What we have gained ALREADY from space research.

Space/Science » in reply to Reasons to go to space

David F Mayer — 6/21/2006 5:44:32 PM (archived)

1. Tremendous advances in materials sciences and engineering now being used for many things.
2. Tremendous advances in electronics.
3. Satellite communications for TV, voice, Internet, etc.
4. Weather satellites making possible reasonably accurate 5 day forcasts and weather warnings. (The savings due to accurate predictions and warnings has already paid for the cost of the space program many times over.)
5. Military intelligence information from spy satellites.
6. Accurate navigation on a global basis for the first time (GPS, which has also probably paid for the entire cost many times over).
7. Advances in sensor technology now being applied for medical purposes.
8. Detailed orbital parameters of potential Earth impactors.

The above came to mind in a few minutes. See this site for many, many more Benefits of the Space Program of which these are just a few:

NASA -- TV Gold Medalist
Cordless Power Tools and Appliances
Smoke Detector
Clean Water for the Home
Home Insulation
"Cool" Laser Heart Surgery
Space Telescope Looks for Cancer
Body Imaging
New Arms and Legs
Infrared Thermometer
Light emitting diodes (LED)
Composite Forceps
Pill-Sized Transmitter
Chromosome Analysis
Digital Mammography
Camera on a Chip
Lightning Protection
Windshear Prediction
Collision Avoidance
Crop Management from Orbit - No Small Potatoes!
Crop Dusters Improve Their Aim
Firefighter Breathing System
Powerful Jaws for Rescue Tools

Of course, if we are stupid, we can give it up now and stand pat. Then we will never know what addional benefits we will be missing. On the other hand, if we are smart, we can reap much greater benefits that are currently unknown and even unsuspected. Which makes more sense?

The whole thread (21 posts)

Reasons to go to space - Raoul - 6/20/2006 9:04:37 PM
- What we have gained ALREADY from space research. - David F Mayer - 6/21/2006 5:44:32 PM
  - Nasa television is a joke. - Lee - 6/21/2006 6:45:42 PM
  - Spinoffs are the weakest argument - Robert - 6/21/2006 6:29:05 PM
    - Like I said... - Robert - 6/22/2006 4:32:08 PM
    - Spinoffs? Not spinoffs, direct results. - David F Mayer - 6/22/2006 12:58:30 PM
    - The ISS was going to look for things that only could be made in orbit. - alcaray - 6/21/2006 8:54:07 PM
      - circular argument - Robert - 6/21/2006 10:29:47 PM
        
        nobody knows what we will find. That's the point of research. - alcaray - 6/21/2006 10:53:10 PM
        
        re: nobody knows what we will find. That's the point of research. - Robert - 6/22/2006 4:14:09 AM
        
        if you google ISS+metallurgy you will find... - alcaray - 6/22/2006 3:04:47 PM
        
        OK - Robert - 6/22/2006 4:39:06 PM
        
        Well certainly ISS can't ever compete with putting a flag on the moon or on Mars - alcaray - 6/22/2006 5:04:33 PM
        
        Can't disagree with that. (n/t) - Robert - 6/22/2006 6:57:19 PM
      - re: Thar was also possible with the Shuttle - Raoul - 6/21/2006 9:11:08 PM
        
        The difference - alcaray - 6/21/2006 9:45:19 PM
    - re: Spinoffs are the weakest argument - LJK - 6/21/2006 7:33:23 PM
  - re: All those things can be or are done by unmanned spacecrafts (n/t) - Raoul - 6/21/2006 5:53:05 PM
- re: Reasons to go to space - Robert - 6/21/2006 5:44:09 PM
- Perhaps because the public pays the cost. (n/t) - ER - 6/21/2006 2:12:03 PM
  - Interstellar Migration and the Human Experience - ljk - 7/2/2006 12:20:38 AM

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