Petition to get the UK to start a manned space program

[Connect2space]

Hi guys and gals please sign this petition so the government will start a manned space program here in the uk.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29491

Thank you.

[Kai]

Can't see it getting very far , in fact in the petition the "poster" points this out by stating that the majority of NASA's funding (99.5%) comes from the private sector so why would it need government intervention.

I would rather see any money channeled into science funding

[nephilim]

As Britain tends to spend its money on NOTHING its citizens want or ak for I cant see them taking any notice of anything :mad: But i'l sign it anyway

[nephilim]

Can't see it getting very far , in fact in the petition the "poster" points this out by stating that the majority of NASA's funding (99.5%) comes from the private sector so why would it need government intervention.

I would rather see any money channeled into science funding

Just realised the coincidence of ur avatar & my username.

[Kai]

Just realised the coincidence of ur avatar & my username.

[MarkSix]

Is a manned space program really the best and most cost efficient way to gain knowledge of the Universe and Solar system?

To me UK seems to be one of the big in space research today.

[emadmoussa]

Unfortunately, the UK is starting to lag behind China and India when it comes to space programmes. I would say taking part in the international effort will cut costs and enhance experience and knowledge. Plus, I can't see the government putting aside their austere measures and veer a lot of the funds to a manned space programme. I wish they would...but...

[symesie04]

Not sure that is the way forward. First of it is worth remembering that although the U.K doesnt have a space program as such it does contribute significantly to others. The U.K is renown for making much of the technical equipment (especially photographic and experiment) on both NASA and European space missions and satelites. Secondly one more nation having a manned space program will achieve little in advancement of our knowledge of our place in the Universe. Indeed as our knowledge expands it is becoming obvious that we will require more and more ambitious prejects for space exploration. These are likely to prove unviable for any single nation to achieve and therefore it would be more advisable for nations to work together in providing expertise and finnance to ongoing missions, rather than each country having their own little programs. Just a thought, but if you ever want to see man walk on mars or further afailed i suspect it will need to be a global joint venture.

[Connect2space]

Competition drives innovation, the way I see it if we get involved we will be doing more than before and do we really want to be the last country to put a man in space or on the moon?

[Kai]

But we are involved already.

What's to be gained by putting a man on the moon , it's been done already ( and that was for political reasons ) and unless it returns a profit it's not going to get any private investment that it will need.

[Connect2space]

But we are involved already.

What's to be gained by putting a man on the moon , it's been done already ( and that was for political reasons ) and unless it returns a profit it's not going to get any private investment that it will need.

Humanity cant spend eternity on earth we need to expand, the moon is the first step... John F Kennedy once said ''We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard''

[symesie04]

Really dont think the U.K having its own manned space program will have any bearing on mankinds colonisation of the Moon. Also if man is required to leave this planet for its own salvation then I doubt that the Moon would represent a home to insure the future of the human race. To have a manned space program just because everyone else has is no reason to have a manned space program in my view.

[Kai]

Humanity cant spend eternity on earth we need to expand, the moon is the first step... John F Kennedy once said ''We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard''

True so maybe the sights need to be set further afield , hence the need to increase our knowledge.

The Kennedy quote is now nearly 50 years old and was part of the Space race , things have moved on a bit.

We have been to the moon and now we need to take our second ( and third ) steps but we need to develop our technology before we can seriously consider it.

[Monty]

Sorry but I'd sooner see the money spent on fixing light pollution.

[Connect2space]

True so maybe the sights need to be set further afield , hence the need to increase our knowledge.

The Kennedy quote is now nearly 50 years old and was part of the Space race , things have moved on a bit.

We have been to the moon and now we need to take our second ( and third ) steps but we need to develop our technology before we can seriously consider it.

Very true but we are entering a new space race, well in fact we are entering two... A commercial space race which we could be winning if our government was supporting companies like starchaser industries ltd and skylon. Also the second space race between India, China, Japan, America, Russia, maybe Iran although they only have plans right now, we should get involved, we have a bigger economy than India and Iran so we can do it, its just a lack of vision which is keeping us from doing it.

[Kai]

Not a lack of vision , more a commercial reality check imo.

