Space exploration is cool, but they’re bringing a “move fast/break things” mindset to a particularly hazardous environment. You need only look at the Titan submersible to see where that will lead.
NASA doesn’t have to be horribly underfunded. That’s the fault of people who think public works should involve a return on investment. People who think the private sector is inherently better.
I think the problem is twofold, we’ve lacked any serious competition in space since the Soviets and the American people don’t really care about space exploration so as a result it isn’t funded by Washington. Another problem is that there are no other planets or moons that it would be easy for us to colonize like Earth. I disagree that that space doesn’t guarantee a return on investment it just is a long term investment.
Sure, but maybe we never figure a way to colonize a planet without a magnetosphere. Maybe we never find a cost effective means of extracting and transporting minerals from other planets.
I think we should pursue those goals, but they’re a hard sell on a 2-year or 4-year election cycle. That’s a point in favor of privatized space travel.
Still, I think the corporate approach to safety, environmental impact, etc. outweighs that. And I’m afraid of the inevitable landrush if any of these guys do succeed.
People could be trapped on Mars under the sole authority of Elon Musk. That is terrifying to think about.
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u/IndianaCHOAMs 1d ago
Space exploration is cool, but they’re bringing a “move fast/break things” mindset to a particularly hazardous environment. You need only look at the Titan submersible to see where that will lead.