NASA; In the Public's Eyes.

[Kyle]

everyone knows of the historic
missions to the moon, It was aw inspiring, NASA did what no man achieved before. Its a sad thing what they teach some kids today in school, I asked a Kid, who was the first man on the moon, he look at me, and said 'Michael Jackson, I think.' The public seriously disregards space now, its all cool for 2 minutes during Ascent on the Space Shuttle, Heck, For Space Shuttle Atlantis's STS-117 mission back in June, the launch was so under covered, utterly disregarded in till the last minute, that Buzz Aldrin got so upset and called in Fox News to cover it some, Because Paris Hilton was going to Jail that day. Honestly, who cares about Paris Hilton? The Space program is one of the most Historic things to happen in the History of mankind, I think the public should be more aware of it. How? Maybe adding the Apollo 13 Launch music to every Space Shuttle Launch on NASA TV, and other things, the public needs to get more involved maybe even, maybe NASA should open tours to see the Space Shuttle up close, or go inside shuttle trainers, and letting more people go up close to the Launch and Landing, I can think of many things that could help, but, for the news media, its old news, as soon as one launches, they go back to Celebrity Drama which honestly, no one cares, but they cover it as If God stepped onto their front yards.

 

[Biscuit]

A lot of the problem as I see it, is most people can't grasp the concept of "space".

It's too big and complicated a concept ... a vehicle that goes way up with people and falls around the Earth ... plus, no scandal, or fights, in short, no action apart from the fireworks of the launch.

Paris (and other celebutards) are so screwed up that it makes people feel better about themselves.

The level of scientific related education in the general public is dismal. I work with one person who is absolutely convinced that man never went to the moon, and we don't / never had the technological capability to do it ... that it was all faked in a studio somewhere ... and she's still holding out judgement about the Shuttle being real.

Another person I work with thinks that a rocket motor will only work because it has air outside of it to 'push' against ... it still only works in space because there are still molecules of air floating around to push against even though it's really thin.

*sigh*

It's enough to really make one grit their teeth and reach for the big bottle of aspirin.

 

[Spicer]

I agree!!!

It's tragic that the public disregards spaceflight as boring, unless there is some sort of tragedy. Spaceflight is the wonder of our era, and no one cares.

One of the goals of the Space Shuttle program was to make space flight routine. The shuttle still blasts off 4 or 5 times a year successfully and safely. We're up to about 124 missions with the space shuttle...122 which brought the crews back successfully.

I really feel that the space shuttle has succeeded in making space flight routine, despite it's failings.

The U.S. hasn't really pushed the envelope since 1972 with the last moon landing. Hopefully Constellation will spark that interest, and that wonder that existed at the dawn of the space race.

 

[ryan]

We are people who love space, people who are passionate as we are about just off the top of my head storm chasers, they will probaply want all the storms aired live on national television, its the same with space nuts, people have different intrests, NASA is not for everyone.

Biscuit people believe what they want to believe, some people just want attention, they can babble along the the moon landings were hoaxed, but we just dont pay attention to them.

Lol thats the longest post i have ever made, probaply.

 

[Kyle]

How about, all of us write in to the news, and make them play music for STS-125's Launch in October. It has to be Apollo 13, listening to that music with a Launch of the Space Shuttle is both dead on with Launch Stuff such as SSME Ignition, and Throttle up, and Booster Sep. The liftoff part that was on the movie, the score during that moment right after they said 'we have liftoff' has to be played at exactly -6.6 Seconds till launch.

 

[Melocoton]

Hear hear!

What I find most sad, though (Besides the fact that people care more about, say, celebrities) is that kids don't even dream the stuff anymore. When I was their age, I remember that boys all the time would say "I want to be an astronaut!" - Plus, they'd at least test themselves on the subject. Now, war is the new thing. Like previously said, even Press would begin to talk about the latest gossip or scandal - Whilist we're actually going to other planets.

Of course, though - NASA isn't the only problem. It's the astronomy and cosmic reach itself that people no longer even question! I know a relative who studies Quantum Physics for a living, and noone near her even knows how to say it, let alone spell it.. Honestly I often think we're de-evolving..

Away from the cynicality, though - I would atleast happily say that despite the world's lack of interest or attention on the "Space Age," we are at least still accomplishing great things. The new findings on Mars, especially, are things that I am excited about - Along with our most recent findings about the physics and behaviors of two galaxies, and what they would do if too close..

But, yes, in conclusion I'd agree that after our "Landing on the Moon," everyone sat back down and turned their chairs to something else. It was like this big bang - An amazing event, but since noone could even comprehend it (Example, the theorists who still think the landing on the moon was staged) they didn't even bother to ask - "Hey, how are we doing now with the ISS?"

 

[Andy44]

One of the goals of the Space Shuttle program was to make space flight routine. The shuttle still blasts off 4 or 5 times a year successfully and safely.

Well, that's the point of the space shuttle program, you know. It's supposed to be routine, that's what it was built for. But because it's now viewed as very risky in light of the 2 accidents, it's not routine.

You can't have it both ways, exciting and routine at the same time.

Complaining that people don't find your favorite hobby exciting is pointless. People like what they like. You can't force them to suddenly get interested. Other people, like myself, love spaceflight news, and think all the hardware and missions and people are cool, but also think that NASA is, like most government agencies, a massive money-waster, especially the manned side (the unmanned missions deliver plenty of science for the dollar spent, at least).

NASA was basically created with a nod and a wink right from the start. The purpose of NASA is to do research on air and space flight so it can be used by American industry to gain a technological edge. Never mind that there is no authority in the Constitution for this, but in any case that's not NASA's what real mission was. It's real mission was to beat the Soviets in the space race, which was later defined by Kennedy as getting to the Moon by 1970. Once they achieved that, they quickly lost their way and have shifted into government agency mode: find excuses to milk as big a budget as possible out of Congress.

I love watching the shuttle fly, and watching ISS EVAs and all that, but I will be much happier when private spaceflight gets foothold.

 

[Zatnikitelman]

Agreed big time with Andy. It's not NASA that's going to carry humanity into our bold new future. It's the private industries. Let history speak, Columbus may have had financing from Spain, but for the most part it was a private expedition, many of the British attempts at colonization were done under "companies." I see SpaceX as humanity's best hope right now for ever getting off this pathetic little rock we're trying to blow up it seems every day. Until someone builds a craft that gets to Mars better, faster, cheaper or even just SOONER than NASA, no one's going to give a flying flip about much of anything space related.

[EDIT]I believe that this topic over on the Gateworld Stargate forums best exemplifies the general gist of this forum: http://forum.gateworld.net/showthread.php?t=55782
Read the part in the first post that starts:

Now in "200" it says...

Just make your own conclusions.