What can be done to make people excited for exploring space again?

[DopeyDame]

I'm as excited about human spaceflight as anyone else. (Actually, waaaay more than the average bear. It's a large part of my career.) But the reality is that it's way more expensive for way less return.

 

[MrsPete]

Yes, we need to promote the space program. When the space program is "hot", more students become interested in /choose college majors in the hard sciences, and that benefits us all.

 

[bcla]

Send a human to mars. That will get people excited. Normies don't care about satellites to Pluto or Circe or the James Webb telescope (which has been delayed twice). The space shuttle and IIS were old hat by the time the shuttle was retired.

Don't get me wrong. All that stuff is amazing and important. But Joe Sixpack doesn't care. That's what you are asking about, right OP? How do we get Joe Sixpack excited about space?

We need something to get excited about!

The problem is that there's a good chance someone could die trying that. If a robotic vehicle blows up there are a bunch of sad people who worked on it, but it's not as devastating as losing a human life.

Besides that, all the life supporting equipment adds a ridiculous amount of weight.

 

[hereyago]

I think if non common sense people would be exiled to outerspace we would get excited again lol.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

A reality show?

 

[Colleen27]

I think the cultural conditions that won broad support for space exploration in the middle of the 20th century would be awfully hard to recreate. First, we'd need a great-power rival making significant investments in its own space program. Second, we'd need relatively broad-based economic prosperity, such as the US experienced in the wake of WWII, to make the expense justifiable. And it wouldn't hurt to have a martyr whose memory could be used as a rallying cry when the cost or the danger starts to make people waiver in their support. Barring that, I think space exploration will continue to be a task carried out by scientists and robots in relative obscurity.

 

[JaxDad]

Send a human to mars. That will get people excited. Normies don't care about satellites to Pluto or Circe or the James Webb telescope (which has been delayed twice). The space shuttle and IIS were old hat by the time the shuttle was retired.

Don't get me wrong. All that stuff is amazing and important. But Joe Sixpack doesn't care. That's what you are asking about, right OP? How do we get Joe Sixpack excited about space?

We need something to get excited about!

https://vostokspacebeer.com/

 

[DopeyDame]

The problem is that there's a good chance someone could die trying that. If a robotic vehicle blows up there are a bunch of sad people who worked on it, but it's not as devastating as losing a human life.

Besides that, all the life supporting equipment adds a ridiculous amount of weight.

Honestly, while no one trivializes the risk of humans in spaceflight, the riskiness itself isn't really a driving factor. The problem is that to make something qualified for human spaceflight is SO expensive. It adds huge additional technical complications (robots don't need oxygen or food, and they don't pee or poop!) and tons of additional testing requirements - rightly so!
I promise you there are far more than enough qualified people willing to risk their lives to be the first person to go to Mars. Hell, there are more than enough qualified people willing to risk their lives to hang out in low earth orbit for a few weeks.

 

[cabanafrau]

A reality show?

Definitely. How is that not a thing?

 

[DopeyDame]

For a while Lance Bass was trying to go, but it never panned out. Sending up some famous pop star would probably help.
But space travel is a heck of a lot more expensive than filming Survivor on some island.

 

[tcufrog]

A reality show?

My suggestions:
Astronaut Bachelor
Love Space Station (instead of Love Island)
Iron Chef Zero G
Keeping Up With the Kardashians In Space

Sexy astronauts on social media cavorting with celebrities would help.

None of these appeal to me but I’m being realistic.

 

[Lady Gaga]

More Miles - lots and lots of Miles...

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Cost and danger are the negatives. Learning something about our Universe would be cool, but cool enough to justify the cost and danger?
I wonder if we hadn't gone to the moon if we would have discovered a cure for cancer with that money, or found ways to live comfortably without damaging the planet? Or provided for the homeless, or provided free health care for every American?

