I agree with #74

jesus christ you can turn urine into water in an 8th grade science class whats the big deal

As for the rest of your post...typical post-columbia-disaster-reactionist-american-SHIT!

Well I shouldn't feed the trolls, but I will say that the columbia incident hasn't affected my view of NASA or space travel one bit. As you may have inferred from my previous post, I prefer NASA's approach to scientific study in space, and most people, yourself included, have no idea how many experiments the astronauts perform while on their short missions. The commercial sector will go nowhere without NASA's research today (one of the experiments aboard the Columbia involved a prototype of a device that converts urine into water for long journeys--performed for Arizona State University) since most of the experiments are not meant to earn money for the space agency, meaning that commercial ventures will not perform them.

Anyway, MacD, you come off as an idiot troll, whether that was your intent or not, so don't expect me to put much effort into serious replies to your posts.

you are so full of shit

its obvious nasa engineers sabotaged the rocket on purpose so that they coiuld receive increased funding under the bush administration whose solution to overy problem is to throw money at it. it was obvious the space shuttle was in danger and they refused to make an emergency landing in spain which is standard procedure with a problem on liftoff. its sad that a jewish person had to die for money.

I think Nasa is keeping us from the terrible secret of space
and i agree.

Good times.

I used to thing the Tito guy going into space was fine, after all, he weathered the trip and seemed to cope PERFECTLY.

But after this week's disaster, it put things back into perspective. People die out there. If you add up the amount of launches vs. the amount of deaths and catastrophes, you cannot have a plausibly safe public entry into space [at this time]. This is not a blame game on NASA or anyone else, In fact, I am not versed enough in the area to make any kind of claims, other than the obvious one I just made.

Let's let them iron out the "kinks", if we can call it that, before we let people tag along for the ride.

Indiv-->"Just because NASA doesn't want to play tour guide with people willing to pony up some cash doesn't mean that they're not interested in getting to the point where normal people can travel in space. "

Actually, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS! If they won't do it when they can...when the fuck will they do it?

As for the rest of your post...typical post-columbia-disaster-reactionist-american-SHIT! You have no clue beyond popular sci-fi fiction what actual space engineering entails. Not a clue of what actually goes on (proven by the fact that you link to nasa.gov, of all places...) or what the actual costs are, or where the profits are (communication, intelligence and tourism...that's all spacetech has made money on...space mining?? You must be off your fucking rocker...maybe in 200 years, but not before).

Then this: "Right now, what's a tourist going to do in space? They can visit the space station and that's about it"

Yup...that's spacetourism...that's enough. That's what loads of people are willing to spend money on. I don't care if you don't think it's enough, becasue you don't have the money anyway. And we who do will pay it...if we're given the chance.

Yeah Panick, about as much as that stupid post you just made.

And all this has what to do with John Carmack on the subject of the current state of 3D cards?

lol....who said a damn word about liquid fuel??

Do you even follow the space program? Do you have any ideas what the proposed alternatives are? Do a little reading.

solid rocket boosters are more efficient poind-for-pound than liquid fueled rockets.

A they have as much power

B and a solid booster weights lots less than a liquid engine+fuel

C and just like a liquid fuel engine, it loses weight as it goes, but has the advantage of starting with less weight

so it really makes no sense to bash something cause it looks low tek, when it really is a good option.

the only reason solid isnt more widespread is cause you cant control its burn much once its started. unlike liquid that can be throttled. though on the shuttle thats OK cause the shuttle can use its liquid engines for control. so it works out fine.

-scheherazade

Indiv,

NASA may, at some distant point in the future, decide that they will be interested in putting regular folks into space. Right now they are not, and if you did much reading on the subject you would know that they do whatever they can to block people. If you believe everything you read in a "press kit", you sir, are on crack.

NASA's deep space projects are moving so slowly they are basically in reverse. I am 31 years old and I will be lucky, LUCKY if NASA sends humans to Mars during my lifetime. NASA is so bloated and tied into "orbital trucking" and this ridiculous ISS that, they project new missions out 20-30 years. We are still sending people into orbit using SOLID ROCKET FUEL. What a joke. Every time I see a shuttle take off it reminds me of a bad sci-fi movie from the 60's.

I don't EVER want to hear people talking about NASA's budget. When Tito offered NASA $22 Million so he could take a trip, NASA basically laughed at him. Again, they did everything they could to block the guy... the Russians took him (and his money) instead. If NASA needs money so bad, they should have taken the guy. In fact, they should be taking people up any chance they get if it means $20-30 million a pop. They should think about putting a Pepsi ad on the side of the damn rocket boosters too.....WHY NOT? The private guys will, you can bet on it.

If they want the people to be interested in NASA and space exploration, they have to have an image that is somewhat exciting. Who gives a shit when the shuttles launch these days? Sure people will rally behind them given last weekend's tragedy, but after that settles down people will forget all about them again. If they want budget increases they need to make the whole program appealing. Who they hell is running PR over there, Hitler?

