The next steps to space

Ana — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 06:41:20 GMT

Hi, I saw his auction he had in Ebay.com... It's great that he is doing this.. I am disabled with MS and at times in a wheelchair so I can understand the feeling of freedom... I wish him the very best... A first for all of wheelies... God Bless him. A.Torres

The next steps to space

phil larson, daytona beach, fl — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 08:03:33 GMT

Great coverage, great story....Tom Costello professional as usual, I wish I could email him to try and get an intership.

The next steps to space

Celestial Virgin — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 08:06:50 GMT

What's out there...in the nearby starsysems, what we cannot find on our home planet Earth???

What habitable planet will become our next VICTIM to be plundered + poluted + destroyed???

Space & time will (hopefully) prolong, but will our home planet or any other planet we conquer???

So be friendly + nice + CAREFUL with this planet, so that we PEACEFULLY can inhabit others...

The next steps to space

Guy S. Newell, Niles, MI. — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:21:32 GMT

I find it strange that there are more people working on commercial space travel than there are working on solar power. The recient development of a new type of solar cell is the first significant advancement in the 30 years since I was in graduate school.

The next steps to space

Granger Whitelaw, New York, NY — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:27:51 GMT

CONGRATULATIONS Dr. Hawking, Peter and the entire ZERO-G Team! This is a wonderful experience for our world's expert in Gravity and kind of you to share it with us all.

The next steps to space

Bigg Poppa P — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:54:07 GMT

Great for him...Stephen Hawking is an inspiration to ALL of us!!!

The next steps to space

Dan,West Springfield, Ma. — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:48:55 GMT

I have just seen the piece where Stephen Hawking took flight in zero g's...WAY TO GO......where do i sign up? Being mostly in a wheelchair mostly, from birth i have come to sek adventure and freedom...that was the ultimate!!!!

The next steps to space

Frank, Dallas, TX — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:38:54 GMT

I can honestly say I've admired Hawking since I first knew of him. I've read a few of his books and in 1989 I had the privilege of attending a seminar he gave. That he has accomplished so much in the face of severe adversity raises his stature even further. Now he is an inspiration even to people that don't follow theoretical physicists. Godspeed, Stephen.

The next steps to space

matt — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:43:22 GMT

i think its cool that he can experiance weightlessness!!!

The next steps to space

Michael Laine, Seattle, WA — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:57:58 GMT

keep up the great work, alan, we all appreciate what you are doing... and mark up another home-run for peter diamandis, and his marketing/commercialization genius!

Between being a founder of...
International Space University,
Students for the Exploration and Development of Space,
X-Prize,
X-Cup,
Rocket Racing League,
Space Adventures (not 100% sure of this one, but i think so) and,
Zero-G Corp
...peter has been pretty busy...

I think the real story here is not just that Hawking did it, but that Diamandis made it possible. So, for my money, there were 2 really smart guys flying up there. I wish the best for both of them!

The next steps to space

David Sánchez — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 17:49:14 GMT

We Humans, or human beings, We are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species, simply Homo sapiens, We live on the third planet of the SOL System, the one we call home, unexplored vastly with immense resources.

Out little planet by divine intervention or luck has the right orbit, not to hot, not to cold, mysteriously, any mass extinction events, haven’t occurred in the last 100 million years?, Ice Age’s, natural disasters, then we came, took the advantage of the universal blessing of stability, evolved, migrated, segmented, segregated, divided, we defined our surroundings bases in theories by our so call educated, conglomerated and form political super powers around common sense, racial ethnicity, wage wars, dead, famine, diseases still more separation on a egocentrically way. Exploiting the delicate balance of our natural resources, and now, after so much denial - the truth of our real impact.

There you have it out little blue planet, particle accelerators, nuclear bombs, flowers, people, oceans, energy crisis, still a little dot in the infinite space that we are barely beginning to comprehend. Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to our own solar system at 4.37 light-years, go figure how long will take to reach there?, We don’t have the technology to even scratch sub light speeds, or to even genetically improve our fragile genetic code to be able to survive such long trip or explore out immediate solar system.