I'm sure there are more pressing needs that the Government has to address first before we can consider a PR exercise that a moon mission would be ( or space race in 60's language)

[Connect2space]

Really dont think the U.K having its own manned space program will have any bearing on mankinds colonisation of the Moon. Also if man is required to leave this planet for its own salvation then I doubt that the Moon would represent a home to insure the future of the human race. To have a manned space program just because everyone else has is no reason to have a manned space program in my view.

But what else should we do, continue to complain about the tube being overcrowded and inventing new lights for buses or doing what we did before and innovate and get humanity somewhere, as I said we did it before and look where it got humanity, we need to do it again not for ourselves but for humanity, everyone needs to get involved whether its America or India.

[KevUU]

The UK invests quite a lot in space, through its contributions to ESA. I understand that when the tech crunch started a few years ago the government immediately committed more to ESA to ensure more of the work comes to the UK, in order to help safeguard the tech jobs that we need. As mentioned there are areas of space research in which we are considered world leaders - robotics, autonomy, etc. There is a European Space Technology centre which has recently been set up in Harwell to concentrate on just that.

What we don't do is contribute to the manned space 'pot' in ESA, which means we will never be involved in the manned space efforts of ESA (there are plenty of ESA astronauts involved with the ISS). Should we? I'm not sure. If there were ever any 'proper' manned space missions that ESA were doing I'd really like the chance to be involved. On the other hand I see the argument for concentrating on the science etc.

But... I do have an affinity with the thought that a serious commitment by someone to undertake the next BIG inspirational space project is about due, and if we really wanted to do it there's no reason why it couldn't be ESA instead of NASA. If I was feeling optimistic I might suggest that it could unite the various parties instead of the internal politics and bureaucracy which dominates now. Come on ESA, get us excited

[Connect2space]

The UK invests quite a lot in space, through its contributions to ESA. I understand that when the tech crunch started a few years ago the government immediately committed more to ESA to ensure more of the work comes to the UK, in order to help safeguard the tech jobs that we need. As mentioned there are areas of space research in which we are considered world leaders - robotics, autonomy, etc. There is a European Space Technology centre which has recently been set up in Harwell to concentrate on just that.

What we don't do is contribute to the manned space 'pot' in ESA, which means we will never be involved in the manned space efforts of ESA (there are plenty of ESA astronauts involved with the ISS). Should we? I'm not sure. If there were ever any 'proper' manned space missions that ESA were doing I'd really like the chance to be involved. On the other hand I see the argument for concentrating on the science etc.

But... I do have an affinity with the thought that a serious commitment by someone to undertake the next BIG inspirational space project is about due, and if we really wanted to do it there's no reason why it couldn't be ESA instead of NASA. If I was feeling optimistic I might suggest that it could unite the various parties instead of the internal politics and bureaucracy which dominates now. Come on ESA, get us excited

The problem is we are doing the work in the background for ESA whilst France is launching all the people and getting all the credit and most of the economic rewards from the whole thing, im not saying we shouldnt give to ESA but we should have a leading role and unless ESA says they want to land a man on the moon/mars within 10 years im not going to support them.

[TheMightyKong]

I'm not sure the UK is in financial shape to undertake the enormous expense of a manned space program. I do think we should fund enabling technologies though (hotol, anyone? Reaction Engines?). This equation changes if the tech is developed to facilitate cheap, reliable and safe launches.

What we really need is to fund developement of a single seater star fighter to counteract that Death Star the US is threatening not to build.

[symesie04]

Yes the fact they are not building it is more worrying than if they were! very sinnister

[JamesF]

Other than work on the ISS and any similar future space station I'm not sure I see that there's a value in manned exploration right now, nor for some years to come. Perhaps the Chinese might want to go to the Moon just to prove they can, but it's not going to contribute as much to human knowledge as many of the robotic explorers. Granted they may be less versatile, but they're also easier to deploy, easier to maintain and there's a good deal less fuss if you smear one across a rock millions of miles from home or discover that you can't actually get them back.

James

[foundaplanet]

Humanity cant spend eternity on earth we need to expand, the moon is the first step... John F Kennedy once said ''We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard''

I would rather see affordable housing here first.

[Connect2space]

I would rather see affordable housing here first.

Well by the time that happens the sun will go supernova