I’m not saying NASA is totally worthless. We all know they have done some great things and invented some incredible products. In my opinion NASA needs to be broken up into multiple sections. These sections can each focus on different applications, one of which is entirely focused on getting you and me into space. If NASA will do this, then I support increasing their funding. If they continue this “trucking company” image they now have, I will continue to speak out against them, and will readily vote to shut them down if given the chance. You hear that GW? Send my tax dollars to Carmack!

NASA has it's own agenda, which is mostly controlled by the US government. They don't want to put regular people in space.

What makes you think they don't want to put regular people in space? A large portion of their experiments seem to be biology related, such as studying the effect of space travel on cells, animals, people, and other forms of life. Just because NASA doesn't want to play tour guide with people willing to pony up some cash doesn't mean that they're not interested in getting to the point where normal people can travel in space.

All Nasa seems to do anymore is haul "payloads" up there and do scientific experiments that the general public almost never hears about.

You don't hear about it because it's not very interesting to the general public. The general public lost interest in space travel a couple decades ago. The most easily accessible information right now is on the Columbia mission. Go to NASA's web site (http://www.nasa.gov) and download the .PDF press kit that they're offering. It has detailed information on the experiments and stuff if you're really interested. As for other information, NASA is subject to the Freedom of Information Act, so if you really want information on experiments and their outcomes, you can request the information and they'll probably send it to you.

Humans need to explore.

Yeah, and NASA's doing just that. They've got many projects focused on studying deep space, and they launch fairly regular Mars missions. Right now, what's a tourist going to do in space? They can visit the space station and that's about it... hardly what I'd call exploration.

If we want space travel to thrive and be a viable option for tourists and other civilian ventures, like asteroid mining or space colonies, we really do need to get the commercial sector (and "grassroots" movements) involved. But, it's too expensive right now, and it'll probably only be through NASA that we get the technology to make commercial access to space possible. So in conclusion, NASA does have its own agenda, but it's not an agenda that is focused on keeping people out of space. They're limited by budget (HUGE budget cuts came from the general public losing interest in space travel--and, well, the fall of the Soviet Union) so they focus on scientific gains instead of playing tour guide to rich people.

fredrickson:

Get an IQ. The point is that Carmack and other projects like his are thinking about getting PEOPLE into space. Regular people like you and me. NASA has it's own agenda, which is mostly controlled by the US government. They don't want to put regular people in space. They turned down that Tito guy and his $22 million bucks at the blink of an eye. He had to go to the Russians to take the trip, and NASA was pissed he found a away around them.

Grassroots projects like Carmack's are the FUTURE of private space travel. All Nasa seems to do anymore is haul "payloads" up there and do scientific experiments that the general public almost never hears about. Screw that. Humans need to explore.

People will die, and we will continue to move forward. Look at the history of airplanes here on earth.

ROFLMAO AHAHAHAhaaaaaaaaaaaaa

maybe carmack can do better

Vacs gets my "elite" award for the day.

First post I've seen on blues by someone who isnt wasting oxygen. Good work.

The rest of you still suck.

well there are things like console code and key trapping code, etc, that he can do a bit of recycling with. game engine isnt only the renderer. renderer may be totally new code, but there is a lot that dosnt need rewriting.

-scheherazade

This talk about smarty-man time travel reminds of that Sealab episode where several Dr. Quinns from different time continuums meet:

Murphy: And.. we're sure you're not doppelgangers?

Murphy is hiding the pipe wrench behind his back.

Quinn: Yes! But think of the possibilities of multiple Quinns. With our combined brainpower, we could cure diseases. End world hunger! Why, we could even terra-form Mars, and do it right this time!! Huh? Yeah!!

Murphy: Nope. I've.. got a.. better idea.

"Life is not about the second chances. It's about the little mouse, and his voyage to an exciting new land. That, my friend, is what life is." - Dad
This comment was edited on Jan 30, 23:29.

Yeah, NASA and ESA kind of piss me off too. IMO the only agency which is getting it right (even when [or because]) they lack funding is the Russian Space Agency.

Look at the x-prise...good concept, lousy execution...a lousy ten million investment? And only as a prize? Take a look at the most promising project (or one of them at least): the RotorRocket. Great concept, proven mechanicaly, was set to go in 2007 with launches that only cost 7 million!!! That might seem like a lot, but in terms of kilograms/launch/dollar, that is DIRT CHEAP! And it's now in bankruptcy...NASA should have bailed them out, or bought them outright, as it would have given them a viable, cheap launchvehicle for way less than they're spending now on their next launchvehicle, which won't even come off the drawing board. Goddamn, I want my hour of weightlessness and a view of the earth!

Anyway, if Carmack or anyone else can help realise that dream, humanity is better for it...or at least they get a damn fine view. My only problem is that the most interesting work is mostly being done in the US (Scaled Composites, Burt Rutans company), and I'm a EU-an...oh well, guess that means I have time to play Doom 3 when it comes out

Wow...sorry for being so off-topic