We have to fix our problems first, to be ready, to survive out there.

The next steps to space

Ron Stephen, New Madison, Oh — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:26:38 GMT

Finally someone people will listen to is saying that we need to get out in space and become a space faring civilization. We need orbital habitats now, and once people are living in space, they will find ways to make it pay and work in ways we cannot imagine now. Get some eggs in other baskets before it is too late.

The next steps to space

Frank Glover Rochester, NY — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:17:34 GMT

To Guy S. Newell:

Do you really know that there are more people working on commercial space than solar power? Or is it that it's simply a lower profile activity? As one with other technological interests, I learned long ago that some things are headliners, and some things are less 'sexy,' and you have to dig (and bless the Internet for making that easier) to find them. But they are often there.

To David Sanchez:

We're the only example we know, at the moment. We don't know just how dependent life in general, and intelligent life in particular, is on the particular path that led to us. How much were absolute requirements, and how much were just incidental details. It's never safe to extrapolate or assume too much from one data point.

If we don't look, we'll never know.

If we don't take the first steps, however long the path may be to being a spacefaring (even, eventually, interstellar) civilization, it'll never happen.

All of us just happen to live at the beginning of this particular history, seeing the first steps.

The next steps to space

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:25:19 GMT

The photo of Dr. Hawking is beautiful! :)

Alan, I am so happy to hear that being a two-planet species for the safety of humanity (and all that we care about) is indeed the underpinning of all of these endeavors! That was one thing Carl spoke of as being so critical! The focus on ‘survivability’ is often played down as mere doomsay here on earth, but in essence we are still colonizing this planet too. Why do we take things so haphazardly here and plan so methodically everywhere else? If we were to move into space would we choose to build our communities on the slopes of a volcano on Io like we do in Italy and near other major volcanoes here on earth? Would we map out the most active fault lines in the solar system as a place for our largest off-world colonies? Of course not! Yet we do that here without a second thought. If we reinvent ourselves here and go about things FAR more deliberately than we do, we would gain the momentum we need to expand faster out there. The cost of Katrina was about the equivalent of 10-years worth of NASA budgets and yet was avoidable to anyone with 2/3rds of half a brain. We need to shore ourselves up here as well as secure more safe footings out there!

The next steps to space

Des Emery,The Carborundum Chronicles, St.Thomas,ON,Canada — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 03:16:23 GMT

Chris E. -- you're right on about humans always being ready to go off half-cocked in setting up residence in dangerous places. In the past, we looked to other aspects for reasons to risk our lives - the view, the convenience of mountain passes or riverboat connections, et al. By the time we recognized the dangerousness of a place, we had already established ourselves there.

Space will be different. We know now what we will face there, and we are prepared to accommodate those problems. People like Stephen Hawking can only serve to make more of us aware of what awaits us in space and to try to solve those problems ahead of time. I hope that an international problem such as Global Warming will find its solution in co-operation and teach us to take that stairway to the stars, hand-in-hand as homo sapiens all.

Alan -- don't be concerned about writing in 'complete sentences.' You 'think' in complete ideas. That is the more important construct.

The next steps to space

Dave Johnstone, Peoria, IL — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 03:49:22 GMT

I'm curious why Hawking with his smarts doesn't mention the concept of space colonies ie L5. Why bother to climb off one rock and jump to another? Many huge rotating habitats in a stable orbit between the earth and moon would satisify the human race for quite some time. We would then not be sitting ducks for a major catastrophy. Many habitats would give us safety in numbers.

The next steps to space

Chris Eldridge — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 10:27:20 GMT

Great point Dave! The surface of the moon or Mars would actually serve to transmit the shockwave of an asteroid impact even if it was a thousand miles away from our surface colony. A near miss of a space city has no ill-effects. If people argue that being on the surface is necessary for mining and for using the dirt as a radiation shield, than why not mine an asteroid and use the left overs as a radiation shield as well? Plus you'd gain the vital extra gravity with a cylindrical spinning city! Once you get out of a gravity well and into the freedom of space, we must avoid it. Asteroids have very little gravity and many should have significant water ice!

