Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

Palomar · 2005-04-27 06:15:23

*I don't like seeing articles about military missiles/warheads at space exploration/astronomy web sites. Not all SE/A web sites do this, but many do.

What do you think?

--Cindy

Cobra Commander · 2005-04-27 08:41:18

Personally, I don't have a problem with it though I can see why some might. There is a strong connection between military and civilian uses of space, civilian space travel owes its existence to military rockets and continues to benefit from such developments.

But then, I'm one of those that's just as interested in new military hardware as its space-exploring cousins. A tool is a tool, application is limited only by imagination.

SpaceNut · 2005-04-27 08:52:29

Then again on the side note of Russia's rockets from the cold war era. They have been doing great things with them and none are being used for war pusposes to which they were built for. The conversion of them it to scientific use is a great step towards piece. I think that most are short range units but there will come a time when even the ones designed to strike at the US will be converted as well. Possibly even for missions to the moon or mars. Someday even the US built ones may come to the same fate or at least one could hope for it to become true in the dismantaling of the war machines of the past.

Palomar · 2005-04-27 08:56:07

*Thanks Cobra, for your comments. I wish I could be as objective and rational as you are about certain matters, but there's a bit of the dreamer in me. Your replies are always interesting to read, regardless of topic.

Probably it would be very difficult to keep the two separated. But it's just always odd, IMO, to be reading the latest info regarding a planetary satellite in the Solar System or the latest astrophoto of a popular spiral galaxy...and there's an article right next to it about Pakistan's defense missiles.

Sometimes a break from "real life" is nice, at least for 10 minutes, without those sorts of unpleasant reminders (which abound in all other sorts of media reporting anyway).

I wonder how many other astrobuffs feel this way about it.

--Cindy

Fledi · 2005-04-27 09:18:22

This is the old question about if a knife is a weapon or a tool.
For rockets, the launcher part is often the same, whether it carries a scientific payload or a warhead, so it's really difficult to draw a line between the two. Personally I have no problem with military information included, what is really important about it is what it's used for. Pacifists often forget that people like Hitler haven't been stopped by peace movements.

Palomar · 2005-04-27 09:27:47

This is the old question about if a knife is a weapon or a tool.
For rockets, the launcher part is often the same, whether it carries a scientific payload or a warhead, so it's really difficult to draw a line between the two. Personally I have no problem with military information included, what is really important about it is what it's used for. Pacifists often forget that people like Hitler haven't been stopped by peace movements.

*Hi. To me, this isn't about pacifists or Hitler.

I like reading astronomy articles without articles about weapons alongside.

--Cindy

Fledi · 2005-04-27 09:40:13

That's why I voted for "they should be separated". I understand you don't want that information included and as far as only the astronomical part of the mission is included I wonder why there are articles about the Pakistani missile program added. Most sites I seen so far deal just with science as long as there is no discussion about the launcher. But maybe I'm just not looking closely enough.

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2005-04-27 11:18:59

This is the old question about if a knife is a weapon or a tool.
For rockets, the launcher part is often the same, whether it carries a scientific payload or a warhead, so it's really difficult to draw a line between the two. Personally I have no problem with military information included, what is really important about it is what it's used for. Pacifists often forget that people like Hitler haven't been stopped by peace movements.
*Hi. To me, this isn't about pacifists or Hitler.
I like reading astronomy articles without articles about weapons alongside.
--Cindy

Well I suppose when you go back to the early days much of the work and space science was really connected to the military, the Russians were putting stuff up from modified ICBMs, the USA had gotten a bit of a bonus when they took Von Braun who the Nazi used to build V2 rockets and bomb London, everyone wanted more spy satellites, while the Chinese were keen on testing their atomic bombs and Mao wanted to place East Is Red propaganda satellites in orbit

Well of course now things have changed, the Russians are very friendly with the USA and they do good trade, Europe no longer has an Iron curtain and Chinese have a steady and strong economic and poltical working relationship with the West

Also things have changed greatly in Space science, NASA is doing great with Mars, the Europeans are building ion-drive craft like Smart one, plus we have Rutan's Spaceshipone, Russian Space tourism, and a possible private mission to pluto, and there have been many extra solar planets smaller than Jupiter found outside our Solar System, and there are new space telescopes like JWST, Gaia, Corot and Kelper planned for the future, so the nature of space exploration has changed.

dicktice · 2005-04-27 12:35:14

Since when, is a warhead a "tool"?

Trebuchet · 2005-04-27 12:46:31

It is a tool... a tool of war.

Personally, I don't care about military rockets being mentioned in space magazines - as has been pointed out before, launchers is launchers, what matters is at the top, and the technology is transferrable to civilian use. Warheads, though, seem rather... less relevant.

Fledi · 2005-04-27 14:26:40

I was talking about the launcher being a "tool" that can carry a science payload or warheads.

Grypd · 2005-04-27 18:21:42

But then again it could be said that having on one side the latest space launcher and on the other the defence missile it is a good means to keep us real and a bit grounded. It always helps that we the space advocates look to see what is really happening in the world or could potentially happen. And war and weapons are one source of the bad things that could.

Human nature though we are a lot more technically able has not really changed since the days of the great exploration voyages of the likes of Magellan and Columbus. VonBraun was a dreamer who planned to go to space with his technical expertise it just happens to get the research done he had to work for the German army.

These sites are really places that promote human ingenuity and unfortunatly/fortunatly mankind is very ingenious when it comes to war. Best that we try to promote a time when everyone is truly happy and Human massed conflict is not necessary, But until that time it is best to ensure that you have the ability to really hurt the side that tries anything and you make them know it.

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#1 2005-04-27 06:15:23

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#2 2005-04-27 08:41:18

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#3 2005-04-27 08:52:29

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#4 2005-04-27 08:56:07

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#5 2005-04-27 09:18:22

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#6 2005-04-27 09:27:47

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#7 2005-04-27 09:40:13

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#8 2005-04-27 11:18:59

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#9 2005-04-27 12:35:14

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#10 2005-04-27 12:46:31

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#11 2005-04-27 14:26:40

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

#12 2005-04-27 18:21:42

Re: Missiles vs Science/Astronomy Rockets

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