Space Science Pioneer Van Allen Questions Human Spaceflight

[midwayer]

Space Science Pioneer Van Allen Questions Human Spaceflight
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 02:12 pm ET
26 July 2004


A leading space scientist has called to question the validity of human spaceflight, suggesting that sending astronauts outward from Earth is outdated, too costly, and the science returned is trivial.
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Also, the scientist notes that President Bush has put on the table “a far more costly and far more hazardous program” to return humans back to the Moon and for sending astronauts to Mars and worlds beyond.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/vanallen_spaceflight_040726.html

[Salviati]

1. I'm kinda torn on this...

I'd be all in favor of it if we switched over to an expanded program of unmanned missions, while turning over the money used in manned flights to research into a space elevator. Getting the cost and energy needed to orbit down that a space elevator could provide would really revolutionize things. Plus, if we're going to throw away billions and billions of dollars on finding more efficient ways to be inhumane to each other, we can at least toss a few billion into something this cool...

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space_elevator_020327-1.html

[struggle4progress]

2. Unmanned flight provides vastly better return of scientific ...

... information per research dollar spent.

[Odd Little Man]

3. Unfortunately

the current head of NASA counts beans spent, not the return on them.