Conspiracies (sp?)

[samkydd]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Most shuttle missions are very successful. The Apollo mission was well funded, much better than the shuttle program, and it had a fair bit of luck. Steve

It seems that now the motor manufacturing industry is streets ahead of the space programme. Look at the shuttle, it's hardly changed at all since 1981 so they're expecting people to zap through space in an old "W" Reg model! The Russians are almost as bad because their Soyez Space Station is an "E" Reg, from 1986! The least they could do with both of these is to introduce facelift models with better colour choices, sat nav, MP3 players, and I don't even know if they've even got cup holders!

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by samkydd It seems that now the motor manufacturing industry is streets ahead of the space programme. Look at the shuttle, it's hardly changed at all since 1981 so they're expecting people to zap through space in an old "W" Reg model! The Russians are almost as bad because their Soyez Space Station is an "E" Reg, from 1986! The least they could do with both of these is to introduce facelift models with better colour choices, sat nav, MP3 players, and I don't even know if they've even got cup holders!

The better manufacturers don't feel the need to bring out a new model every year. When was the last time Rolls Royce introduced a new model?

As I said, the space shuttle program isn't very well funded. They have more important things to spend their money on than a dodgy MP3 player, even one with cup holders. And they don't need a sat nav when they're going to visit the sat itself

Steve

[Moor Larkin]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook As I said, the space shuttle program isn't very well funded.

It's a complex subject but I think the lack of 'progress' in the forty years since the first moon landing is one of the things that fuels the Moon Conspiracists, or at least the willingness of parts of the public to allow their 'theories' to see the light of day.

Ironically it is possibly the very evidence that the Conspiracists use about the 'impossibility' of space travel (ion storms from the sun and the like) that explains how difficult (if not ultimately impossible) it will be for men to get much further than the moon.

It is sad that instead of all this making the achievements of the Apollo generation seem even more admirable than they were, the conspiracists use this 'evidence' to demean that generations' optimistic ambition.

[Harleybloke]

The Moon Landings WERE my childhood!

You horrid cynics leave them alone or I shall scream and scream until I am sick!

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin It's a complex subject but I think the lack of 'progress' in the forty years since the first moon landing is one of the things that fuels the Moon Conspiracists, or at least the willingness of parts of the public to allow their 'theories' to see the light of day. Ironically it is possibly the very evidence that the Conspiracists use about the 'impossibility' of space travel (ion storms from the sun and the like) that explains how difficult (if not ultimately impossible) it will be for men to get much further than the moon. It is sad that instead of all this making the achievements of the Apollo generation seem even more admirable than they were, the conspiracists use this 'evidence' to demean that generations' optimistic ambition.

They should read some science fiction then. SF has covered problems like that, and told people how they can be dealt with, since the 1950s

Steve

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Harleybloke The Moon Landings WERE my childhood! You horrid cynics leave them alone or I shall scream and scream until I am sick!

Of course they went to the moon - or they wouldn't have brought back the non-stick frying pan. People always say that was developed as part of the lunar programme (it wasn't, but never mind about the details)

Steve