What's the point of building spacecraft to go explore space?
I'm afraid, all we're going to find is that we're all alone in this universe.
-------------------------------------------------------
answers:
Manuel say: If this is your attitude then what's the point of getting up in the morning?
-
Al say: If the Universe is Holographic in nature as some are theorizing, then everything that exist within it appears to be in some sort of dream state, that might start to begin to support some ideas about illusions based on perceptions, space may appear endless because perception as the body interprets it works in a very methodical way according to emotions....that's why those who survive near death experiences get a taste of the true reality, they recognize automatically that their identity is not their body, but something outside of it, call it a spirit, a higher self...its resonates with what many guru's have said, the real universe is within you.
-
Zheia say: Because in order to explore space a spacecraft is needed.
-
Jeffrey K say: You might be right. But that would be a great discovery itself.
There is lots more out in space than possible life. We will discover new planets, new geology, new weather, new chemistry, maybe new physics.
-
Clive say: Why do you think that's the only point of space exploration? It's NOT. But as you clearly have no curiosity about just finding out more about what's out there, clearly there is no point saying any more to you.
-
Ronald 7 say: Well we are not going to find anything unless we try
-
Sciencenut say: Thomas Jefferson founded the US Patent Office, because he thought that science, technology, and engineering were the paths to American prosperity as the future unfolds. But at least twice in the 1800s, a movement existed to close the Patent Office as a cost cutting measure, because everything that was any *real use* for humanity had already been invented, and anything else would just be so much nonsense. Perhaps you are of this mindset?
What is the point? Well, there have been many very wonderful things that have been spun off of the space exploration program. The biggest advancement was spy satellites, which have prevented a nuclear WW3. But other advancements include communications satellites, weather satellites, global positioning satellites(GPS), etc. The computer chip and digital photography were first developed for space exploration purposes. Where would we be without these things?
As it was explained to me, any entity is either expanding or contracting. Nothing remains static. The entity known as 'humankind' is therefore either expanding or contracting. I prefer expanding, myself. That ultimately means space exploration.
Cheers
P.S. Who cares if we are alone or not? If we are alone, then we have the whole Galaxy, and maybe the whole Universe, to ourselves. That is fine by me.
-
G. Whilikers say: Because only by getting a deeper knowledge of things like what the stars and planets are made of, and the special challenges that await humans who venture out there, can we really understand just how hosed we are.
-
say: 100% right , it's a total waste of money and self indulgence using taxpayers money the net result of all the " exploration" is , - Oh that's interesting
-
USAFisnumber1 say: Even if we are not alone, there is no Warp Drive or Hyper Space so even at the speed of light, the closest star is years away. Lets assume the nearest planet that has life or even can support life is ten light years away. Assume you get get from zero to light speed in minutes, it will take you ten years to get there. That means 20 years round trip. Sure, the people on the space craft will only think it is a few weeks but everyone back how will see it as 20 years. So your 20 year old kid leaves, comes back at 40, leaves, comes back at 60 and that probably will be the last time you see them. Add to that if they are traveling at light speed and have the effect of time dilation, by the time you see a rock in your way you will have hit it since you will have zero time to change direction. What we see in our solar system is what we got and we are wasting the majority of it by having kids way too fast.
-
Colleen say: We gain so much knowledge about our own world, too, by observing others.
-
Poseidon say: I would like to know what evidence you have that proves we are all alone in this vast Universe
Actually if you knew anything about space and space exploration you would know that NO science points to us being alone.
You would also know that the vast majority of scientist, especially who study space have the intelligence to know that when we consider the billions of Galaxies, Trillions of Suns and trillions of Planets and Moons floating in this Universe the likelihood of many, many places where life exists is more than extremely likely.
-
D say: NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
-
JG say: Scientists are curious to know what's out there in space. They are on a need-to-know basis.They want to know if any planets other than Earth could be inhabitable by humans, if life exists on other planets, if there is anything out in space that could be of benefit to anyone here on Earth, they want to know how things work up there in space, what things are made out of, what new celestial bodies are out there, etc.
A while ago, there were claims that they found a "diamond planet":
https://www.space.com/23138-diamond-planet-super-earth-discovery.html
https://www.space.com/18011-super-earth-planet-diamond-world.html
If this is TRUE, I think NASA and the world's other space exploration programs need to get busy and send probes and rovers and whatever other contrivances they use and have up there to explore and mine the planet.
There are a LOT of needy, deserving people here on Earth who could benefit from those space diamonds.
I would find out how much the diamonds are worth. They'd probably be worth even more than diamonds on earth.
If I had those space diamonds, I would cash them in and tithe off the cash.
I would use them to feed and clothe and properly all the world's impoverished people and give them all the medical and dental attention and help they need. Give them proper drinking water and a means to produce that, etc.
I would use the diamonds to financially back all the satellites all the major Christian networks want to put up around the world.
Perhaps the space diamonds would have special physical and chemical properties that could be of use and of benefit to anyone in the scientific community- I would have some scientists look into this.
I would also pray and ask the Lord what to do with the diamonds.
However, I think the world's scientists are wasting time trying to search for alien life. They aren't going to find any.
