So many sour grapes being served up regarding Manybucks in Space. I'm thinking of Bi-Planes...

[Hekate]

… and all the young men (and women) who barnstormed around the country showing off this incredible invention, doing loop-the-loops and wing-walking and sharing the dream. While they were joy-riding, Uncle Sam was not drawing up plans for Pan American Airlines (1927-1991) — the government always has other priorities.

When it comes to space travel for pleasure or commerce, Big Government is never going to do this for us. They have other priorities for all that research and hardware, like national security and war.

The only people capable of creating a tourist industry into space are the ones actually doing it today: civilian multi-billionaires.

You can complain that they need to pay more taxes or their businesses need more regulation — and you would be right, and those are government functions, to be sure. You can try to organize a union at Amazon. None of that will make them any less rich and enviable, by the way, though it will make society better.

Someday human beings who are not billionaires will take a trip to the Moon and stay in a Moon Hotel and return to Earth.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Tell it, my friend. I'm right there with you. I have been saying this all day!

[snowybirdie]

2. I'd like to agree

but, no breathable air, differing amounts of gravity, no water, wild temperature swings, atmosphere uninhabitable. These problems must be addressed and fixed before we can ever send normal human beings into space, and to do what? And at what cost? A nice pipedream, but I remember what was accomplished today was already done 60 years ago by NASA. Not like privateers sailing to the New World to settle new land.

[EX500rider]

5. "no water"

October 26, 2020: In a paper published in Nature Astronomy, a team of scientists used SOFIA, an infrared telescope mounted inside a 747 jumbo jet, to make observations that showed unambiguous evidence of water on parts of the Moon where the sun shines. “This discovery reveals that water might be distributed across the lunar surface and not limited to the cold shadowed places near the lunar poles,” Paul Hertz, the director of NASA’s astrophysics division, said during a news conference on Monday.

[The Magistrate]

3. A Small Historical Note, Ma'am

Commercial aviation was certainly fostered by the government. The principal means was subsidy for air mail delivery.

You might find this interesting:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181337363

[thucythucy]

7. This.

It's so strange to me that even progressives believe the myth that governments can't sponsor innovation, and that "the private sector" alone is responsible for the technological advances of the last century and more.

[Kaleva]

12. War probably has been the biggest driver of technological innovations.

[Hekate]

10. Thanks, I knew there'd be someone along who'd fine-tune my statements, & I'm glad it's you, Sir

My motive was to be as brief as possible & not take an hour off for research, as fun as that is, and it still took me at least an hour due to multiple interruptions.



Meanwhile, the grape-stomping continues let we forget for even a moment that the world is coming to an end.

I’m off, to bear a veggie platter to my SIL’s 60th b’day party, spring chicken that she is.

[The Magistrate]

17. Sounds Like Great Fun, Ma'am

Glad it was helpful.

One of these days I may do a model of that Varney Airways biplane. There's just something about that photograph.

[MerryHolidays]

18. We would love to see more pictures of your models if you have the time. Thanks. nt

[Hugin]

13. Or as I like to say...

Even the biggest capitalist fish swim in an ocean of socialism.

That's how it works.

[MerryHolidays]

4. As long as there is substantive meaningful regulation internationally

I think it's great. Perhaps there is regulation that I am not aware of, and so apologies in advance if so.

But there are far too many things that could go wrong with these private attempts. These rocket launches, etc affect people and nature. Strict regulation, including safety, environmental issues, and space debris clean-up, should be required. Again, maybe it is, and I'm just not aware.

And I wonder if Tesla is funding SpaceX and its satellite internet company with all the carbon credits they have been given for Tesla? Can you imagine how much in the way of harmful gases these rockets produce?

I am a huge fan of the US space program. I would be much more comfortable with a public-private partnership like, for example, the Apollo project. That was a resounding success.

On edit: we've already come close to destroying this planet for future generations...we must be careful about doing the same in space.

[mopinko]

8. rocket fuel is nasty shit.

[world wide wally]

6. Speaking of biplanes:

I would highly suggest reading "Illusions: The adventures of a reluctant Messiah" by Richard Bach.
It's a short novel, about a one day read, but it is thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking.

[Hugin]

14. And I would second that.

One of my favorites.

[thucythucy]

9. So wait, the barnstormers of the nineteen teens and twenties

were billionaires?

And I frankly doubt that "human beings who are not billionaires" will travel to the moon anytime in our lifetimes.

Our environment is collapsing. We're looking at a not so distant future of tens and perhaps hundreds of millions of climate refugees, brought on by "natural disasters" and the collapse of much of the agriculture that sustains much of the planet's population.

In the future--if there is a recognizable future--people will look at these endeavors the way we look at Faberge eggs and Marie Antoinette's toy peasant village at Versailles. Play things for the mega rich while the world around them is going up in smoke.

[dsc]

15. The Wright Brothers certainly weren't

they were small business owners.

[thucythucy]

20. I believe they owned a bicycle shop.

Interesting and probably irrelevant factoid: much innovation in wheelchair design was by engineers in the bicycle business.

[Mr.Bill]

16. Maybe not the barnstormers,

but the huge aeronautical achievers of the day like Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart had financial backing from some deep pockets.

[thucythucy]

19. I suppose.

But then Earhart died young, while Lindbergh became infamous as a pro-German America First fascist sympathizer. Which makes me wonder--did he become that after the funding, or was being a fascist supporter one of the qualifications needed to obtain that funding?

[KentuckyWoman]

11. I'm excited about it.

I won't be here to see it ... but the prospect of a new frontier is exciting.

Besides, if people with money spend it on space travel instead of clogging up the national parks with big ass RVs, I could not be more happy. hahahaha