Cancer research is done right now on the international space station.
https://www.issnationallab.org/blog/fighting-cancer-with-microgravity-research/"Dr. Luis Zea, a researcher at BioServe Space Technologies, discusses how the microgravity environment of the ISS benefits his research. He explains that cells grown in space arrange themselves into three-dimensional groupings, which more closely resemble what happens in the human body. His research highlights how the unique microgravity environment of the International Space Station could help scientists pinpoint the cellular changes that cause cancer, potentially leading to new treatments that enhance the quality of life for patients or potentially develop preventive measures. "


As for your your other three what ifs, well, we're not going to do those anyway regardless of how much money there is.

 

[tvguy]

As for your your other three what ifs, well, we're not going to do those anyway regardless of how much money there is.

We don't have a choice, it's a crisis.

 

[LovesTimone]

My DGS in 4 years old... and he loves anything to do with the solar system, rockets.... he is really smart... He tells me all the time "Mimi, I going to Mars in a rocket ship, and its a long trip", and he lays on the couch, and puts he legs over the arm, and tell me this is how the astronauts blast off... and pretends to blast off... We are taking him to Cape Kennedy for his 5th birthday to see the rocket ships...

Our oldest DD went to Space camp in like 7th grade... She loved it....
This type of programs need to be brought back... As well as teaching in schools again about outer space... about what out there we know so much more than when I was a kid , it truly is our last real frontier...

Cutting out the space program was a huge mistake.... and we need to have a strong space program...

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Our oldest DD went to Space camp in like 7th grade... She loved it....
This type of programs need to be brought back... As well as teaching in schools again about outer space... about what out there we know so much more than when I was a kid , it truly is our last real frontier...

Not sure what you mean about bringing back those type of programs? My kid went to Space Camp last year. Space Camp is alive and well. They have about 1000 campers per week all through the summer, and run camps through the year also. We have a school nearby where the whole class goes to Space Camp for a week in the spring. They have family camps too, so even adults can join in the fun. And where do you find that schools don't teach about space? Both my elementary kids have had space science in several different years.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

We don't have a choice, it's a crisis.

Which one is a crisis? Regardless, that doesn't mean USA plans to spend any money on it ... not sure what you mean by don't have a choice. We're not spending money on those things. It doesn't matter how much money there is, those are not the priorities.

 

[LovesTimone]

Not sure what you mean about bringing back those type of programs? My kid went to Space Camp last year. Space Camp is alive and well. They have about 1000 campers per week all through the summer, and run camps through the year also. We have a school nearby where the whole class goes to Space Camp for a week in the spring. They have family camps too, so even adults can join in the fun. And where do you find that schools don't teach about space? Both my elementary kids have had space science in several different years.

Here at Cape Kennedy, I thought that they did away with it, maybe they started it back up, When DD's class went, and they spent 3 or 4 nights over at the Cape Kennedy on site .... ( DD just turned 30 so its been a while)

I just looked it up, now it is a week long day camp... so this is something to tell my daughter about... and we will have to look into.... I'm glad you brought this to my attention...

Where did your kids go to space camp at, I would like to send my Grandson when is is older? Was it an overnight camp, or just a day camp?

When DD was in public high school, space science class was considered an elective, and had to have approval from the science teacher for you to be able to take these classes... DD went to private school, elementary and middle school.... so she was taught and exposed to all of this...and approved to take these classes...

DD and my SIL and researching schools, and they are finding that the only focus is the standardize testing, and being ready for the students to take it... and at one school they suggested, that if is what type of education they want for him , they need to look at magnet schools, private schools, or home school him...

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Where did your kids go to space camp at, I would like to send my Grandson when is is older? Was it an overnight camp, or just a day camp?

Huntsville, AL. They have overnight camp for 9 & up kids, and a day camp for 7-8 year olds. Mine was at the overnight. She had an amazing time. In addition to Space Camp, they also offer Robotics Camp and Aviation Camp. We will send them again at some point.

 

[BrianL]

Huntsville, AL. They have overnight camp for 9 & up kids, and a day camp for 7-8 year olds. Mine was at the overnight. She had an amazing time. In addition to Space Camp, they also offer Robotics Camp and Aviation Camp. We will send them again at some point.

I always wanted to go to Space Camp! I love the Huntsville US Space & Rocket Center and have been several times. It's very cool.