[TheWatchGuy]

if i was a billionaire, you better believe id go to space.

For the people complaining everywhere that Bezos could have used that money on charities and the like, why? When he donates, even when he donated $100mill, people shit on him for ONLY donating $100mill. If people constantly did that to me when i was trying to be charitable, id say screw it and blow my money on having fun.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by Tommy-G

I'm no rocket scientist but do we really think there is intelligent life or that we can sustain life on another planet.

At the rate that we are overpopulating and damaging this planet, we better sure as shit figure out a way to colonize other planets or we are royally fucked as a species. Elon Musk wants to colonize Mars, so that is where his head is. Bezos might be on that same track.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

At the rate that we are overpopulating and damaging this planet, we better sure as shit figure out a way to colonize other planets or we are royally fucked as a species. Elon Musk wants to colonize Mars, so that is where his head is. Bezos might be on that same track.

I don't think we need to figure out how to colonize other planets as much as we need to pull our collective heads out of our ass and take care of the planet we currently live on.

[1MOREMOD]

I think we should let the govt decide how all money gets spent they are the experts and are much more efficient

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

At the rate that we are overpopulating and damaging this planet, we better sure as shit figure out a way to colonize other planets or we are royally fucked as a species. Elon Musk wants to colonize Mars, so that is where his head is. Bezos might be on that same track.

This has never made any sense to me. Sure I'm all for exploring other planets just to see what we find, but to do it because we are going to colonize it because earth is fucked? C'mon man!

Would it not be 10000000x easier and cheaper to not let earth become like mars than trying to make mars be like earth? Let's say we plan to terraform mars... couldn't we just terraform terra? Or let's say we will just live in bubbles on mars or something.... still easier to build the bubbles here when we turn this one uninhabitable. Also mars is not far enough away to save us from the big stuff like the sun going red giant.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

This has never made any sense to me. Sure I'm all for exploring other planets just to see what we find, but to do it because we are going to colonize it because earth is fucked? C'mon man!

Would it not be 10000000x easier and cheaper to not let earth become like mars than trying to make mars be like earth? Let's say we plan to terraform mars... couldn't we just terraform terra? Or let's say we will just live in bubbles on mars or something.... still easier to build the bubbles here when we turn this one uninhabitable. Also mars is not far enough away to save us from the big stuff like the sun going red giant.

Couldn't agree more. Who the hell wants to live on Mars??

[UncleWede]

There isn't any more terra to build the bubbles :

[1MOREMOD]

Subterra bro

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

There isn't any more terra to build the bubbles :

You obviously build the bubbles over the existing cities! Then you suck whatever oxygen is left from the peasant zones outside the bubble and pump it inside the bubble.

[TiMSport]

Lol. We're already talking about social stratification on an alternate planet.

[1MOREMOD]

The weak are meat and the strong do eat.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by TheWatchGuy

if i was a billionaire, you better believe id go to space.

For the people complaining everywhere that Bezos could have used that money on charities and the like, why? When he donates, even when he donated $100mill, people shit on him for ONLY donating $100mill. If people constantly did that to me when i was trying to be charitable, id say screw it and blow my money on having fun.

I think you're missing the bigger point which is at what cost did he become a billionaire... i.e. should he have been a billionaire of his level if things were done in a fair manner... ie not having his employees pee in bottles during shifts, complete monopolistic behavior and literally buying out half of politicians and finding ways not to pay your taxes.

I am capitalist in the highest sense... but this is the highest level of tone deafness and continuing to allow this behavior will just screw you.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Tommy-G

Do we really need to be sending Billionaires into Space and for what real reason?
I'm no rocket scientist but do we really think there is intelligent life or that we can sustain life on another planet.
To me it seems like one giant waste of money and resources....someone learn me

Well we aren't sending billionaires into space, aren't they sending themselves? I'd feel differently if NASA was sending Bezos into space because he is special or something.

While not a huge fan of him or Musk, I've listened to Musk talk enough to believe he does have some good ideas and private companies like his might be the only way we get innovation since the government can't even fix our roads.

[dscabra]

Like it or not, Musk (SpaceX) is making space "affordable" and therefore accessible to a much broader customer base while saving the tax paying masses a lot of money at the same time. Launching a satellite using SpaceX costs a fraction of what it costs to use the traditional players. Don't quote me, but I believe the cost to launch on SpaceX is about 1/3rd that of ULA.

[PINeely]

Originally Posted by chassis

Lots of innovations from space engineering programs that find their ways into every day life.

