Public opinion on Space travel

[freeshark]

As you are all probably aware. Most people think space travel is, at least for the near future, just Science fiction.<br /><br />Unfortunatly, the ones who do believe it is possible don't find interesting. <br /><br />Reason behind the this is that footage from the space shuttle are BORING. Who cares about doing back flips in air. That was fun for 5 mins for veiwers. <br /><br />I think we need more DRAMA in our space endeavors. Up to now we have left all the telling of the great discoveries to scientists that are probably nerds.<br /><br />I don't mean to sound hrash by saying nerds. I am a nerd myself some times. But if the gov. hired some COOL people to put a little spice in to NASA then people would be REALLY interested in Space exporation! <br /><br />Something as corny as a Space reality show on the space station would not only do the trick ut it would probably Fund a trip to MARS to boot!<br /><br />I want to send a letter to NASA's PR manager with some more ideas.<br /><br />If you have any ideas on how to get millions of people activly interested in Space travel, then write your idea here.<br /><br />But keep in mind we want realistic ideas that can experimented with. NOT SCIENCE FICTION.<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />Dave

 

[space_tycoon]

North America's hordes of couch-potato slobs will never be capable of grasping the true value of space exploration and development. <br /><br />All we can hope for is that the true visionaries will continue to fund private space ventures that are for-profit and self-financing. <br /><br />NASA answers to politicians, and politicians answer to the voters. And voters are by and large ignorant, short-sighted and fickle.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[tomnackid]

I tend to think that the LESS the general public cares about space travel the BETTER it is for NASA and private developers. We have already seen far too many people on this board decry the CEV for not being "cool" enough. They would have NASA waste years of time and untold millions of dollars to design something new with fins and racing stripes rather than go with a tested, tried and true design concept from the Apollo days. How much time and money has NASA wasted in the past on public relations and publicity? No NASA should ONLY be trying to convince congressmen (who at least stand some chance of understanding space travel and its implications--provided you speak slowly and carefully) that space travel/exploration is important as a matter of national security and economic development. Most of the general public--especially those who grew up with Star Wars and video games are just going to have unrealistic expectations and whine and moan about the real thing being "boring" and "uncool".

 

[chriscdc]

Practically everyone has thought of the ISS reality show. If you watch Nasa TV, the majority of it seems to be watching what they are doing on the ISS.<br />Part of the problem is bandwidth which seems to be limited to webcam quality at the best of times.<br /><br />Many people lament at the lack of abition of the space programme for the last 2 decades. Unfortunatly we space advocates get into arguments over whether the ISS and shuttle have been a mistake, then the engineers seem to take it as a personal insult etc.<br /><br />But now it is interesting. The Xprize came the top talked about news story last year. Nasa has a decent guy in charge and we are now going back to the moon within a decent time scale, with a sensible architecture plan that could easily be converted to trips to the NEOs and mars etc. One thing I would like to see is a longterm habitation module, say the size of skylab or one of bigelows habs. Something nice and modular that can be 'mass' produced.<br /><br />Has anyone noticed how we seem to have half a dozen new people turning up in the space of a few days?

 

[why06]

speaking of "racing stripes" and "publictiy"...<br /><br />A ROCKET RACING LEAGUE is coming out I don't know weather you checked out the post or not, but its supposed to take off around late 2007.<br /><br />....Personally I have confidence in it expecially since its being orchestrated by the same guys who made the X Prize. If the public doesn't get interested in space by rockets whizzing aroung 1000s of feet they never will. That should finnaly take people away from what's happening on Earth and onto what's happening in the stars.<br /><br />Also it would probally help if the public was able to vote on what the goverment should invest their money in or NASA could have polls....,but that's a direct domacracy isn't it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[freeshark]

What I meant to say was that we should find a realistic way of making space travel and exploration more FUN and entertaining. <br /><br />I don't want nasa to build a different ship just for the looks of it, but would painting it with something funny KILL the space program?<br /><br />An ISS reality show WOULD be boring unless you add a script and some jokes. Some heated discussion. ANYTHING to get the world to simpathize with the people up there and laugh a little. <br /><br />Get them to WANT to be in their places on the ISS just to have as much fun as the others are having.<br /><br />It doesn't even have to be genuine. You can make it up and tell the public that its real.<br /><br />Havn't you ever wanted to be on survivor? 20 million people watch that dumb show and think that nature is cool all of sudden because it's on tv and exciting.<br /><br />That would get the public roaring for advancement and the congressmen would PUSH for advancement as well.<br /><br />Just my oppinion. I would love for some one to come up with a few bright ideas.<br /><br />As for bandwidth, I don't want a LIVE show. You can make the video and then send it once it's done.<br /><br />Dave<br /><br />

 

[why06]

For one NASA can have contests for civilians to take a trip into space, but after Columbia there a little shaky on that.<br />Secondly maybe ABC could come up with a comedy where astronauts are trapped on the moon. Like Gilligan's Island in space. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[tomnackid]

"It doesn't even have to be genuine. You can make it up and tell the public that its real"<br />---------------------------------------------------------<br />I may be old fashioned, but I don't think lying to the public would be a good idea. Sooner or later the truth will come out and people will just become more cynical and apathetic. <br />

 

[freeshark]

