How could we spark public interest in space exploration?

[notfruit]

So we know the public is pretty apathetic about spaceflight, but what are we going to do about it as a community? How could we do something?

[TechnicalK3rbal]

Asteroid on collision course.

Land on mars.

[Tex]

Spread the religious truth of Kerbalkind, my brothers and sisters!

[Galacticruler]

The issue is not the general pubic, its politicians, they are the ones in need of convincing.

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

"Hey, USA Congress. Do you want the United States of America to be cemented into human history, forever? As the great, and powerful nation that sent humans where no one has gone before? Well, you have a great chance right now. You are currently giving NASA half of a penny out of everyone's taxes. Raise this up to two pennies, and you can give NASA a good chance. I hope you do realize that your nation will not survive, unless if you do something. Something is now. Give NASA another chance, and a great time to get out of LEO."

Say that to them, see if they will get NASA a greater budget

[Northstar1989]

Get more money set aside for space exploration, so there will be more cool things going on to interest the public...

How?

Send a politician or two on a mission to the International Space Station... Tell them we don't have the money to bring them back for three weeks (it wouldn't be a lie- many astronauts stay there for over a month) when they get violently space-sick as soon as they enter zero-G...

Regards,

Northstar

P.S. I know that wouldn't work- I'm just being snarky...

Edited May 23, 2014 by Northstar1989

[razark]

Send a politician or two on a mission to the International Space Station... Tell them we don't have the money to bring them back... when they get violently space-sick

Heh. It didn't work last time.

Edwin Jacob "Jake" Garn (born October 12, 1932) is an American politician, a member of the Republican Party, and served as a U.S. Senator representing Utah from 1974 to 1993. Garn became the first sitting member of the United States Congress to fly in space when he flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery as a Payload Specialist during NASA mission STS-51-D (April 12–19, 1985).

...

The space sickness he experienced during the journey was so severe that a scale for space sickness was jokingly based on him, where "one Garn" is the highest possible level of sickness.

The most extreme reaction yet recorded was that felt by Senator Jake Garn in 1985. After his flight NASA jokingly began using the informal "Garn scale" to measure reactions to space sickness. In most cases, symptoms last from 2–4 days. In an interview with Carol Butler, when asked about the origins of "Garn" Robert E. Stevenson was quoted as saying:

Jake Garn was sick, was pretty sick. I don't know whether we should tell stories like that. But anyway, Jake Garn, he has made a mark in the Astronaut Corps because he represents the maximum level of space sickness that anyone can ever attain, and so the mark of being totally sick and totally incompetent is one Garn. Most guys will get maybe to a tenth Garn, if that high. And within the Astronaut Corps, he forever will be remembered by that.

[Valley]

Bake sale?

[NASAFanboy]

I would first position myself as NASA Director. Shortly after my president wins the election, I give a speech to a select Congress committee we have alien space terrorists on the Moon who are secretly working on weapons of mass destruction, who are quickly drilling the moons oil to power their starships and are armed with chemical weapons. That, and most of these secret space aliens were trained by Iran and have plans to do a suicide bombing against the ISS in the near future. After that, I ask Congress is they'll let NASA have its Apollo-level funding back and if it could cooperate with DARPA to get to the moon in six years.

Sit back, relax, and watch the fun.

Once the United States makes it to the Moon with a manned lander, I'll step in and intervene, saying that we shouldn't go after the alien space terrorists unless we have a stable foothold on the Moon, and then ask Congress to rush construction of a four-man lunar outpost (They can't refuse, there is oil at stake!). Once that is complete, I begin red-taping and bogging down every EVA as much as possible in paperwork, and would continuously ask Congress to extend funding until said base has a sizable population of around ten and can sustain itself. Then, out of nowhere, the scandal begins. First, I discreetly release the truth, that there never was secret space aliens on the moon, then maneuver out of the way to place the blame on the President, Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the Department of Defense. Once the President and Vice President and the Speaker of the House is impeached, I bribe Congress to amend the Constitution to make me President.