The next steps to space

Frank Glover Rochester, NY — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 20:47:55 GMT

Dave: Some people *like* living on rocks. Gravity wells only matter to civilizations that don't have the energy to easily leave them (and we'll go *nowhere* until we're easily able to get in and out of the one we already live in), and planets with atmospheres do tend to give you certain protections that a metal shell doesn't...

The next steps to space

Chris Eldriedge, Harrisburg PA — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 02:40:56 GMT

Hi Frank! Certainly not impossible to live on a planetary body like Mars. I’d recommend we develop a reusable shuttle specifically designed for running errands to and from orbit though. We just can’t keep sending entire space ships to and from the surface.

The one other thing I'd be concerned about for moon and planetary bases other than gravity and the shockwave effect would be quakes. According to Wiki "Shallow moonquakes can register up to 5.5 on the Richter scale. Between 1972 and 1977, twenty-eight shallow moonquakes were observed. On Earth, quakes of magnitude 4.5 and above can cause damage to buildings... Moonquakes [also] tend to reverberate many minutes longer than earthquakes." I'd suppose a nice size asteroid hit would cause the whole darn moon to shake. In Cosmos, they said it still ever so slightly wobbles from an impact back in the 16th century... An L2 orbit would be pretty darn ideal for astronomical observations and yet is close enough for routine commutes. I honestly feel that the Mars society really needs to come around to a lunar or station-type mission profile as Mars is just way too far. We’ll get there… but let our first outposts be easier to build and far larger for the cost.

The next steps to space

John F., St. Louis, Missouri — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 05:08:38 GMT

To Frank Glover, RIGHT ON MAN!!!!!

I have heard so many pro and con arguments about space, but here is one FACT; we live on a planet that has FINITE resources. We either move outward or we die. It may not be in our lifetime, but it will occur if we don't expand our resources if not our minds.

Fight, argue about it, protest it, tree-hugger it, do whatever, be realize the truth.

The next steps to space

Scott, Winnipeg, Manitoba — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 05:10:52 GMT

Human space flight is a white elephant. There is nowhere to go that we can resonably survive. For example, look up what happens to the human body in a zero g environment. A lot of wasted money that could be better used elsewhere.

The next steps to space

Anonymous — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 14:03:09 GMT

Not quite the space oddity just yet, Stephen Hawking took his first step yesterday.  There are so many cool aspects to this situation I don&#8217;t even know where to start.  So, I don&#8217;t think I will.  This is just very cool,

The next steps to space

Louis Kuhelj, Rochester, NY — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:59:55 GMT

All of our loftiest goals in the past have resulted in catastrophe because of our human nature getting in the way and yet, we are more interested in changing our location than in changing our nature. The problems we have here on earth will simply follow us where we go. If folks think that space exploration will do anything to solve any real problems, they are mistaken. Our achievements are merely used in self deception that the real problems we face as human beings can be ignored without consequences.

The next steps to space

Des Emery,The Carborundum Chronicles,St.Thomas,ON,Canada — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 23:30:35 GMT

Chris E. -- I heard a radio interview on the program "Quirks and Quarks" on CBC Radio One, with one of the California scientists who will be stationed at the Mars base in arctic Canada this summer. Among the interesting things she said were two points: 1) the human necessity for personal exploration and observation to expand the robotic point of view well beyond the dry statistics they can provide, and 2) she can hardly wait until the practice they get up north becomes the real thing on Mars. Perhaps we would be better off with several different bases in space, self-sufficient stations in solar orbit, but I'll bet that people like her (and Stephen Hawking) will always be ahead of the pack, leaving the rest of us choking on the dust of their passage.

The next steps to space

John, Yokohama, Japan — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:25:52 GMT

If we don't get out there, we will be like all those salmon that don't make it upstream.

We must get off of this hot spinning planet.

Let us do this together. We can fund it easily by outlawing war and locking up those who foment them. Space elevators and moving out to the stars are lofier goals than world domination on Sagan's mote of dust.

