• AA5B@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Space is expensive, and never gets the attention it deserves. Only a handful of countries could do much space exploration and as they try to explore more it rapidly gets more expensive, longer timeframe. We need to face that from a societal perspective it just doesn’t scale.

    Commercializing space doesn’t just mean silly things like orbital hotels, but it means more, better, cheaper access to space and space resources. It means distributing efforts for better scalability. It means multiple funding sources so we’re less dependent on the whims f politicians. It means someone else can take care of the “easy” stuff, so NASA/ESA/JSA/CSA/ASA/etc can focus on the bigger challenges of exploration.

    More international cooperation is also a huge part of this. We need to continue the model of cooperation from ISS, so we can all build on each other’s efforts, and reach out into the solar system as “humanity”

    • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      You do realize these “commercial companies” such as SpaceX are funded by government contracts right? You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know. And you’re also not going to change my opinion. Space isn’t meant to be the next capitalist playground, which is what we are trying to do.

      • bassomitron@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Space is unfathomably enormous. I’d much rather have heavy industry fucking up shit in space than destroying our planet to strip it of its resources. I say let them go up there for asteroid/moon/whatever mining.

        • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Yes, that’s true, but low earth orbit isn’t. If we put too much junk up there, we can kiss going to space goodbye.

          • bassomitron@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            I didn’t say anything about LEO, as last I checked there isn’t much heavy industry that would be appealing to do in that area. Asteroid or moon mining and production would be outside of LEO. But yes, too much space garbage in LEO is a bad thing that should definitely be avoided as much as possible.

            I just think taking a strict anti-commercial stance in space is a bit naive and unreasonable. Like I said, it’s enormous, who gives a shit what Blue Origin or SpaceX or whoever ends up doing in the asteroid belt a hundred years from now?

            • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Did you miss the part where I said I work in the space industry, I have 10 years of engineering experience, and I’ve been out of school a long damn time. Don’t insult my intelligence. I’m not a child, and I’m certainly not naive. Go spout off your uninformed opinions elsewhere. I’m in a bad mood today, haven’t been sleeping well, and I really don’t feel like explaining basic shit to you just so you understand my point of view.

          • AA5B@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            It’s not though. New regulations require 5 year deorbit from Leo, and StarLink has bedn delivering on that

            • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Yeah, China has done a bang up job of following that by blowing up satellites… they basically undid 25 years worth of cleanup efforts with that one selfish act. Seriously, yall need to go somewhere else. I’m not having this conversation with people who are uninformed. I’m tired of it.

          • Richard@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            Luckily, the moon is in Low Earth Orbit! It’s good to have you on out side, comrade

      • ikka@lemmy.sdf.org
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        8 months ago

        Space isn’t meant to be the next capitalist playground, which is what we are trying to do.

        Regardless of what it’s “meant” to be it will be the final capitalist playground.