Comments on: James Van Allen: 1914-2006 http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=3909 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:36:51 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Jim Clarke http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=3909&cpage=1#comment-5413 Jim Clarke Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:16:29 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheusreborn/?p=3909#comment-5413 Perhaps the difference between high altitude ballooning and space flight is that not that many people want to go high altitude ballooning. If (or when) manned space flight becomes reasonably safe and reasonably cheap, one would have no shortage of willing passengers, myself included. Plus, there is potentially a lot more to do in space than there is just hanging around in the stratosphere. In the short term, robots can and probably should take care of most of the science in space. In the long run, it will likely be private for-profit companies that make manned space flight a permanent reality. Perhaps the difference between high altitude ballooning and space flight is that not that many people want to go high altitude ballooning.

If (or when) manned space flight becomes reasonably safe and reasonably cheap, one would have no shortage of willing passengers, myself included. Plus, there is potentially a lot more to do in space than there is just hanging around in the stratosphere.

In the short term, robots can and probably should take care of most of the science in space. In the long run, it will likely be private for-profit companies that make manned space flight a permanent reality.

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