Following me being sworn in as President, I pass the "Space Science Resolution", which forces schools to teach at least one course of space science to students along with offering more classes. Classes in orbital mechanics will be required, which ensures that even your average joe knows how to do a Hohmann transfer orbit to Mars. Further expansion of the Executive powers will be made, along with limits to the First Amendment that bans the Flat Earth Society. The most prominent moon landing hoaxers will be transported to the Moon, were they have their helmets smashed (As in summary execution) onto the remains of the Apollo 11 lower stage as a crude (But ironic) joke.

Squad is hired to take over much of the Department of Education, and the Moon is colonized along with Mars

Oh, I wish. I've watched one too many a episode of "House of Cards".

Edited May 23, 2014 by NASAFanboy

[cesarcurado]

Why do we NEED to do that?

People have different interests, what's wrong?

Let's be careful not to dictate our own interests into the others.

As Galacticruler said, it's all about the politicians. But how do you make politicians interested in space?

Just show them the possibility of great profit. You could even come up with a planet with an ocean of oil or something along the lines.

[FanaticalFighter]

I would first position myself as NASA Director. Shortly after my president wins the election, I give a speech to a select Congress committee we have alien space terrorists on the Moon who are secretly working on weapons of mass destruction, who are quickly drilling the moons oil to power their starships and are armed with chemical weapons. That, and most of these secret space aliens were trained by Iran and have plans to do a suicide bombing against the ISS in the near future. After that, I ask Congress is they'll let NASA have its Apollo-level funding back and if it could cooperate with DARPA to get to the moon in six years.

Sit back, relax, and watch the fun.

Once the United States makes it to the Moon with a manned lander, I'll step in and intervene, saying that we shouldn't go after the alien space terrorists unless we have a stable foothold on the Moon, and then ask Congress to rush construction of a four-man lunar outpost (They can't refuse, there is oil at stake!). Once that is complete, I begin red-taping and bogging down every EVA as much as possible in paperwork, and would continuously ask Congress to extend funding until said base has a sizable population of around ten and can sustain itself. Then, out of nowhere, the scandal begins. First, I discreetly release the truth, that there never was secret space aliens on the moon, then maneuver out of the way to place the blame on the President, Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the Department of Defense. Once the President and Vice President and the Speaker of the House is impeached, I bribe Congress to amend the Constitution to make me President.

Following me being sworn in as President, I pass the "Space Science Resolution", which forces schools to teach at least one course of space science to students along with offering more classes. Classes in orbital mechanics will be required, which ensures that even your average joe knows how to do a Hohmann transfer orbit to Mars. Further expansion of the Executive powers will be made, along with limits to the First Amendment that bans the Flat Earth Society. The most prominent moon landing hoaxers will be transported to the Moon, were they have their helmets smashed (As in summary execution) onto the remains of the Apollo 11 lower stage as a crude (But ironic) joke.

Squad is hired to take over much of the Department of Education, and the Moon is colonized along with Mars

Oh, I wish. I've watched one too many a episode of "House of Cards".

This is gold

Thanks for making my day. Can I use the first paragraph in my sig as in, "NASAFanboy said: ...."?

Edited May 24, 2014 by FanaticalFighter

[Northstar1989]

Heh. It didn't work last time.

I was actually thinking of that particular story when I made my suggestion...

Maybe it'll work second or third time around.

Regards,

Northstar

[Northstar1989]

it's all about the politicians. But how do you make politicians interested in space?

Just show them the possibility of great profit. You could even come up with a planet with an ocean of oil or something along the lines.

No need to make up something silly like that. There already is the potential for great profit in the very long-term.

