Space Travel...

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Xero

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Is space travel for more normal people possible in the near future? With all the talk of space flight and new breakthroughs, I kind of want to get off this planet and get to another one. I know science fiction type of stuff, so I posted it here. But seriously, do you think there will be some way of us, the common people(aka not NASA or any other space association), of leaving via transport ships or getting our hands on the technologies to leave our selves?
 
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qso1

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Heres a link to get you started:<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_tourism<br /><br />Now to the question which as the link indicates, space travel for the everyday person is certainly possible. However, for the foreseeable future, it will be the domain of the well heeled, that is...those with deep pockets and if your one of those, sign up with Virgin Galactic or the company that offers flights aboard Soyuz for those with very deep pockets.<br /><br />Going to another planet is another ball of wax. NASA has not been able to see its grand plans become reality and thats been the case with them and plans to put humans on mars for nearly three decades. I suspect NASA (Or another well funded agency) will send humans to Mars in the next half century and commercial interests will follow if the cost of getting to mars can be brought down and a profit can be made.<br /><br />And of course, private companies still have to prove they can safely, regularly, and economically send people into space.. <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>
 
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kelvinzero

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hmmm...<li> You could win the space lottery: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/missions/tito_lottery_010511.html<li> You could live forever: http://www.imminst.org/<li> A new space race could accelerate things.<li> Luna ISRU could lead to largescale industry starting on the moon, which would eventually lead to largescale employment.<li> My current favorite option is space solar power: http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/solar_power_sats_011017-1.html (possibly via luna ISRU).. which could lead to the infrastructure to build space habitats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_habitat</li></li></li></li></li>
 
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vagueship

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I think the process would be speeded up if NASA didn't have politicians getting in the way of progress. How many politicians actually understand what NASA is trying to do or how they do it?
 
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Xero

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I agree with VagueShip very much so. If politicians weren't so concerned with making a quick buck they would have a better space program because they would have access to more funds. As for space tourism, I, most unfortunately, do not have deep pockets nor am I influential so I suppose I won't get to see space in this lifetime. I really hope for some sort of catalyst though so we might get ourselves into space that much faster. Neh?
 
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kelvinzero

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More possible catalysts:<br /><li> Dramatic asteroid impact, Epidemic or scary climate change gets people sensibly worried about living in one biosphere.<li> Development of a compact self replicating factory (would allow a small investment to build a huge industry on the moon).. but a less dramatic manufacturing breakthrough could also be a factor.<li> launch breakthrough leads to dramatically cheaper large scale space industry. Laser launch? Ballooning into outer space? magnetic launch loop?</li></li></li>
 
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Xero

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Sadly. If there are ETs(like we are discussing in some other topic) then that would also be a helpful catalyst... as long as they didn't crash and then we get blamed for being uber-hostile. It seems the best catalyst would be for the entire planet and the people on it to be put into grave danger. Might get exciting but it also kind of stinks... I mean, it's only our <i>lives</i> we're dealing with! <br /><br /><<HAH! No more log in problems!!! YAY! />> -Me!
 
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Xero

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It may take a while but it still will. If there are ETs looking for other hospitable planets to live on because they have overgrown the reasonable bounds of their current planet then earth may look pretty good. We still have quite a lot of unused land. Granted we need a good portion of land with plants and such so we can continue to live but we could also find other means of residence, like the people who own house boats and live on the water in them.
 
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Xero

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I'm kind of all for it! We would need geniuses that we didn't already have so the governments would have to start looking for average people that are very intelligent. I'm not saying I'd be picked as one(though it would be fun, neh?) but at least they would have more eyes on the situation. I don't personally like dying though so I hope if they contact us it <i>is</i> peaceful. Though, crop circles may be contact anyway if you are to believe it comes from an off-planet source(i.e. not people f***ing around.)
 
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