The next steps to space

Todd Redden, Manchester, CT — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:48:26 GMT

It was a pleasure to see the picture of Professor Hawking experience weightlessness, and to know steps are being taken to promote humanity's emigration into space. It seems to me that rocket trips for the masses alone will not achieve much without a fully maintained full scale space station at Lagrange point L5 open to everyone. When does humanity truly begin its trek to the stars?

The next steps to space

Dave Johnstone — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 04:46:36 GMT

Frank: Who are these people that like living on rocks?They might be people who complain about earthquakes, temps,starvation,volcanoes and an occasional asteroid hit. O'Neil had it right. Problem is we don't do anything that is not of immediate concern because election time is always around the corner.

The next steps to space

Jim Hagarman — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:43:14 GMT

I would imagine Hawking struggles against gravity more than most humans and, perhaps, unfettered, his agile mind could be even more productive. Perhaps many of us would be more productive in such a state, especially if supported by investment in space colonization- no longer tugged by gravity, pressed by finances, squeezed by publishing or tenure requirements- free to invent and create. The first step is to get the fabulously wealthy to the space resort, there to sell them on space technology investment. Sort of a trip to the Bahamas followed by the time-share sell. It would have been nice if NASA had managed to develop some spectacular products over the last twenty years of Shuttle and ISS. Maybe they have and we regular folks just aren't aware.

The next steps to space

Michael Cox, Reno, Nevada — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:39:18 GMT

I think many of you have missed an important factor. Whatever we, as a species, decide to do with space travel and colonization cost is the most difficult hurdle. It is hard to ignore that world changing technologies occurred due to a need by the consumer. Civilizations flourished when things like better food storage and writing were known. The industrial revolution occurred because the consumer decided it wanted Railroads, Automobiles, Airplanes, Refridgerators, Radios, Electricity, etc. Our world history is full of influential people saying things like "There will only ever be a need for 4 or 5 personal computers", "If man were meant to fly...".

What I'm getting at is that Space travel is progressing faster now because it has become big business. There is a consumer need for this product and as such more money will be invested to develop better technologies. This will fuel the space industry for all the fantastic ideas that have been dreamed of since man first looked to the skies.

The next steps to space

Rich Kolker, Ashburn, VA — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:54:57 GMT

One of the great things about Hawking's flight is it moved us one step further away from the "perfect astronaut" paradigm that people need to be in perfect shape (or near perfect) and train for endless hours to go into space. Anyone who can safely ride a roller coaster or tilt-a-whirl can go into space, and nobody asks for a physical before you get on either.

The next steps to space

Isamu Dyson — Tue, 01 May 2007 18:11:14 GMT

I am so tired of the 'money could be used elsewhere' argument, We've tried throwing money at social issues for years and have not gotten very far in many regards. The money spent on space as a whole is minuscule compared to the amount of money floating in all the varius budgets in the world. As it is money shouldn't be that big of a factor, I hate to bring up an old cliche but even Columbus needed financing and it took him a while to get it. Exploration is practically in our blood, we have explored pretty much all the above water land on our planet. As it is it would cost just as much to fully explore the ocean if not more then it costs to put people into space. I think this is a worthy endeavor no matter the cost. Even in preliminary stages, zero G research has shown very interesting results in medical and other research.

The next steps to space

Frank, Dallas, TX — Tue, 01 May 2007 20:32:11 GMT

Any of the Lagrange points would work, not just L5. There is a considerable downside to them vs the moon or mars - no natural resources outside of solar power. The moon is covered in helium-3 and might have water (ice) at its south pole. Mars has minerals of all sorts.

And a space station would not have to precisely be at any of the Lagrange points, it could actually be in an orbit around a Lagrange point.

But I think Hawking, with all his smarts, is on the right track - go for a space station in a place where you have two valuable resources already - gravity and minerals. Moonquakes or Marsquakes are risks that have not been well considered, but do they really outweigh the loss of resources? A more in-depth study is called for.