2pints-mate 0 Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Following on from the old Space Shuttle thread, how about Space Tourism? I just read an article on it and a guy commenting on it came up with some "other good reasons for space tourism". Here they are for your enjoyment: 1) It will increase the use of far cleaner hydrogen fuels. (?) 2) With people seeing the world from on high, there will be far greater environmental awareness. (A bit of an extreme way to get they, huh?) 3) It lays the foundation for small space stations, not just for tourism but also for medical, astronomy and Earth observation research. These could each be serviced by the same space shuttles as the stations used by tourists. 4) With many eyes (both human and robotic) observing the world, governments would find it harder to hide their secrets. ---- Er, what about the not inconsiderable pollution caused by the space launches, not to mention a squillion other things. I love 2) and 4) sandwiched in there between the possibly sensible ones. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Those arguments would be better deployed for space penitentiaries than space hotels... Anybody who can't actually explain what's wrong with those arguments - into the big white space paddy-wagon! Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Christopher 0 Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I'm no scientist. Can someone explain this: "It will increase the use of far cleaner hydrogen fuels". Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I'd guess it means "Burn More Fuel". Reminds me of the closing scene from Dr Strangelove, with Slim Pickens riding the nuke into Moscow "Yee Haw..." Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/hydrogen/research/nasa_research.htm Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Its a load of borrocks. Bert Rutan (Scaled Composites) has got into bed with Virgin (The Airline that doesn't go All The Way) to scale up their X-Prize effort. Rich people will be able to get themselves shot into space for a straight up and down ride, but they aren't going to be saving fuel, observing the forests or watching the eyerakis. To get into orbit you are going to have to be very rich, and the manned function of the shuttle will need to be replaced by a capsule system. The Space Elevator will be the key to the affordable orbit experience. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 > With many eyes (both human and robotic) observing the world, governments would find it harder to hide their secrets This one really tickles me. There are many human eyes reading newspapers where the ghastly secrets of many governments are hiding in plain view, and yet the majority fails to spot them. And this guy thinks that firing them into space with a big grin on their stupid faces is going to make them more perspicacious... (His perspective sounds distinctly American to me... As for No.2, I've heard the same argument from Americans about driving a nice big SUV) Link to post Share on other sites
cal 6 Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 The Space Elevator...not heard of that... That "With many eyes..." one is just a joke isn't it? Perhaps they were winking when they wrote that one. Link to post Share on other sites
HoTRoD 2 Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 Space elevator?! Even that thing at Korakuen in Tokyo gives me problems!! Didn't that livedoor guy threaten to get into some space tourism business or something not too long ago? Link to post Share on other sites
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