If you could set up a large enough self-sustaining colony on Mars (the gravity there is enough for long-term human habitation), eventually it would grow and colonize the rest of the planet. You could make a LOT of money off taxing e-commerce (intellectual property: like professional photography, songs, and novels in particular) between Earth and Mars, as well as benefit from any scientific discoveries made there. You could even set up some sort of small income or property tax on Martian colonists, if you were willing to risk the possibility of secession and declarations of independence... (the money to pay the taxes would, ultimately, reach Mars through e-commerce with Earth)

Simply tempt the politicians with the thoughts of the money to be made off land sales on Mars in the short run (yes, this would require wild speculation once some sort of colony were established, and some sort of international agreement on how to split up the profits- assuming the land would probably be owned by some sort of international commission at first...), and on e-commerce and technological advancement in the really long run...

And yes, I did just suggest land-speculation on Mars... People actually OWNING chunks of the planet once the first colony were established might encourage/expedite further colonial expeditions to be undertaken... I bet the Chinese would be mighty interested in buying up large swathes of Mars, considering the already-apparent focus of their space program on developing technologies for long-term colonizationand interplanetary voyages, such as advanced Zero-G aeroponics and silkworm farms... (I think the silkworms are particularly cool- so here are a couple links on that)

http://books.google.com/books?id=XaqK7LOVsc0C&pg=PA147&lpg=PA147&dq=chinese+space+program+silk+worm&source=bl&ots=8zSca4hepB&sig=Fnij3jRJXFsV-XN5aEK5HZfIzKI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=m1-AU-GtB5G2yAT30oLoCA&ved=0CEcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=chinese%20space%20program%20silk%20worm&f=false

http://news.sciencemag.org/scientific-community/2009/01/care-silkworm-your-tang

Regards,

Northstar

Edited May 24, 2014 by Northstar1989

[Comrade Jenkens]

Asteroid redirect towards New York....

And then save them!

[Galacticruler]

You could even come up with a planet with an ocean of oil or something along the lines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_planet

[Javster]

I would first position myself as NASA Director. Shortly after my president wins the election, I give a speech to a select Congress committee we have alien space terrorists on the Moon who are secretly working on weapons of mass destruction, who are quickly drilling the moons oil to power their starships and are armed with chemical weapons. That, and most of these secret space aliens were trained by Iran and have plans to do a suicide bombing against the ISS in the near future. After that, I ask Congress is they'll let NASA have its Apollo-level funding back and if it could cooperate with DARPA to get to the moon in six years.

Sit back, relax, and watch the fun.

Once the United States makes it to the Moon with a manned lander, I'll step in and intervene, saying that we shouldn't go after the alien space terrorists unless we have a stable foothold on the Moon, and then ask Congress to rush construction of a four-man lunar outpost (They can't refuse, there is oil at stake!). Once that is complete, I begin red-taping and bogging down every EVA as much as possible in paperwork, and would continuously ask Congress to extend funding until said base has a sizable population of around ten and can sustain itself. Then, out of nowhere, the scandal begins. First, I discreetly release the truth, that there never was secret space aliens on the moon, then maneuver out of the way to place the blame on the President, Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the Department of Defense. Once the President and Vice President and the Speaker of the House is impeached, I bribe Congress to amend the Constitution to make me President.

Following me being sworn in as President, I pass the "Space Science Resolution", which forces schools to teach at least one course of space science to students along with offering more classes. Classes in orbital mechanics will be required, which ensures that even your average joe knows how to do a Hohmann transfer orbit to Mars. Further expansion of the Executive powers will be made, along with limits to the First Amendment that bans the Flat Earth Society. The most prominent moon landing hoaxers will be transported to the Moon, were they have their helmets smashed (As in summary execution) onto the remains of the Apollo 11 lower stage as a crude (But ironic) joke.

Squad is hired to take over much of the Department of Education, and the Moon is colonized along with Mars

Oh, I wish. I've watched one too many a episode of "House of Cards".

That's a good idea, threaten them with ALL THE THINGS they're paranoid about *evil laugh*