Nuclear Rocket Petition On White House Website 205
RocketAcademy writes "A petition on the White House website is calling for the United States to rapidly develop a nuclear thermal rocket engine. Nuclear rockets are a promising technology, but unless NASA develops a deep-space exploration ship such as Johnson Space Center's Nautilus X, a nuclear rocket would be wasted. Launching nuclear rockets may pose regulatory and political problems as well. Practical applications may depend on mining uranium or thorium on the Moon."
I know it's democracy and will of the people, but (Score:4, Insightful)
In this case I believe the judgement of professionals at NASA is worth more than of some random petition signers. Give NASA a bigger budget and let them decide how to spend it.
Re:Why not have a petition for something USEFUL? (Score:0, Insightful)
I hate to burst your bubble, but there is at least one petition regarding free pot and we had free hookers a few decades ago. They were called slaves and they're still available in many parts of the world. If, by some chance, you want hookers paid by the state, then those aren't free, because the state gets its money from... you guessed it: you.
Pissing in the wind (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Why not have a petition for something USEFUL? (Score:5, Insightful)
One step at a time. It's more useful than a Death Star.
Re:Why not have a petition for something USEFUL? (Score:4, Insightful)
If hookers paid by the state existed, YOU would get screwed.
Re:stahp (Score:5, Insightful)
This.
Seriously, anyone who thinks the white house actually considers any of these petitions is incredibly naive and impressionable, which is, of course, the whole point - making a bunch of naive, impressionable voters believe the administration actually gives a fuck what they think.
Re:Good and Bad (Score:3, Insightful)
Do you think for a second that the people that oppose nuclear power on earth aren't going to care about the moon? Keep in mind, these people don't really care about nuclear power, what they actually oppose is progress. I've met plenty of them, they want to live in straw bail houses, eat organic food, don't get their kids vaccinated etc... They're like a newage Amish. Rational arguments will not sway them. If they're willing to let people starve rather than eat GM food and their own children contract deadly disease eradicated decades ago simply to appease their own irrational fears there's no argument that you can make that will persuade them. As soon as the word "Nuclear" leaves your lips they'll oppose you.
Re:The original... (Score:5, Insightful)
Being 40+ years out of date, I imagine they'll have to spend billions to repeat the original work,
The real cost to ressurect old aerospace technology is in remaking the molds and figuring out the exact composition of the materials used.
If NASA saved any of the old molds/dies or documents, it'll save them a lot of money and effort.
And I'd like to point out that "out of date" is a questionable statement when we're talking about rocket technology.
The R&D has already been done and it's not like the old designs deteriorate with age.
Computers aside, most of what's done today isn't very different from 50 year old rocketry.
Re:Why not have a petition for something USEFUL? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Why not have a petition for something USEFUL? (Score:4, Insightful)
Not so.
Hookers put out reliably when you pay them. Wives do not.
Re:Why not have a petition for something USEFUL? (Score:5, Insightful)
The light bulb issue (Score:3, Insightful)
But it is quite a bit more than that in countries south of UK! Especially if you have air conditioning, the traditional light bulbs put you in the absurd situation of using energy both to heat and cool the room at the same time... Another thing is that the light bulbs in typical lighting fixtures are inefficient as heaters. Most of the heat goes and stays near the ceiling, which is not where most people spend their time. Even ignoring that, direct electric heating is usually more expensive than other heat sources. (This of course depends on where you live).
By the way, I'm from Finland, so from my point of view the UK is one of those balmy southern European countries. And I have gradually replaced most of the bulbs in my house with compact fluorescents and LEDs. The latter have come down in price in recent years, and solve the worst annoyance of compact fluorescents: they turn instantly on with full power.
Re:Why not have a petition for something USEFUL? (Score:5, Insightful)