NASA's mightiest rocket lifts off 50 years after Apollo

Let’s hope this has real potential, and is not just a white elephant.

‘Good’ to hear, that they still think they can afford to blow tons of money away into nothing, ignoring that it now lacks here and doesn’t solve any problems on our globe anymore. I wonder when those morons can be a bit limited or even better, completely stopped.

America still dreaming the big dreams. That is good news. Period. Full stop.

Nobody can know what will be learned from space exploration until we do it. I am glad that America is leading the way.

People who whine about the cost have no vision and thus are irrelevant to dreaming big dreams.

Great to see the launch... thrilling and I couldn't stop smiling. Also fantastic that humans are once again going to be adventuring in space - as exciting as the ISS is, there's nothing like a moon mission to get the imagination going... just wish we had space wheels and space planes zooming about

The 322-foot (98-meter) SLS is the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA, with more thrust than either the space shuttle or the mighty Saturn V that carried men to the moon.

While the smartphones people carry in their pockets are exponentially more powerful than the computers that controlled the Saturn 5.

Interesting times we live in.

An amazing feat of engineering. Bravo

The space agency is aiming to send four astronauts around the moon on the next flight, in 2024, and land humans there as early as 2025.

Haven’t we done this already?

Chinas building a space station and Musk is shootin for Mars. I’m sure some Dem or Rep and the corporate MSM will make it seem like “oh we’re so much more advanced than the other guy!” with headlines and bots. unless they’ve found a new energy source on the moon, and they’re not building a Moon base, why bother?

invalid CSRF

why bother?

From NASA - “We’re going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. While maintaining American leadership in exploration, we will build a global alliance and explore deep space for the benefit of all.”

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/

It does seem a bit of a vague reason for a $93 billion outlay. That's the GDP of Luxembourg. It is, unarguably MAGA though, so you'll love it when the boys play golf up there again.

To explore space is to declare that we haven't given up on the expansion of our minds. I grew up on following NASA missions since the late 60s. Really inspirational, and the research potential is infinite.

Perhaps the only economic benefit is jobs?

The world became bored with moon landings, and I suspect history will repeat itself.

Well China has quietly been doing something on the dark side of the moon, so there has to be potential up there.

nandakandamanda

Well China has quietly been doing something on the dark side of the moon, so there has to be potential up there.

There is no dark side of the moon, other than the excellent album by Pink Floyd. Every part of the moon is exposed to sunlight at some point, as it orbits the Earth while the Earth orbits the sun.

There is, however, a far side of the moon that always faces away from Earth. However, it moves in and out of sunlight.

There is no dark side of the moon, other than the excellent album by Pink Floyd.

Matter of fact, it's all dark. The only thing that makes it look light is the sun.

There is no dark side of the moon, other than the excellent album by Pink Floyd. Every part of the moon is exposed to sunlight at some point, as it orbits the Earth while the Earth orbits the sun.

There is, however, a far side of the moon that always faces away from Earth. However, it moves in and out of sunlight.

Interesting. Makes sense.

Matter of fact, it's all dark. The only thing that makes it look light is the sun.

Well, by that definition the earth is dark too.

Haven’t we done this already?

That like saying that going to NRT is "visiting" Japan. The moon is a big place.

The SLS is a useful, but expensive, waste of money. NASA tried to kill it when it was clear that commercial space launch would be faster and cheaper, but the US Congress, in their wisdom, needs to get govt money returned to their districts and mandated that NASA keep the project going.

The SLS isn't just America. There are at least 20 other countries, including Japan, involved. The EU has a big part too. Of course, China and Russia are missing. Russia was invited, but refused. US Congress doesn't allow NASA to work with China. Of course, Taiwanese chips are used in the SLS.

There are at least 2 ways so solve big problems.

a) Try and fail, Repeat.

b) Analyze, overspend, hope to get it right the first time, fix what is discovered wrong, Repeat.

SpaceX and most commercial launch companies are doing 'a'.

NASA, due to Congressional oversight, does 'b'. No other space program does 'b'.

Perhaps the only economic benefit is jobs?

Perhaps, but doubtful. Every leap that NASA makes and funds, leads to real-world changes that nearly everyone have benefits from.

CMOS image sensors in cameras? NASA.

Smaller, faster, cheaper, CPUs? NASA.

Nearly everything in a cell phone is from NASA research. Especially batteries.

Used a GPS for navigation? NASA.

LED lights? NASA.

Indoor farming? NASA.

Weather forecasting was greatly improved by NASA in partnership with NOAA.

NASA still does aeronautic research, so higher efficiency aircraft (electric, faster, and long duration) can all be traced back to NASA research and/or funding.

The number of materials science breakthroughs due to NASA are staggering. It isn't just rockets and getting the highest specific impulse possible. A few countries have rocket engines with over 450 secs of specific impulse, which is very impressive. Of course, these aren't Epstein drives.

FizzBit

Haven’t we done this already?

Chinas building a space station and Musk is shootin for Mars. I’m sure some Dem or Rep and the corporate MSM will make it seem like “oh we’re so much more advanced than the other guy!” with headlines and bots. unless they’ve found a new energy source on the moon, and they’re not building a Moon base, why bother?

Why bother shooting for Mars, then? We have already landed rovers on Mars that can explore that planet.

The Earth is a death trap. At some point, the planet will die. We, as a species, need to get spread out into the galaxy as far as possible.

Just like you teach your kids how to camp - first in the living room, then in the back yard, then at a local campground, and only then in the mountains 2+ hours away from anything, we need to learn to live in space, on different bodies, planets, and eventually around other stars. This is imperative for our species and those species we need to survive. It isn't easy and it will take hundreds of yrs, perhaps thousands, but we've been camping inside the house long enough and need to get to our neighbor's yards for training.

I hope to see a Mars colony, at least a short-term colony for a year or two there in my life. My grandkids should see permanent Mars colonies. More than 1 as we learn more about traveling faster and farther to the neighboring stars in 1-2 lifetimes.

We are taking the first steps.

Hopefully, we will have enough learning and start moving off Earth before it is too late. It is imperative for humans to survive. At most, we have 5B years before the Sun engulfs the inner planets as it becomes a red giant star, but probably much less between large asteroid impacts and gamma rays that can completely kill life here. Some land life will remain, but it is unlikely to be larger than a rabbit. In any specific year, the chances are small for either catastrophe, but over a long time, the chances shift towards 100% likely. A Rogue body traveling through our solar system could alter orbits of some planets, which would be really bad too.

ClippetyClop

Matter of fact, it's all dark. The only thing that makes it look light is the sun.

Mmm nope. The moon may not be a light source. But, all of it is illuminated, area by area, at various times. Therefore, it is not "all dark".

2020hindsights

Why bother shooting for Mars, then? We have already landed rovers on Mars that can explore that planet.

Mars has water

Terraforming

The Moon is a hollow spaceship with a captured white dwarf at its center, also...... Sorry, watched Moonfall last night. Good flick