Celebrity Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (THERE’S A CONCEPT) took to Twitter today to simultaneously lament NASA’s imminent hibernation and drop knowledge on us all. Here are some of the better tidbits from his rant:
“The US military spends as much in 23 days as NASA spends in a year – and that’s when we’re not fighting a war.”
“If Earth were size of a school-room globe, you’d find Shuttle and Space Station orbiting 3/8th of an inch above its surface.”
“If Earth were the size of a school-room globe, the Moon would be 30-ft away. Mars, more than a mile away.”
“FYI: Commercial Space Flight will not advance the space frontier, but enable cheaper access to where we’ve already been.”
The entire half-century budget of NASA equals the current two year budget of the US military.
And with that all said, I think I’ll go sit in a dark corner and be real, real sad about the fact that I probably won’t see any space breakthroughs in my lifetime. [Twitter]
Ian
Saturday, July 9, 2011 at 5:07 PMYou never know. We might actually get man on the moon soon. For realz this time too.
WillD
Saturday, July 9, 2011 at 5:54 PMJust think of what that US military budget could do in other areas, such as research & development, agriculture, health, education, charity.
Put a fraction of it into the development of alternative energy sources and cleaning up the planet.
The world would be a much better place if all the money spent globally on military use was used wisely & sensibly.
ozoneocean
Saturday, July 9, 2011 at 6:29 PMYup, he’s right on every score- unsurprisingly because that’s his job… But it’s all true. Especially commercial space use. If it was down to the commercial sphere to develop ANYTHING we wouldn’t have had the internet, computers, or even things we take for granted like air travel, shipping, a postal service… It’s only big government investment (through the military or whatever) that moves those things forward.
The problem is that the commercial sphere is only interested in profit and that can only drive us in small increments because unlike governments the commercial industry cannot absorb massive losses or take huge risks and that’s what advancement takes.
Steve
Saturday, July 9, 2011 at 6:32 PM“Son, you were born too soon, you’ll never explore the universe”
“B-but… the green space babes!”
Peter Keelback
Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 2:08 AMYou’re sad. I saw the first moon landing. So I had hoped by now that I would be able to visit the moon as a paying passenger.
The next person to step on the moon surface is likely to be Indian or Chinese. That is not a bad thing but US was there in 1969! Over 40 years ago!
Disappointed.
Nodeity
Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 9:07 AM“The entire half-century budget of NASA equals the current two year budget of the US military.”
and this is news, why??
Given that the US has been at war for over a decade now, it’s a pretty piss poor effort IMO..!!
Goddy
Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 11:06 AMThe Americans with their priorities in check as always…..*facepalm*
Jim Smith
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 8:01 PMMaybe China will start exploring space.