yes, the impact will (with amateur equipment) be visible from earth. It's unsure how clear the impact will be, but basically everyone in the western hemisphere with a decent telescope will be watching.

And that is something, folks. Even over the incredible distance- roughly equal to a trip ten times around the world- we will be able to see the cloud from the lander.

If ice or water is seen, then that will mean that there is fuel and air available to space travelers. It will mean that a mission to the moon may be significantly cheaper and easier, as fuel will only need to be brought for one-way travel. It will mean that the moon will be a stepping stone to space.

[Gunner-Chan]

All I know is we are gonna punch the FUCK outta that moon. Awesome.

[Zironic]

That moon has always been fucking with us, pulling our water around, messing with global partterns. SO NO MORE. WE ARE GOING TO THROW AN SUV AT IT!

Seriously, The moon slowly moves away from the earth at a speed so slow, the sun will go out before the moon is even close to leaving orbit. Punching it ain't gonna do shit.

[Aqizzar]

If ice or water is seen, then that will mean that there is fuel and air available to space travelers. It will mean that a mission to the moon may be significantly cheaper and easier, as fuel will only need to be brought for one-way travel. It will mean that the moon will be a stepping stone to space.

Now, as much as I love sciencey stuff and the affectation of Moon Bases, I for one think it's still pretty retarded.  Some pools of dirty, irradiated ice do not a sustainable Moon colony make.  And even if it did, I think we've got enough to worry about and spend tax dollars on here on Earth before we think about expanding some shitty tract housing to outer space.  What's on the Moon, that's worth living there for?  Nothing.  Nickle dust, aerated rock, and maybe some filthy ice.  Call me back when you find oil on the Moon.

Ever since all this talk of reupping NASA for bases on the Moon and Mars, I've been a little suspicious of the motives.  We're not running out of room here on Earth, so why are politicians suddenly so eager to leave?  Is there some long-term calculus that says 80mil would be better spent looking for Moon ice than say fixing the highway system?  What do they know that I don't?

[Realmfighter]

Ever since all this talk of reupping NASA for bases on the Moon and Mars, I've been a little suspicious of the motives.  We're not running out of room here on Earth, so why are politicians suddenly so eager to leave?  Is there some long-term calculus that says 80mil would be better spent looking for Moon ice than say fixing the highway system?  What do they know that I don't?

Because building a colony on mars i really impressive.

[Puck]

There are other complaints, such as that it's unfair for us to experiment with the moon as it's not "ours". This is not true. The Moon belongs to "all mankind", although admittedly it's more like "all mankind that has access to large amount of rocket fuel".

waiwhut? How can we even "own" something that has existed long before the term "owning" even had some vague sort of meaning?

Not saying we shouldnt throw probes at it, but the "owning" thing shouldnt have any place in this argument.

[Karlito]

There are other complaints, such as that it's unfair for us to experiment with the moon as it's not "ours". This is not true. The Moon belongs to "all mankind", although admittedly it's more like "all mankind that has access to large amount of rocket fuel".

waiwhut? How can we even "own" something that has existed long before the term "owning" even had some vague sort of meaning?

So like, North America didn't exist before the concept of ownership?

[Strife26]

If ice or water is seen, then that will mean that there is fuel and air available to space travelers. It will mean that a mission to the moon may be significantly cheaper and easier, as fuel will only need to be brought for one-way travel. It will mean that the moon will be a stepping stone to space.

Now, as much as I love sciencey stuff and the affectation of Moon Bases, I for one think it's still pretty retarded.  Some pools of dirty, irradiated ice do not a sustainable Moon colony make.  And even if it did, I think we've got enough to worry about and spend tax dollars on here on Earth before we think about expanding some shitty tract housing to outer space.  What's on the Moon, that's worth living there for?  Nothing.  Nickle dust, aerated rock, and maybe some filthy ice.  Call me back when you find oil on the Moon.

Ever since all this talk of reupping NASA for bases on the Moon and Mars, I've been a little suspicious of the motives.  We're not running out of room here on Earth, so why are politicians suddenly so eager to leave?  Is there some long-term calculus that says 80mil would be better spent looking for Moon ice than say fixing the highway system?  What do they know that I don't?

Funny. Aqizzar bashing space bases after running the Mars game.

[Aqizzar]

Moment of truth people!  Here it comes!

UPDATE: Well that was a whole lot of nothing.  Just grainy IR footage of crater shadow, and then ziltch.  I want my money back.

[IndonesiaWarMinister]

Moment of truth people!  Here it comes!

UPDATE: Well that was a whole lot of nothing.  Just grainy IR footage of crater shadow, and then ziltch.  I want my money back.

What.

I WANT TO SEE IT DAMNIT

[redacted123]

-