The day of cosmonautics

[hutch--]

I am not sure what the weight of animal testing is in terms of the space race but its well known that both the US and the old Soviet lost people in tragedies from equipment failure. Its like most leading edge or dangerous things, every so often someone doing something risky gets killed yet I suggest that people who do these things already know the risk.

Test pilots used to live dangerously with both civilian and military aircrafts and I remember seeing some spectacular air crashes from back in the 30s with racing aircrafts so its not like its anything new. Speed record attempts, mountain climbing, sky diving, motor racing and a host of other risky things all have a toll here and there.

[zcoder]

Yeah I second that motion.
and I would like to add that programming is risky too, just last year I remember doing a
program that crashed so bad I lost the source to it as it did a bad number on the HD.

Zcoder....

[MaynardG_Krebs]

In that day in far 1961 Joury (Youry?) Gagarin became the very first human being that entered the outer space. And his name will remain in history forever.

Now this guy had a set of stones on him.

[rags]

Now this guy had a set of stones on him.

He shure as heck did. Too bad he had to die in a training flight. He was one brave person.
Anyone (whatever you call them in your native tounge), who straps themselves onto a controlled explosion, which is basically what a rocket engine is, does also.
Rags

[MaynardG_Krebs]

He shure as heck did. Too bad he had to die in a training flight. He was one brave person.
Anyone (whatever you call them in your native tounge), who straps themselves onto a controlled explosion, which is basically what a rocket engine is, does also.
Rags

Most definitely anyone who would do this is very courageous, but Gagarin especially, not only for being the first human to do this but also doing this when the technology was in it's infancy with so many unkown variables and possibilities for things to go wrong.

[asmfan]

It is always hard to be the very first, especially in a such risky hard job/adventure. Imagine you go there from where you may not come back, and nevertheless you proud of it, you not admit a slightest thought of fail because you do your best and even more to make the dream come true. Struggling with overweights, with pain caused by them, he'd done his mission. It is a deadly game indeed.

[The Svin]

there is no doubt that the US won the space

:) I doubt it.
We just have different ways ;)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/orl-asecdiscthomas27072705jul27,1,748691.column?ctrack=1&cset=true

[Mark Jones]

there is no doubt that the US won the space

:) I doubt it.

Winning the "space race", or rather the "space armament race" would probably be seen as a futile and hopelessly destructive act by any passing-by aliens. We humans have this uncanny ability to only think inside our own little box. No wonder we haven't been contacted yet! :toothy

[The Svin]

Right

[hutch--]

I laugh at the idea of anyone having won the space race, we all know that Yuri Gagarin was the first in space, the US was first on the moon but that the USSR first orbitted the moon. The US were the first to put a lander on Mars, The USSR were the first to put a lander on Venus and it keeps going like this in both directions.

I think Mark has hit the nail on the head to our external observers  :bg  Wotta buncha nerds ! Wait til the winner of WW4 is decided (sticks and clubs) and then try again.

[Mark Jones]

I hear that NASA is talking about the possibility of terra-forming Titan, one of Jupiter's moons. It's very cold and not exactly hospitable, but they seem to think they can chemically break down the hydrocarbons in the surface to form large amounts of carbon dioxide, which over time will trap solar energy and warm the planet, in turn melting the water-ice and whatnot. They seem to think it's very much like a primordial Earth. Sounds pretty far-fetched... or maybe not. In any case, it's at least a seven-year journey using today's xenon-ion-drive propulsion technology. And that would probably be one-way.

Are we (humans) going to compete over who will get there first (and stockpile interplanetary nukes there) or will we unite our resources in peace and exploration to expand the presence of Human-kind?

[lingo]

“people create and use new high technology just to kill
other people, to make more money and power.”

Staff defy order over cancer scare

[The Svin]

Are we (humans) going to compete over who will get there first (and stockpile interplanetary nukes there) or will we unite our resources in peace and exploration to expand the presence of Human-kind?

You sound like a communist :)

[Roger]

In any case, it's at least a seven-year journey using today's xenon-ion-drive propulsion technology. And that would probably be one-way.

Now if we put all the bombs. . and maybe few politicians - just to see fair play. .  oh and help with the hot air for warming. . . 

You are sure it will take them seven years to get back?


Roger

[hutch--]

This sounds like a good technique for propulsion, hard wire a collection of polititians to the arse end of a rocket and then start an argument and you would get enough hot air to reach light speed.  :bg