So is NASA having a hard time hiring youth?

[KosmicHero]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>It is unfortunate that the public is really turning their backs on the space program.&nbsp;&nbsp; Unless its a mishap or an explosion you almost never read about it in the papers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I go to NASAs site for the video feeds since you can't find them anywhere, its a shame too.&nbsp;NASA will definatly be set on the back burner politically since our energy problems are just running rampant.&nbsp; With budget cuts that leaves less incentives for engineers to debate joining NASA. &nbsp;&nbsp; And private space industry is still realativly undeveloped. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Honestly theres just too much happening in the world today for ordinary people to show interest in space exploration and space industry. &nbsp;&nbsp; With the shakey stock and bond markets of late;&nbsp; there is no way investors would consider the risk of industries with space explotation as their focus. &nbsp;&nbsp; Rising fuel and energy costs, war, and just apathy are really adversly affecting peoples will to show support for endevours which take time and money.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; A while back Space.com had a interesting article on the militaries look into a orbital solar array. &nbsp;&nbsp; That is something we need. &nbsp; It will probably never be mentioned officialy again, but I know we have the technology to make it work. &nbsp; It even is realitly cheap compared to the ISS,&nbsp; and will pay itself off in less time if it was used for terrestrial power generation. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What we really need is a platform or lunar base for the detection and tracking of objects&nbsp; that could potentially hit Earth. &nbsp;&nbsp; I know there is a variety of radio telescopes and other machinery that already do this in a sense. &nbsp;&nbsp; But a lunar or orbital base has a better can radius, can operate near 24/7. &nbsp; &nbsp; But thats probably to Sci-Fi for most.&nbsp;&nbsp; For now there are just to many problems on Earth, even though they can potentionally be solved by looking upwards, everyone is too busy staring at the ground hopeing someone else will find the answers for them <br />Posted by neuvik</DIV></p><p>We are in shaky times when it comes to space activities.&nbsp; I have to disagree with you a little however concerning 'war' as&nbsp;a distraction from space.&nbsp; I think that you will find that $10M for tech development is a pitance.&nbsp; The amount of money that is spent on employing space scientists and astronautical engineers (among others) by the government for military purposes is substantially larger than the current private space community (barring telecom and imaging and other industries).&nbsp; This keeps engineers and scientists employed so that when we do have a big push for space activities in the civil sector, they will be there.&nbsp; </p><p>I definetely agree with your signature, we must declare War on Space!&nbsp; <br /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> kosmichero.wordpress.com </div>

 

