NASA's Groovy Concept Art for the Orbiting Cities of the Future

**boriscleto** · 01-31-2012, 11:37 AM

NASA's Groovy Concept Art for the Orbiting Cities of the Future - Design - The Atlantic Cities

And where is my flying car?

Docrwm · 01-31-2012, 11:56 AM

Beautiful pictures and great ideas. The end of that article about gave me a stroke!

"Seriously, why hasn't anyone built these things yet? Get on it, Obama!"

Doesn't he know that this administration has declared space a sinkhole for tax money and has effectively killed manned space exploration?

**boriscleto** · 01-31-2012, 12:17 PM

Originally posted by Docrwm

Beautiful pictures and great ideas. The end of that article about gave me a stroke!

"Seriously, why hasn't anyone built these things yet? Get on it, Obama!"

Doesn't he know that this administration has declared space a sinkhole for tax money and has effectively killed manned space exploration?

Manned space exploration is a huge sinkhole for tax money. There isn't anything you can do with a manned mission that can't be done with robots and telepresence for much less. Once you add a human presence into a mission the costs begin to go up exponentially.

The idea of human colonization of space is just as much a pipe dream now as it was then. But they are still cool renderings.

RoxnDox · 01-31-2012, 04:58 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by boriscleto

Manned space exploration is a huge sinkhole for tax money. There isn't anything you can do with a manned mission that can't be done with robots and telepresence for much less. Once you add a human presence into a mission the costs begin to go up exponentially.

The idea of human colonization of space is just as much a pipe dream now as it was then. But they are still cool renderings.

yeah, actually there is something you can't do with a robot/crawler and a camera: Pick up a rock and take a look at it. Bring it back inside your vehicle/habitat and feel the surface. Break it open and feel the difference between the weathered exterior and a fresh break. Taste it (yes I am serious). Climb up on top of a boulder at the base of a rock outcrop and bust off a piece from 10 feet up, where your robot can't reach. Take a look around at small, subtle clues that are hard to discern even for a high-resolution camera with high-bandwidth data channels, but are trivially easy for trained eyes and wetware to see.

Costs more - of course it does. BUT robots and telepresence can absolutely NOT provide everything a human can do, except in pipe dreams...

Jim

Docrwm · 01-31-2012, 07:23 PM

Originally posted by RoxnDox

yeah, actually there is something you can't do with a robot/crawler and a camera: Pick up a rock and take a look at it. Bring it back inside your vehicle/habitat and feel the surface. Break it open and feel the difference between the weathered exterior and a fresh break. Taste it (yes I am serious). Climb up on top of a boulder at the base of a rock outcrop and bust off a piece from 10 feet up, where your robot can't reach. Take a look around at small, subtle clues that are hard to discern even for a high-resolution camera with high-bandwidth data channels, but are trivially easy for trained eyes and wetware to see.

Costs more - of course it does. BUT robots and telepresence can absolutely NOT provide everything a human can do, except in pipe dreams...

Jim

Some people have no imagination or dreams either. I'd like to have seen a robot fix the Hubble, or the Skylab, or........adjust to something the big brains on Earth never anticipated.

Anyway, nice concept art.

séamuis · 02-01-2012, 07:28 AM - **1 Like**

we need to be more concerned with protecting what we already have and feeding the starving people of the world before we think about polluting space with artificial suburbia. but the ideas are cool, ill say that much.

Rupert · 02-02-2012, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by séamuis

we need to be more concerned with protecting what we already have and feeding the starving people of the world before we think about polluting space with artificial suburbia. but the ideas are cool, ill say that much.

Agreed.

stanleyk · 02-02-2012, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by Rupert

Agreed.

I'll add my +2 to this.

01-31-2012, 11:37 AM	#1
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	NASA's Groovy Concept Art for the Orbiting Cities of the Future NASA's Groovy Concept Art for the Orbiting Cities of the Future - Design - The Atlantic Cities And where is my flying car?

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01-31-2012, 11:56 AM	#2
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Beautiful pictures and great ideas. The end of that article about gave me a stroke! "Seriously, why hasn't anyone built these things yet? Get on it, Obama!" Doesn't he know that this administration has declared space a sinkhole for tax money and has effectively killed manned space exploration?

01-31-2012, 12:17 PM	#3
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475 Original Poster	Originally posted by Docrwm Beautiful pictures and great ideas. The end of that article about gave me a stroke! "Seriously, why hasn't anyone built these things yet? Get on it, Obama!" Doesn't he know that this administration has declared space a sinkhole for tax money and has effectively killed manned space exploration? Manned space exploration is a huge sinkhole for tax money. There isn't anything you can do with a manned mission that can't be done with robots and telepresence for much less. Once you add a human presence into a mission the costs begin to go up exponentially. The idea of human colonization of space is just as much a pipe dream now as it was then. But they are still cool renderings.

01-31-2012, 04:58 PM - 1 Like	#4
RoxnDox Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Gig Harbor, Washington, USA, Terra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,494	Originally posted by boriscleto Manned space exploration is a huge sinkhole for tax money. There isn't anything you can do with a manned mission that can't be done with robots and telepresence for much less. Once you add a human presence into a mission the costs begin to go up exponentially. The idea of human colonization of space is just as much a pipe dream now as it was then. But they are still cool renderings. yeah, actually there is something you can't do with a robot/crawler and a camera: Pick up a rock and take a look at it. Bring it back inside your vehicle/habitat and feel the surface. Break it open and feel the difference between the weathered exterior and a fresh break. Taste it (yes I am serious). Climb up on top of a boulder at the base of a rock outcrop and bust off a piece from 10 feet up, where your robot can't reach. Take a look around at small, subtle clues that are hard to discern even for a high-resolution camera with high-bandwidth data channels, but are trivially easy for trained eyes and wetware to see. Costs more - of course it does. BUT robots and telepresence can absolutely NOT provide everything a human can do, except in pipe dreams... Jim

01-31-2012, 07:23 PM	#5
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Originally posted by RoxnDox yeah, actually there is something you can't do with a robot/crawler and a camera: Pick up a rock and take a look at it. Bring it back inside your vehicle/habitat and feel the surface. Break it open and feel the difference between the weathered exterior and a fresh break. Taste it (yes I am serious). Climb up on top of a boulder at the base of a rock outcrop and bust off a piece from 10 feet up, where your robot can't reach. Take a look around at small, subtle clues that are hard to discern even for a high-resolution camera with high-bandwidth data channels, but are trivially easy for trained eyes and wetware to see. Costs more - of course it does. BUT robots and telepresence can absolutely NOT provide everything a human can do, except in pipe dreams... Jim Some people have no imagination or dreams either. I'd like to have seen a robot fix the Hubble, or the Skylab, or........adjust to something the big brains on Earth never anticipated. Anyway, nice concept art.

02-01-2012, 07:28 AM - 1 Like	#6
séamuis Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Savannah, U.S./Baguio City, P.H. Posts: 5,979	we need to be more concerned with protecting what we already have and feeding the starving people of the world before we think about polluting space with artificial suburbia. but the ideas are cool, ill say that much.

02-02-2012, 10:03 AM	#7
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	Originally posted by séamuis we need to be more concerned with protecting what we already have and feeding the starving people of the world before we think about polluting space with artificial suburbia. but the ideas are cool, ill say that much. Agreed.

02-02-2012, 11:06 AM	#8
stanleyk Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Taylor, Texas Posts: 1,018	Originally posted by Rupert Agreed. I'll add my +2 to this.