"It doesn't even have to be genuine. You can make it up and tell the public that its real" <br />--------------------------------------------------------- <br />I may be old fashioned, but I don't think lying to the public would be a good idea. Sooner or later the truth will come out and people will just become more cynical and apathetic. <br /><br /><br />What I meant to say is that we should give the astronaughts something interesting to do! Lead them to doing something genuinly funny.<br /><br />Surviror was only interesting becasue they had challenges and those challenges led to some people do entertaining things. <br /><br />So strart with a script and it grow it's own life.<br /><br />The "trapped on the moon" show is a great place to start! <br /><br />Imagine what the astronauts would do with thier spare time? Especially if they were allowed to go outside and play with the machines?<br /><br />The coolest thing I remember about the apollo missions was when the scientist on the last mission took the hammer and trough it as far as he could in to space.<br /><br />I am still curiuos to know if it made it back to the moon?<br /><br />Dave<br />

 

[tomnackid]

"The coolest thing I remember about the apollo missions was when the scientist on the last mission took the hammer and trough it as far as he could in to space. <br /><br />I am still curiuos to know if it made it back to the moon? "<br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Well, even without a pressure suit I doubt that Jack Schmitt could throw a hammer 2,443 meters per second (lunar escape velocity) so I'm pretty sure it came down again!

 

[mlorrey]

Tomnackid is right. It's hard enough getting the wingnuts to believe that we ever went to the moon the first several times....

 

[qso1]

Space travel currently just does not figure into the average persons life. One need only look around them to see this. On TV, very little about human spaceflight. No TV shows about it, sometimes something can be found on Discovery/History Channels.<br /><br />Few know how many times the shuttle has flown, fewer still realize where the shuttle even flies to (ISS mostly).<br /><br />More people know about, and are activelly interested in who Lindsay Lohan is dating than who might be aboard ISS.<br /><br />NASA is in the space science business, not the entertainment business and the public at large is not interested in science.<br /><br />Its called capturing public imagination and the study of weightlessness does not quite do that. People walking on Mars would for awhile but even that would fade in a short time.<br /><br />The Government will not adequately fund NASA. Clinton could boast one of the strongest economies in recent years, a budget surplus on the order of three times NASAs budget to boot.<br /><br />What did he do? Very little, although his Admins decision to join up with Russia on ISS basically saved that program.<br /><br />NASAs budget was 2-4% GDP from the mid 1960s to 1973. From 1973 to present, it hovers just below 1% GDP...a major indicator of public interest.<br /><br />A reality show would not come anywhere near being able to fund a trip to Mars. That trip is variously estimated anywhere between $50-400B dollars.<br /><br />Freeshark:<br />If you have any ideas on how to get millions of people activly interested in Space travel, then write your idea here.<br /><br />On your statement above, the only way this can happen is for commercial spaceflight to take over. A process thats in its beginnings at this time and will probably take two decades to fully realize.<br /><br />Once commercial spaceflight takes hold, the rest takes care of itself. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[kauboi]

Just convince the general public that martians exist and they look like this. You'll see how we will find ourselves there on a couple of weeks. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[kauboi]

On a more serious tone... NASA should focus on children, my love for space exploration began as a kid as I imagine it is for most people. If they achieve to give small children hopes and expectations and create in them a sense of adventure and curiosity for space travel you'll see a difference IMO.

 

[qso1]

NASA does focus on children. Thats why they developed "Space camps".<br /><br />Most space science captures only a small percentage of the publics attention. Very few people who have no interest in space are captivated by the latest news in say, propagation of electromagnetic waves through the interstellar medium. They show more interest in Hubble images, and rovers on Mars.<br /><br />There is even a NASA channel but how many cable providers carry it?<br /><br />The problem is not NASA PR. If someone is interested in space exploration, plenty of good PR out there. Space science and exploration because of its technical and incremental nature, just cannot be made to appeal to a culture with a 5 second attention span and a desire to know whats going on in some celebs life.<br /><br />Look at TV, American Idol, an abundance of reality shows. Not a single reality show about space. If the public got interested in a good reality show about space, it could translate into more pro-space activity. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[craig42]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Not a single reality show about space<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />The UK had one recently. Space Cadets at the beginning it reached its high of www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds27211.html] 2.62 Million viewers. Doesn't seemed to have had much of an effect though

 

[qso1]

Craig42:<br />The UK had one recently. Space Cadets at the beginning it reached its high of www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds27211.html] 2.62 Million viewers. Doesn't seemed to have had much of an effect though<br /><br />My response:<br />Not surprised because the UK also has a good actual spaceflight magazine (I think thats the name) and no counterpart in the U.S.<br /><br />Its good you bring this us because at one time we did have a few magazines devoted to spaceflight. One was "Countdown", another called "STS Profiles" I think. and another called "Quest". I don't think any of them are available now. We still have "Ad Astra" but as with the other mags, generally only those close to whats going on in human space exploration are aware of these mags. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[steve82]

I think the American public has a high opinion of their space program. They feel a close bond with the Astronauts and are eager to see the Shuttle flying again, safely. Wayne Hale says that wherever he goes people keep asking that question: "When are we going to fly again?" After we lost Columbia, the PAO office at JSC left letters of condolence out on a table in the cafeteria for us to stop by and look at, so I stopped by a few times and picked up a few. There were hundreds of them. Each had been carefully stamped as received and was probably recorded and responded to, and they were truly heartfelt expressions of loss felt by many individuals and groups. I remember one card from three little old ladies in a sewing circle in Florida, just took the time to write. There were many others like it. Americans are proud of their space program, maybe justifiably a little distrustful of government agencies in general, and they don't want screw-ups to endanger "our guys" and are outraged if it happens. But they want us to be a spacefaring nation.