[azorean5000]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>What is really needed is a good sound economic reason for going to&nbsp; space.&nbsp; <br />Posted by DrRocket</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;Hey DrRocket thats what i have been saying since i arrived at this forum. Without a economic case, non-science space activities wont have much of a future. &nbsp;<br /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[EJ]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>...So, if you really want to see a robust space industry in the near term, focus your attention on finding a good commercial reason for going to space and not on finding a cheap taxi cab to get you there.&nbsp; What we lack at the moment is that reason.I wish I could give you such a reason.&nbsp; I cannot, but I can tell you what it might look like.&nbsp; First, it must be light in weight.&nbsp; For instance information is weightless and perhaps information gained in space might be sufficiently valuable.&nbsp; That is why communication satellites exist.&nbsp; They produce high revenue and don't weigh much.&nbsp; Unfortunately that market is saturated and well-served with existing launch systems.&nbsp; The same attributes and comments apply to earth surveillance satellites (including military intelligence satellites).&nbsp; If you could find a manufacturing process for some lightweight commodity -- maybe very sophisticated integrated circuits -- that could only be performed in the zero-g environment of a space station that might be a winner.&nbsp; Perfect steel ball bearings might sound good, but they are too heavy and not valuable enough.&nbsp; If you could find a cancer vaccine that could only be made in a weightless environment that would be a winner.&nbsp;Or, ........&nbsp; <br />Posted by DrRocket</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;Your grasp of the obstacles we face in developing a more robust space indutry is on point.&nbsp; Just like you have ruminated about the possiblities and commercially exploitable ideas; I firmly believe that there are a lot more ideas in the bright and talented trained and untrained minds all accross this great country.&nbsp; To develop and sustain the interest we need to make near term and future space programs viable and see exponential growth, I maintain that we have to start by making space education a part of the curriculum of primary and secondary schools.</p><p>Let me digress with the example of Japan's embrace of robotics and their constant pursuit of achiving the near perfect humanoid robot.&nbsp; The government and industry partnered and decided that Japan would become the world's leader in robotics.&nbsp; Yes, it took time for this technology to start becoming commercial viability, but here lies the difference between other developed cultures and ours.&nbsp; We have to be willing to think well beyond the "here and now" and be willing to invest in endeavors that will take time before it starts to pay-off.&nbsp; Traditional industries are constantly being outsourced to countries with cheap labor.&nbsp; In order to mentain our status as the world's leader, we have to envision and&nbsp;develop the non-traditional industries of the future .&nbsp; The space industry is without question the next frontier.</p><p>&nbsp;Now back to the education argument...The vast amount of detailed information now available on our solar system and beyond&nbsp;can be packaged in entertaining ways that stimulate the interest of our youth.&nbsp; Space.com should be the default homepage on desktops in cumputer labs in every specialized science & technology high school accross this country.&nbsp; Yeah, I know I'm probably "preaching to the choir" but it is encumbent on us the space "geeks"to exert our influence both interpersonally with our peers, through parent-teacher organizations,&nbsp;and politcally through the appropriate channels, in expanding the seeming narrow 3R (reading, writing & arithmetic) vision of what should be taught to children.</p><p>If we stimulate the interest in our youth, have government partner more keenly with and&nbsp;provide seed capital to private space endeavors, I believe the USA can start towards recapturing the role of innovator extraordinaire.&nbsp; Your thoughts on more ways by which we can promote space education within our schools are welcome.<br /></p>

 

[DrRocket]

