Waspie_Dwarf Posted April 30, 2014 #1 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Government backs UK launch site plan for space tourism The government has backed plans for a four-fold expansion of the UK space industry to £40bn by 2030.It is also considering developing the necessary legal framework to permit a spaceport to be set up in the UK. It is hoped that this might see the growth of new space tourism companies to start operating services in Britain. Read more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Border Collie Posted April 30, 2014 #2 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Bearing in mind the problems we have extending an airport I am not sure I want to even know about this Government daydream! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted April 30, 2014 Author #3 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Bearing in mind the problems we have extending an airport I am not sure I want to even know about this Government daydream! The beauty of the coming generation of sub-orbital tourist spacecraft is that they can use existing runways. This is more about legislation allowing this to occur rather than building any new infrastructure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skookum Posted April 30, 2014 #4 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Go well with that reaction engine and the proposed Skylon plane. Space industries is one of the few things that seem to be growing fast in the UK, sensible investment at last instead of ploughing it into failing banks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taniwha Posted May 1, 2014 #5 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Why not feed the poor and house the homeless instead? Where is the humanity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted May 1, 2014 Author #6 Share Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) Why not feed the poor and house the homeless instead? Where is the humanity? And this from the person that was suggesting spending billions on the 24 year old Hubble telescope despite the fact that it will soon be obsolete. Quite the hypocrite aren't you. I don't suppose you actually read the article. This is not about spending UK tax payers money, this is about legislation which will allow the private sector to operate space tourism from the UK. It is also about continuing to support an industry which is growing massively in the UK, bringing more money into the country. Edited May 1, 2014 by Waspie_Dwarf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted May 1, 2014 #7 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Space Exploration in general has greatly benefited humanity. See this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_spin-off_technologies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toast Posted May 1, 2014 #8 Share Posted May 1, 2014 And this from the person that was suggesting spending billions on the 24 year old Hubble telescope despite the fact that it will soon be obsolete. Quite the hypocrite aren't you. I don't suppose you actually read the article. This is not about spending UK tax payers money, this is about legislation which will allow the private sector to operate space tourism from the UK. It is also about continuing to support an industry which is growing massively in the UK, bringing more money into the country. Counter-sunk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter B Posted May 1, 2014 #9 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Why not feed the poor and house the homeless instead? Where is the humanity? Why is it that this argument only ever seems to be used against the space industry? For some reason it's never used against the defence industry, despite the massive cost of so many items of defence materiel, or the obscene salaries of company directors, or the absurd salaries paid to sport stars. In any case, why not both? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted May 1, 2014 Author #10 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Why is it that this argument only ever seems to be used against the space industry? I wouldn't mind so much if it was an argument put forward intelligently and by someone of conviction, but as this one line post was put forward by someone that consistently posts proposing spending money on illogical, unworkable, unscientific ideas that have just popped into his head I really don't think you should take it too seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted May 1, 2014 #11 Share Posted May 1, 2014 The Space Industry has actually been highly beneficial for society (just look at my link above). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted May 1, 2014 Author #12 Share Posted May 1, 2014 The Space Industry has actually been highly beneficial for society (just look at my link above). The very fact that I can look at a link posted by someone the other side of the Atlantic to me is, in part, because of the space industry. My mobile phone can make international call, display accurate weather forecasts, give me my position anywhere in the world with an accuracy of a few metres. All of these things are possible ONLY because of the space industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taniwha Posted May 1, 2014 #13 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Why is it that this argument only ever seems to be used against the space industry? For some reason it's never used against the defence industry, despite the massive cost of so many items of defence materiel, or the obscene salaries of company directors, or the absurd salaries paid to sport stars. In any case, why not both? In an ideal world we would use the spin offs from space tourism to cure social ills. Its like Lotto', the profits really could address these causes but they dont. Perhaps tickets on the Space plane could be sold weekly by lottery where the needy reap some financial benefit. A little is better than nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted May 1, 2014 Author #14 Share Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) And you are selling your possessions to help I suppose. It's amazing how many people say that money for space exploration should be cut, but I wonder just how many of them are prepared to give up part of their life style to help. The attitude seems to be, "something should be done, just not by me". Edited May 1, 2014 by Waspie_Dwarf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taniwha Posted May 2, 2014 #15 Share Posted May 2, 2014 And you are selling your possessions to help I suppose. It's amazing how many people say that money for space exploration should be cut, but I wonder just how many of them are prepared to give up part of their life style to help. The attitude seems to be, "something should be done, just not by me". "He cometh, he taketh." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.United_Nations Posted May 2, 2014 #16 Share Posted May 2, 2014 The beauty of the coming generation of sub-orbital tourist spacecraft is that they can use existing runways. This is more about legislation allowing this to occur rather than building any new infrastructure. I suppose they can use the closed RAF bases? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted May 2, 2014 Author #17 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I suppose they can use the closed RAF bases? That is certainly one possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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