NASA wants to put you in space!

[far-trader]

Well, a picture of you and/or your name anyway

Kinda geeky but neat, NASA has a program they are calling Fly Your Face in Space and I figure a bunch of sci-fi nuts like Travellers would want to be along for the ride. Full details here:

https://faceinspace.nasa.gov/index.aspx

Just checking out the participation map is kinda fun too

 

[jatay3]

Sounds like a weird marriage proposal in some chick movie.

 

[virushi]

I signed up for it.

I was quite amused by the line in the terms & conditions where you grant NASA "universe-wide" rights to use your photo.

 

[far-trader]

Yes, it's all a scam so NASA can collect royalties on our pictures from aliens who'll use them for all kinds of tacky souvenir nick-nacks.

 

[dmccoy1693]

Its really sad that this is the end of meaningful spaceflight, possibly in our lifetimes. And to think when I was a kid, I thought I'd someday be vacationing on Mars.

 

[jatay3]

Its really sad that this is the end of meaningful spaceflight, possibly in our lifetimes. And to think when I was a kid, I thought I'd someday be vacationing on Mars.

Mars never sounded like all that good a place to vacation on to me. From what I can make out, it has a suspicious resemblance to Mordor.

 

[dmccoy1693]

Mars never sounded like all that good a place to vacation on to me. From what I can make out, it has a suspicious resemblance to Mordor.

What's the downside of that argument?

 

[far-trader]

Mars never sounded like all that good a place to vacation on to me. From what I can make out, it has a suspicious resemblance to Mordor.

What's the downside of that argument?

Hobbit's dropping in unannounced?

 

[far-trader]

Its really sad that this is the end of meaningful spaceflight, possibly in our lifetimes. And to think when I was a kid, I thought I'd someday be vacationing on Mars.

I'm still optimistic. Well... that may be a bit too strong a sentiment. Perhaps, not much more pessimistic than I have been for the last 2 or 3 decades? The space program really hasn't been going anywhere. It's wanted to... and that's probably as far as I can go down that line of thought on the boards. I'm hopeful but a little less so every day, and certainly don't see any real progress in this century as things stand now. But all it would take to change that is one person, the right time, and the right place.

 

[dean]

Might want to do a quick google for Bill Whittle and his Afterburner segment on this NASA mission thing. It's political, so cannot be discussed here, but he has some interesting observations on the future of US space flight.

 

[dmccoy1693]

I'm mostly hopeful about a possible India-China space race. Both are eager to show off their level of military tech and can learn much from the US and Russian designs. If India really wanted to prove that they are superior to China, they'd launch someone into space. China would then respond by their own launch. And thus a new space race is born. Eventually someone would want to grab a US flag on the moon and return it. And then someone else would want to return to us the pathfinder rover on mars.

So yes, I am quite hopeful that either India or China gets their national egos in high gear and decides to go where only a few have gone before.

 

[Seriayne]

I'm mostly hopeful about a possible India-China space race. Both are eager to show off their level of military tech and can learn much from the US and Russian designs. If India really wanted to prove that they are superior to China, they'd launch someone into space. China would then respond by their own launch. And thus a new space race is born. Eventually someone would want to grab a US flag on the moon and return it. And then someone else would want to return to us the pathfinder rover on mars.

So yes, I am quite hopeful that either India or China gets their national egos in high gear and decides to go where only a few have gone before.

Actually, China already has, albeit just a John Sheppardish run around the planet a few times in their wooden-heat-shielded craft, Shenzhou 5. Its India's turn to catch up to China in that regard, though iirc, India's sent a teeny unmanned orbiter to the moon in the last few years? (ah, 2008)

Oh, apparently so has China, in 2007.

- And I used to joke about the Russians whittling modules for Mir back in the day.
- And my players make jokes about the Droyne whittling their spaceships.

 

[dmccoy1693]

dang. totally missed those. I gotta catch up on my foreign space agency happenings.

 

[Jame]

I'm mostly hopeful about a possible India-China space race. Both are eager to show off their level of military tech and can learn much from the US and Russian designs. If India really wanted to prove that they are superior to China, they'd launch someone into space. China would then respond by their own launch. And thus a new space race is born. Eventually someone would want to grab a US flag on the moon and return it. And then someone else would want to return to us the pathfinder rover on mars.

So yes, I am quite hopeful that either India or China gets their national egos in high gear and decides to go where only a few have gone before.

I know how to get India moving: tell them that putting a man on the Moon would prove that they're superior to Pakistan. (Of course, tell Pakistan the same thing - get them really competitive without resorting to Use Of Nu-Cle-Ar Wea-Pons.)

 

[dean]

I know how to get India moving: tell them that putting a man on the Moon would prove that they're superior to Pakistan. (Of course, tell Pakistan the same thing - get them really competitive without resorting to Use Of Nu-Cle-Ar Wea-Pons.)

I dunno if getting getting two presumably-nuclear-armed powers with large animosities right next door to each other lobbing rockets into space is a real good idea...

 

[aramis]

No modern politics discussions. Not even by "ob trav" modes.

And the Pakistan vs India arms race is modern politics.

 

[Jame]

No modern politics discussions. Not even by "ob trav" modes.

And the Pakistan vs India arms race is modern politics.

Sorry. This is what happens when I forget the rules!