<p>

&nbsp;Your grasp of the obstacles we face in developing a more robust space indutry is on point.&nbsp; .&nbsp; Space.com should be the default homepage on desktops in cumputer labs in every specialized science & technology high school accross this country.&nbsp;&nbsp;... in expanding the seeming narrow 3R (reading, writing & arithmetic) vision of what should be taught to children.If we stimulate the interest in our youth, have government partner more keenly with and&nbsp;provide seed capital to private space endeavors, I believe the USA can start towards recapturing the role of innovator extraordinaire.&nbsp;</p><p>I'm afaid that I must disagree with some of your points.</p><p>I very much support an emphasis on the 3R's all the way through high school.&nbsp; The biggest problem in university education is a lack of preparation in the 3R's on the part of incoming freshmen.&nbsp; Frankly, the inability to handle English precisely is an impediment to the learning of calculus.&nbsp; I am further of the opinion that specialized classes, and even some "advanced" classes are not effective at the high school level.&nbsp; I would much rather have a student who learned his/her calculus at the university from someone who had the background to really explain why the subject works than one who received AP credit and learned only efficient manipulation of symbols.&nbsp; I have heard similar opinions from organic chemists and the head of the aeronautical engineering department at one of the most prestigious technical institutes in the country.&nbsp; The biggest deficiency among even people with engineering degrees working the aerospace industry is a lack of firm grounding in the fundamentals and an overreliance on the use of computer models as a "black box".&nbsp; Three cheers for the 3 Rs.</p><p>I am not a great believer in government partnerships with fly-by-night barely competent entrepreneurial companies.&nbsp; There is a tremendous tendancy for those outfits to live off of other people's money and produce little or nothing of value.&nbsp; If they have a compelling business case and appropriate technology there is plenty of venture capital available.&nbsp; However, to date there has been no compelling business model forthcoming.&nbsp; The role of innovator extraordinaire can be supported by private capital -- more readily than with government money involved.&nbsp; Government money comes and goes and cannot be depended upon.&nbsp; Keep politics out of it and things will go far more smoothly.</p><p>To reiterate my earlier post, if you want to see space exploration thrive and grow then you need to find a compelling commercial reason for going to space.&nbsp; That will attract both people and money on a dependable basis.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[EJ]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm afaid that I must disagree with some of your points.I very much support an emphasis on the 3R's all the way through high school.&nbsp; The biggest problem in university education is a lack of preparation in the 3R's on the part of incoming freshmen.&nbsp; Frankly, the inability to handle English precisely is an impediment to the learning of calculus.&nbsp; I am further of the opinion that specialized classes, and even some "advanced" classes are not effective at the high school level.&nbsp; I would much rather have a student who learned his/her calculus at the university from someone who had the background to really explain why the subject works than one who received AP credit and learned only efficient manipulation of symbols.&nbsp; I have heard similar opinions from organic chemists and the head of the aeronautical engineering department at one of the most prestigious technical institutes in the country.&nbsp; The biggest deficiency among even people with engineering degrees working the aerospace industry is a lack of firm grounding in the fundamentals and an overreliance on the use of computer models as a "black box".&nbsp; Three cheers for the 3 Rs.&nbsp; The role of innovator extraordinaire can be supported by private capital -- more readily than with government money involved.&nbsp; Government money comes and goes and cannot be depended upon.&nbsp; Keep politics out of it and things will go far more smoothly.To reiterate my earlier post, if you want to see space exploration thrive and grow then you need to find a compelling commercial reason for going to space.&nbsp; That will attract both people and money on a dependable basis. <br />Posted by DrRocket</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;I absolutely agree in strengthening the 3 Rs, however; as we continue to fall behind other developed and developing countries in math and science we must find new ways to inspire our youth in order to be competitive in the global market.&nbsp; Learning math and science at the primary and secondary levels in the abstract or mundane traditional ways does not bode well for a reversal of this decline.&nbsp; I continue to believe that adding space education to the curriculum will be tremendously inspiring.&nbsp; We don't have to have formal specialized classes as you alluded to; aspects of space education can be expanded within existing math and science programs.&nbsp; Also, embracing the entertainment aspects of space exploration can garner increased interest and embrace of math and science.&nbsp; So much of physics is best appreciated when applied to space.&nbsp; </p><p>Yes, I agree that a compelling commercial reason for space exploration would be pivotal for a robust space industry, however; the creative imagination that will lead to innovations that will spark such commercial interest lies within our youth.&nbsp; We fostered an educational &nbsp;culture&nbsp;&nbsp;over the last few decades around the computer industry (a PC in every classroom) with enormous commercial success; just look at the impact of personal computing and the Internet, and all the gadgetry associated with it.&nbsp; Similarly, if we start to foster an educational culture that embraces space education, I am confident that the pay-off will come sooner than we anticipate.&nbsp; Space is undeniably the next frontier and only by changing the culture can we continue be the leaders and innovators in this industry.</p>

 

[MeteorWayne]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>we seem to only become an efficient species when it's a race <br />Posted by l3p3r</DIV></p><p>Desperation allows the commitment of resources to do something really fast.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[RonMaverick]

this is amazing, i love all the replies I've seen here.&nbsp; I have been trying still to get my friends to see the bigger picture about space and our planet. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[azorean5000]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I would much rather have a student who learned his/her calculus at the university from someone who had the background to really explain why the subject works than one who received AP credit and learned only efficient manipulation of symbols.&nbsp; I have heard similar opinions from organic chemists and the head of the aeronautical engineering department at one of the most prestigious technical institutes in the country.&nbsp; The biggest deficiency among even people with engineering degrees working the aerospace industry is a lack of firm grounding in the fundamentals and an overreliance on the use of computer models as a "black box"</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;I agree. Better someone that understands then someone that only knows.</p><p>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I am not a great believer in government partnerships with fly-by-night barely competent entrepreneurial companies.&nbsp; There is a tremendous tendancy for those outfits to live off of other people's money and produce little or nothing of value.&nbsp; If they have a compelling business case and appropriate technology there is plenty of venture capital available.&nbsp; However, to date there has been no compelling business model forthcoming.&nbsp; The role of innovator extraordinaire can be supported by private capital -- more readily than with government money involved.&nbsp; Government money comes and goes and cannot be depended upon.&nbsp; Keep politics out of it and things will go far more smoothly.To reiterate my earlier post, if you want to see space exploration thrive and grow then you need to find a compelling commercial reason for going to space.&nbsp; That will attract both people and money on a dependable basis. <br />Posted by DrRocket</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;I also agree. Government-funded private industry is no private industry at all. It must pay for itself</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>