Eugene Cernan has passed

[wmenorr67]

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2017/01/16/eugene-cernan-last-man-to-walk-on-moon-dead-at-82.html

Last man to walk on the moon.

[makattak]

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2017/01/16/eugene-cernan-last-man-to-walk-on-moon-dead-at-82.html

Last man to walk on the moon.

As in, last one to have done it, not the last one still alive.

How sad is it that we have witnessed the death of the last human to have stepped foot on a celestial body other than our planet. Soon, no one who has been on the moon will be alive.

But, we've got boys sharing showers with high school girls. So, PROGRESS!

[MechAg94]

But the vulnerables all get checks now.

[RevDisk]

Normally I don't buy the "greatest generation" BS, but I do admit our priorities have slipped. We're doing decent work sending out drones, and that is a very cost efficient solution for the moment. Makes sense to gather good data before we try moving humans off planet.

But I do worry that we may stick to the cost efficient, rather than jump to the next stage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Direct#Mars_Semi-Direct

Eventually, we have two options. Spread out across the solar system, or die as a species.

[roo_ster]

Very likely the last, forever.  We have gone "handicapper general" on our civilization and expect it to soar to teh heavens.

[HankB]

And the outgoing president celebrated the retirement of the Space Shuttle, and the loss of America's manned space flight capability.     

[RoadKingLarry]

High Flight

John Gillespie Magee, Jr

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew --
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

[Fly320s]

Eventually, we have two options. Spread out across the solar system, or die as a species.

We don't have to die out.  We will have to scale down or limit the population, but we don't have to go extinct.

We still have alligators, cockroaches, and horseshoe crabs.

[TommyGunn]

We don't have to die out.  We will have to scale down or limit the population, but we don't have to go extinct.

We still have alligators, cockroaches, and horseshoe crabs.

I get the cockroaches will work in Washington DC but where do the alligators & crabs find employment?   

[Perd Hapley]

Eventually, we have two options. Spread out across the solar system, or die as a species.

Or both!   


Or:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

[Fly320s]

I get the cockroaches will work in Washington DC but where do the alligators & crabs find employment?   

As lawyers and on hookers?

[Unisaw]

Netflix has a great documentary titled Last Man On the Moon.  I recommend watching it.

[never_retreat]

Why is it we have never put another person on the moon? It seams kind of odd.

[RoadKingLarry]

Why is it we have never put another person on the moon? It seams kind of odd.

Obviously it is because all that money is better spent on welfare programs.

[HankB]

Obviously it is because all that money is better spent on welfare programs.

Cumulatively, about $20,000,000,000,000 so far . . . the annual expense topped $1,000,000,000,000 back in 2012, including everything from direct payments to "free" Obama phones.

Compare these numbers to both the annual deficit and the national debt.

 

[Unisaw]

Why is it we have never put another person on the moon? It seams kind of odd.

Here's a great article about Gene Cernan.  The story revolves around his testimony to Congress regarding the need for space exploration.

http://townhall.com/columnists/robertcharles/2017/01/17/godspeed-apollo-17s-gene-cernan--you-taught-us-well-n2272702

[RevDisk]

Why is it we have never put another person on the moon? It seams kind of odd.

At the time? We beat the Soviets and that is all that mattered to people. Space is hard. We finally sorted out that drones are cheap and space isn't nearly as hard if you don't need atmosphere. That's not a bad idea until we can sort out cheap launch platforms. Currently, ANYTHING that the US government uses to touch vaccum comes with a 100x (maybe couple more zeros) markup.

The moon? Are you friggin kidding me? We could put people on Titan or Eros or Europa. THAT is easy.

Government procurement? Now that is hard, gentlemen.