Unmanned Chinese spaceprobe lands on the Moon

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

More spaceflight and exploration news. Unmanned Chinese spaceprobe Chang'e-4 has just landed on the Moon today. It is the first spacecraft to not land on the Earth-facing side.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46724727

[Voltron]

This is pretty wild stuff. I'm glad we're expressing interest in space exploration again.

I'm bummed that the US isn't doing it, though. Used to be we were sending people up there.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Voltron

This is pretty wild stuff. I'm glad we're expressing interest in space exploration again.

I'm bummed that the US isn't doing it, though. Used to be we were sending people up there.

I don't like NASA's manned space shuttle programme. Many times between April 1981 and July 2011, the space shuttles flew in Earth orbit with astronauts inside, just to do research about how spaceflights effect Humans.

For every time, NASA became more and more afraid of manned missions. Stupid. Everyone who wants to be an astronauts already knows there are risks. They like adventures.

Imagine if Christopher Columbus had been a afraid of sailing? If the Orville and Wilbur Wright brothers had been afraid of flying?

[Voltron]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

I don't like NASA's manned space shuttle programme. Many times between April 1981 and July 2011, the space shuttles flew in Earth orbit with astronauts inside, just to do research about how spaceflights effect Humans.

For every time, NASA became more and more afraid of manned missions. Stupid. Everyone who wants to be an astronauts already knows there are risks. They like adventures.

Imagine if Christopher Columbus had been a afraid of sailing? If the Orville and Wilbur Wright brothers had been afraid of flying?

That's vital research. We need to know what long term effects astronauts might risk if they undertake exceptionally long missions. That's gearing up for permanent Moon bases and manned Mars missions.

Science is a lot of waiting. It's not glamorous breakthroughs and sudden realizations. It's hard work, sacrifice, and patience that sometimes doesn't yield the desired results.

Sure, being an astronaut sounds awesome, but people might still like to live after coming back to Earth.

I say, experiment away.

[DarkFell]

Spoilers in place due to reply being lengthy.

Spoiler:

As much as I want to support thriving colonies from Earth living on our Moon, I have to be a nay-sayer this time.

Despite our advancements with technology, being able to grow our own food and such.. a lot of things can still go very wrong. Machines can and do fail and, being stranded until help arrives on an otherwise -temperature- hostile world that is devoid of gravity and breathable air, is not what most Earthings want or envision of outer space colonizing.

[Andrew NDB]

If people know the risks and still are down for it, I have no problem at all with it.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Astronaut is not an average 9 to 5 office job. Or should we stop educating firefighters and policemen too, just because of the risks?

[Voltron]

Hence the research.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Voltron

I'm bummed that the US isn't doing it, though. Used to be we were sending people up there.

Hasn't happened since July 2011. Longest break ever.

[Andrew NDB]

I'm just glad it is happening at all. Will quell the Flat Earth crazies.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I'm just glad it is happening at all. Will quell the Flat Earth crazies.

Of course. If we don't continue exploring outer space, we only give more space for extremists of all kinds instead. Ancient civilizations, like Assyria, Baylonia, China, Greece, Mesotoamia, Persia, Phoenicia and Sumeria just to mention some all had awesome astronomers for its time.

http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/virtualmuseum/ita/01_1.shtml

The Phoenicians even navigated their boats after the stars.

https://www.ancient.eu/article/897/t...ster-mariners/

But then, during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, science went backwards and it wasn't until the Age of Enlightenment during the 18th century things began to change.

[Refractive Reflections]

It certainly brings China up another step in the space exploration field. But unless researchers can find new alternative energies, like developing nuclear fusion, it's a waste of time and resources for any country to currently pursue any type of manned mission to Mars, considering our current energy resources (fossil fuels), and the tens of millions of miles in distance between Earth and Mars.

It's quite a technological contrast that our 21st century electronic consumer goods (i.e. smartphones), still somewhat depend on 19th century developed power generation (i.e. coal power).

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Refractive Reflections

It's quite a technological contrast that our 21st century electronic consumer goods (i.e. smartphones), still somewhat depend on 19th century developed power generation (i.e. coal power).

Only 30% is coming from coal nowadays, but yeah.