The Bible says Eve is the "mother of all living (Genesis 3:20)."
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_astronomy#Planets:
"Except for Earth, Venus and Saturn are the only planets expressly mentioned in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 14:12 is about one Helel ben Shahar, called the King of Babylon in the text. Helel ("morning star, son of the dawn") is translated as Lucifer in the Vulgate Bible but its meaning is uncertain.[1]
Saturn is no less certainly represented by the star Kaiwan (or Chiun),[2] worshipped by the Israelites in the desert (Amos 5:26). The same word (interpreted to mean "steadfast") frequently designates, in the Babylonian inscriptions, the slowest-moving planet; while Sakkuth, the divinity associated with the star by the prophet, is an alternative appellation for Ninurta, who, as a Babylonian planet-god, was merged with Saturn. The ancient Syrians and Arabs, too, called Saturn Kaiwan, the corresponding terms in the Zoroastrian Bundahish being Kevan. The other planets are individualized in the Bible only by implication. The worship of gods connected with them is denounced, but without any manifest intention of referring to the heavenly bodies. Thus, Gad and Meni (Isaiah, 65:11) are, no doubt, the "greater and the lesser Fortune" typified throughout the East by Jupiter and Venus; Neba, the tutelary deity of Borsippa (Isaiah 46:1), shone in the sky as Mercury, and Nergal, transplanted from Assyria to Kutha (2 Kings 17:30), as Mars."
No mention of any aliens here.
-
boomer say: Space exploration contributes to not only knowledge about the world outside our own, but economic and scientific benefits. Many advances in technology and biotechnology came about as a result of the space program in the 60's and 70's.
-
roberto say: you get an F in human psyche,impelled from the time
junior with his pink footy tied to the crib rung gets it untied,outa the crib down the stairs,& out the damn front door before ma can say,,,' oh no you dont, come back here you you little stinker'
'at goes on for a lotta years sparky,until junior is a wheezing geezer chasing nurses butts down the old folks home trying to slap bottom.
point is it is there he wants to go there
-
Adullah M say: You bet ,if it were their own money from their own pockets, they would not even spend a penny for that.
-
Misty say: We aren't alone, its a mathematical certainty.
-
az_lender say: I used to work in the Planetary Science section at Caltech, the academic institution associated with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Most people in the division thought that unmanned flight would return research results more efficiently than manned flight, but that the public would not support NASA without the excitement of the manned space flight program. As to the value of the research results themselves, you could ask that same question about oceanography, Antarctic exploration, pure math, cosmology, and many other fields. In general, the findings become useful in some way, later on; but there is no promise that this must be so.
-
quantumclaustrophobe say: We should send people into space, to other planets, and when we're capable, beyond... because, Earth won't last forever. Someday, Earth's ability to sustain human life will end, either from some natural cataclysm, or by our own hand - and, if we're not able to go to space, to explore, to live there independently from Earth, then, we're doomed to die as a species when that day arrives.
We can learn about other places by sending unmanned robotic probes, but I hope they're only reconnaissance, alerting us to conditions when *we* go. Part of the reason we exist is to explore, and to go further than we ever have, eventually learning to survive there. In the long run, our survival as a species may depend on it.
Otherwise... all we're really doing is trying to keep ourselves comfortable, waiting for 'The End' to arrive... What a sad state of existence that is.
And - if we're alone... then the Universe is *ours*. If we're not - then we may find enemies to protect ourselves against, or allies that can explore space with us.
-
qlrroberts say: Even if we were alone in the universe, or our galaxy, or our region of the galaxy, then it is up to us to spread life throughout the universe. And there are many other interesting things to explore in the universe besides life on other worlds.
-
jonniebaby say: It’s an ongoing mission. To boldly go where no one has gone before.
-
Wade say: Well, gee, we are alone in the universe, except for God.
-
PhotonX say: That's a non sequitur--whether extraterrestrial life exists has almost nothing to do with space exploration. Only short-sighted fools can't recognize the benefits of basic research.
.
.
-
CarolOklaNola say: Ignorant people are ALWAYS afraid. Your ignorance is your mental security blanket. You ha d have NO God given right to smother OTHER people's curiosity because of YOUR IGNORANCE and your obsession with keeping yourself AND OTHER people IG Ora t of the FACTS. Trump and Faux News are a superb example. Faux has became state media. It no longer broadcasts news.
WHAT are YOU going to do if it turns out that we are NOT alone? Die from a stroke because the TRUTH is .ore than you can tolerate? Ignorance can be VERY FATAL. Survival of the fittest.
-
Jim say: We can also find ourselves new homes.
And, there are wonders out there besides life forms.
If we don't find life, look at the bright side. There will be no hostile aliens to blow us up.
-
Acetek say: bad attitude skippy
-
Blessed say: anything to waste taxpayer money. I think that each country will try to have a space station on a planet so they can bomb any country that gives the a hard time. that is a false hood
-
Gerald say: all the energy mankind could ever need is out there but then it would be free there could be solid gold planets or diamonds the size of Everest that would make trumps billions chicken feed we could all have billions are you getting the picture
-
Barry say: Your view is not shared by all.
-