Should Canada do more in Space?

[Big Blue Machine]

It will that Canada and America should combine their space programs, and Canada and America should 50/50 the costs. That way we share the space information. Plus, we don't have to have our single programs.

[Stoker]

So you are going to pay the additional costs with your paper route?

[Slavik44]

BBM split the costs 50/50, you ahve got to be kidding me.....

United States $ 10,980,000,000,000

Canada $ 957,700,000,000

Basic logic suggests that we cannot do that, we don't ask a guy making $30,000 a year to pay the exact numerical figure of a guy making $300,000 a year, because it almost imediatley requires the guy making 30,000 to go in debt to pay his taxes. Yes Canada needs to spend time on scientific research, including space however we need to be able to afford to do it, and we need to retain some control over the money.

[Stoker]

The Americans spend over 13 billion dollars a year on NASA..........Where is our government going to come with the almost 8.5 billion dollars (CDN) to meet our end of the NASA budget?

[Big Blue Machine]

Ok, maybe not 50/50, but we should share some of the costs like 20/80.

[Stoker]

Ok, maybe not 50/50, but we should share some of the costs like 20/80.

Where are we going to get the 3.4 billion then?

[JWayne625]

I think it is a good idea for Canada to participate in the space program. The fist thing we should do is put all those Supreme Court Judges, with their pie-in-the-sky ideas into a space capsule and send it on let's say a round trip to, let me see...the sun! They should do quite nicely, and by the time they get back we should have the problems they created all worked out.

Seriously though we simply do not have the money to be as involved as we are already. It has become a make-work project for the space cadet agency in Quebec.

[ceemes]

A 50/50 split is foolish.....

The fact is, proper space exploration and science is far too expensive for any one nation to do on its own, even the US.

Basically what is needed is a coordinated international effort where all the nations who are currently involved in space exploration and science to act together in order to maximize the effort.

As it is, there is already far too much duplication of effort and reinventing the wheel going on between the competing nations.

The international space station is a good if somewhat flawed start. A unified and joint effort where every nation contributes where it can best assist would speed up space exploration.

If the conquests and exploration of the America's carry on at the speed that manned exploration of space is, then the various first nations peoplese would still own the land from the Artic to the tip of South America.

[caesar]

If the conquests and exploration of the America's carry on at the speed that manned exploration of space is, then the various first nations peoplese would still own the land from the Artic to the tip of South America.

So, we should speed things up and commit the same atrocious acts as we did then?

There is a serious danger to space exploration that we seem to be largely ignoring. There is a serious possibility of bringing back alien bacteria that could cause unprecedented illnesses to the world; much like the diseases our ancestor's brought to the Americas that helped to wipe out a large number of natives.

[Big Blue Machine]

Ok, I see my damned mistake. But you guys aren't answering my question.

[Stoker]

Ok, I see my damned mistake. But you guys aren't answering my question.

If we didn't have more important issues to address like defence, healthcare, education, debt reduction

enviroment, uneployment etc., then yes, the case could be made that we could be doing more in space.

[caesar]

What is your question Big Blue? We already contribute money and technology to the USA space program. You think that we need to contribute more for whatever crumbs extra they might send us? Let's get this country working smoothly sans corruption and wasting money. Canada is constantly sending off our tax money to help other countries; too much in my opinion. Why did we forgive all the loans to Russia?

[The Terrible Sweal]

Space development is the future of humankind. We are crazy to keep all our eggs in this fragile little basket, and the economic growth potential is staggering. So yes, Canada should do more in space.

[Bro]

I don't want to downplay your post,but there are a few liberal mp's that have their heads in space,maybe they would be better suited to that area of the universe,as opposed to living on Canadian soil.

[Bro]

Let's get this country working smoothly sans corruption and wasting money.

So tell me caeser,which party did you vote for in the last election to help with that cause?LOL

[ceemes]

If the conquests and exploration of the America's carry on at the speed that manned exploration of space is, then the various first nations peoplese would still own the land from the Artic to the tip of South America.

So, we should speed things up and commit the same atrocious acts as we did then?

As far as we know, there are no intelligent species residing within our solar system to commit atrocious acts upon. And any extrasolar species we run into out there more then likely would be advanced enough to give us a run for our money....so this argument is laughable.

There is a serious danger to space exploration that we seem to be largely ignoring.  There is a serious possibility of bringing back alien bacteria that could cause unprecedented illnesses to the world;  much like the diseases our ancestor's brought to the Americas that helped to wipe out a large number of natives.

The Andromeda Strain Syndrome.......well, the odds of an alien bacteria or whatever having a genetic make up that is compatible with ours is highly unlikely. The bugs we Europeans brought to the America's were born and bred on earth, therefore the natives were perfect hosts for them, having no immunity to them.

[caesar]

The Andromeda Strain Syndrome.......well, the odds of an alien bacteria or whatever having a genetic make up that is compatible with ours is highly unlikely.

It is not a remote possibility. It is a serious concern

[JWayne625]

We already pay quite enough of our tax money on Space Cadets in Canada. They're called politicians' and Supreme Court Justices. Let's not advocate finding some other kind of space to waste our money on!

[Big Blue Machine]

So, Jway, you don't think Canada be involved with the exploration of space? We need to get our part to space. We have the Canadarm, and we should build and give more.