nuclear travel

[MissleMonkey28]

www.spaceflightnow.com sorry cant copy the direct link. There's an article on a nuclear propulsion rocket to go to jupiter's moons. Just wanted to share that incase anyone was really into space sciences and travel.

[BLUEHAWK]

Missle -

Do you remember an invention called something like a "space mass thrower" from a few years back?

It was like a big slingshot deal in outer space, which would take in some kind of rocks or something, compact and fiddle with it somehow, ramp it up in a kind perpetual nuclear fuel regenerator, to where there would be plenty of gas to get ships ALL over the universe.

[MissleMonkey28]

Bluehawk,
I honestly can't say that i do. However that very well may be what nasa is hoping to do on the moon. The information i read about the future mars plan was to get resources from the moon and convert it into a type of fuel for farther travel. Guess that idea was just on a time delay.

[BLUEHAWK]

Yup, I think it was about fifteen years ago or thereabouts... I'm not a huge "fan" of a Space Program per se, but I honor NASA as people very much... my God the things they have accomplished, boggle the boggle :-)

Anyhoo, when I did see that one news story years ago about a "space mass thrower" (or whatever it was called, that definitely DID get my attention... mainly because it made a kind of common sense.

You take what is already flying/floating around in space, you chew it up with one of good American munching machines at untellable expense, but in the end, what you get is enough gas to propel just about anything as far and for as long as anybody could possibly desire!

Hey! That works for me! No more dependency on "foreign oil" (a VERY filthy substance, all in all).

What say you?

[MissleMonkey28]

I agree with you 110%. I mean use the stuff their is excess of to our benefits. Cuts spending on all the propellants. Saves time I think it makes perfect sence. Bluhawk whats your opinion on this whole man on mars idea?

[BLUEHAWK]

Well you know Missle, I am all for humans (especially Americans and our friends) being on Mars and other planets... I like the idea of investigating new territory, particularly when we can bring the bacon home to help Mother Earth in a general way.

Where I run into my own resistance is when there's SO much trouble on this earth, and we spend spend spend (not JUST on space travel and explorations, mind you!)... also, when our tax dollars go for good things and then private companies appear to get most of the dollar benefit... seems like it oughta be the other way around kinda. If their work out there helps our military, why then that is a greenback worth spending, every time, any time.

How 'bout you?

[MissleMonkey28]

Bluehawk,
Here is my dream with this space travel if you will.(DONT LAUGH PLEASE my dad still laughs at me) First of all can all the unknown astronauts and go for like a military search (just like the original 7) Televise it the world isn't like it was back then with the internet everyone knows whats goin on anyway. Cancel all these bs racist sex induced television programs and follow the astronauts. Give kids legitimate heroes to look up to instead of just athletes and rock stars. Follow the missions background the engineers the mission control. Basically let it be "America's mission" something like that.

On to the actual point. I feel that we should put our money into space travel and exploration. However at all of these launch sites they have a military supervisor (usually an x2 cough cough ego time) So why not just not higher civilian companies to actually launch them just let the air force do it. I feel we could save a lot of money on it if we took advantage of all the engineers in the armed forces for development also. Thats just my two sence and sorry if i made no sence with the beginning.
Greg

[BLUEHAWK]

I ain't laughin' at ya Greg fer heaven sake, might laugh WITH ya like your Dad does :-) [I'm a Dad, of four, I never laugh AT my babies :-)]

I know man, I KNOW, you just go on thinking to the future like you are, Hell, you could have the hook on it!

A lot of what you said in paragraph one I am all for in heart and soul... the issue is HOW to accomplish that! By God, we need your help, but ya gotta have patience with the wounded and lame :-)

As to paragraph #2, I ain't all that sanguine about letting civilian corporations do almost anything, though I usually appreciate somewhat the things they DO do... here is why:

So long as THEIR bottom line is their STOCKHOLDERS profit (so they say), and so long as the law allows them to do any damn thing they please to ensure that profit, then there is always always always hanky panky.

What might be YOUR solution to that vexing and eternal problem?

I'll get back at ya later, me and the Mrs. have got to go take care of my museum Symphony gathering this evening in a few short minutes. Lady Carol does not believe that I CAN dress (well) in 60 seconds or less, whereas it has taken her half of an entire day :-)

[MissleMonkey28]

I think its just that an eternal problem. One way we continue going on with civilian companies and the gov't loses money the stockholders make money. We stop using them all together and the good lord only knows how many people will lose jobs. If only the companies would work directly for the gov't then it wouldn't be a circle of loss. However then i think it would be to close to communism for America to handle. My preference would be to let these companies do whatever they want but let our military give its educated members a shot just in aerospace alone there has to be thousands of officers and enlisted with engineering degrees that are capable of designing and testing just as companies like boeing and lockhead martin do. But once again i have to say sadly i believe that the government knows just how much it loses with these private companies and (probobly with stocks in them) just doesn't want to propose any radical change.

[BLUEHAWK]

Monkey -

I am tired, and I am old, but here is what I can respond with:

- America is in no danger of going communist, we need to get over that fear, eh?

- The problem is not, I do not believe, eternal... choices exist and abound.

- Living under existing rules many thousands and even perhaps millions of people have lost jobs, no? Does that mean it is working well enough? No.

- Never, EVER, let companies do what they want... I'll just leave it at that.

- Point for us all to remember... I'd put my trust in almost any American military control, solely out of trust... there'll come a few jerks... but in the main, it is a great honorable decent faithful mean powerful skilled loving resourceful wealthy smart caring patriotic bunch of folks.

Sleep well my brother...