Nylon
Mylar
Kevlar
Gore tex
Teflon
Certain ceramics
Silicones
Efficient radio and data communication
Light and strong metals
Solar energy production
Remote sensing through the entire electromagnetic spectrum

and more…

This assumes that the same innovations wouldn't have been made in the private sector. Did they develop faster because NASA happened to have the funding and specific need at the time, probably so. However, when you start talking about private industry in space particularly when you get into ventures like mining asteroids, you'd see the same developments at a much lower cost to the taxpayer. Just my .02.

When it comes to billionaires going into space I couldn't care less. Their money, they can do what they want with it. I'd love to be on one of those flights some day.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

private companies like his might be the only way we get innovation since the government can't even fix our roads.

There is the whole risk avoidance difference between government and private as well. Private can BUY a test-dummy, whose estate won't come back and sue him due to the signed contract. "He knew it was dangerous, and agreed to receive our payment"

[TheWatchGuy]

Originally Posted by ASAP

I think you're missing the bigger point which is at what cost did he become a billionaire... i.e. should he have been a billionaire of his level if things were done in a fair manner... ie not having his employees pee in bottles during shifts, complete monopolistic behavior and literally buying out half of politicians and finding ways not to pay your taxes.

I am capitalist in the highest sense... but this is the highest level of tone deafness and continuing to allow this behavior will just screw you.

and being tone deaf and blasting someone donating hundreds of millions to charities just because you dont like his methods will just screw you as well.

As for if he did it fair, he pays the taxes he is legally obligated to, pays his workers what he is legally obligated to, and lobbies/donates as he is legally allowed to. Dont think its fair, stop electing career politicians who have done nothing to stop this practice during their career.

[TheWatchGuy]

Originally Posted by PINeely

This assumes that the same innovations wouldn't have been made in the private sector. Did they develop faster because NASA happened to have the funding and specific need at the time, probably so. However, when you start talking about private industry in space particularly when you get into ventures like mining asteroids, you'd see the same developments at a much lower cost to the taxpayer. Just my .02.

When it comes to billionaires going into space I couldn't care less. Their money, they can do what they want with it. I'd love to be on one of those flights some day.

Maybe, but you have to ask yourself if NASA wasnt needing these things, would there have been an apparent lack of them in the market place that would make a company jump in and develop them.

[///d]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

This has never made any sense to me. Sure I'm all for exploring other planets just to see what we find, but to do it because we are going to colonize it because earth is fucked? C'mon man!

Would it not be 10000000x easier and cheaper to not let earth become like mars than trying to make mars be like earth? Let's say we plan to terraform mars... couldn't we just terraform terra? Or let's say we will just live in bubbles on mars or something.... still easier to build the bubbles here when we turn this one uninhabitable. Also mars is not far enough away to save us from the big stuff like the sun going red giant.

That type of colonization is a long ways away. It will be scientists first and for many years. Who knows what type of discoveries await us on Mars. We could find the cure for cancer (or COVID lol). It's also a stepping stone for future advancements.

Was mankind really meant to just live and die on Earth? We are naturally curious and wanting to learn and expand, and in no reality will the human race ever come together to make the changes to save our planet. It.Just.Wont.Happen.

Every discovery/invention/advancement has to start somewhere, and they all have had their critics, but without the few crazies going against the masses we wouldn't be where we are today. For all we know in 100 years our children's children could see people leaving this solar system to live on another planet like Earth, and its all because some billionaire asshat launched himself into space on a penis rocket and inspired some 5 yr old genius-to-be that grows up to solve FTL space travel.

[Mein11]

How it's being addressed by sending billionaires into space because they have nothing better to do with their money is frustrating when they aren't taking care of their own employees. That's the negative.

A positive is, we're machining components for Blue Origin in our plant. It's helped pick up some of the other lost business because of Covid. To some extent it's helping keep some Americans working, and they've in general been fun projects to work on. 3D printed titanium manifolds then 5-axis milled. Nothing I'd expected to see in this lifetime.

[///d]

Originally Posted by Mein11

How it's being addressed by sending billionaires into space because they have nothing better to do with their money is frustrating when they aren't taking care of their own employees. That's the negative.

Not trying to defend Bezos or Branson, but is it the billionaires mistreating employees or company management abusing their position and policies? And in the case of Amazon, every warehouse has its own management and own policies and the guys at the top have no clue about whats going on unless someone speaks up publicly. Eventually you just become the face of a company, and even though you may be the owner/chairman/president/CEO etc you don't have much control over how the company operates anymore.

[TrevorM3]

i share the same sentiments as OP. Just stupid. But as people have said, just money to blow...