--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Hugo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "John" <jr_esq@> wrote: > > > > To All: > > > > It appears that the race to go "ballistic" is popular among > ambitious > > nations nowadays. Please, see article below. However, in Shrimad > > Bhagavatam, there's a sloka that gives us pause and make us > question > > the practicality of these space endeavors. The sloka essentially > > states that it's futile to go to other planets or higher dimensions > > by technological means. > > Does he suggest there were other means to do it?
By spiritual means. There are many stories in vedic literature of rishis who were able to visit other planets and worlds by yogic means. I believe MMY once stated that one of his students was able to "visit" the Moon while in samadhi. > I think getting off Earth should be our number one > priority. Let's face it this planets nearly trashed > unless we go and find another sooner or later we'll > die here, there ain't no two ways about it. I say > let's go now and leave this nice old place to > recuperate after our 100year oil-fueled demolition. You are absolutely right in your observation. But the fact remains that the present technology is not capable of getting humans to live on the Moon or even Mars. Even if we did, living on any of the planets in the solar system is not a way to escape the death of the Sun. Is it possible to colonize the earth-like exoplanets in other star systems? With our current technology, no. > > > > > JR > > > > ****** > > > > U.S. Finds It's Getting Crowded Out There > > Dominance in Space Slips as Other Nations Step Up Efforts > > > > One of the 14 Chinese astronauts, also known as taikonauts, who > > prepared for China's first manned space mission October, 2003. > > (CREDIT: Courtesy of SpaceDaily.com.) > > > > > > By Marc Kaufman > > Washington Post Staff Writer > > Wednesday, July 9, 2008; Page A01 > > > > China plans to conduct its first spacewalk in October. The European > > Space Agency is building a roving robot to land on Mars. India > > recently launched a record 10 satellites into space on a single > > rocket. > > > > This Story > > U.S. Finds It's Getting Crowded Out There > > Globalizing Space > > Space, like Earth below, is globalizing. And as it does, America's > > long-held superiority in exploring, exploiting and > > commercializing "the final frontier" is slipping away, many experts > > believe. > > > > Although the United States remains dominant in most space-related > > fields -- and owns half the military satellites currently orbiting > > Earth -- experts say the nation's superiority is diminishing, and > > many other nations are expanding their civilian and commercial > space > > capabilities at a far faster pace. > > > > "We spent many tens of billions of dollars during the Apollo era to > > purchase a commanding lead in space over all nations on Earth," > said > > NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin, who said his agency's budget > > is down by 20 percent in inflation-adjusted terms since 1992. > > > > "We've been living off the fruit of that purchase for 40 years and > > have not . . . chosen to invest at a level that would preserve that > > commanding lead." > > > > In a recent in-depth study of international space competitiveness, > > the technology consulting firm Futron of Bethesda found that the > > globalizing of space is unfolding more broadly and quickly than > most > > Americans realize. "Systemic and competitive forces threaten U.S. > > space leadership," company president Joseph Fuller Jr. concluded. > > > > > > Six separate nations and the European Space Agency are now capable > of > > sending sophisticated satellites and spacecraft into orbit -- and > > more are on the way. New rockets, satellites and spacecraft are > being > > planned to carry Chinese, Russian, European and Indian astronauts > to > > the moon, to turn Israel into a center for launching > > minuscule "nanosatellites," and to allow Japan and the Europeans to > > explore the solar system and beyond with unmanned probes as > > sophisticated as NASA's. > > > > While the United States has been making incremental progress in > > space, its global rivals have been taking the giant steps that once > > defined NASA: > > > > > > · Following China's lead, India has announced ambitious plans for a > > manned space program, and in November the European Union will > > probably approve a proposal to collaborate on a manned space effort > > with Russia. Russia will soon launch rockets from a base in South > > America under an agreement with the European company Arianespace, > > whose main launch facility is in Kourou, French Guiana. > > > > > > · Japan and China both have satellites circling the moon, and India > > and Russia are also working on lunar orbiters. NASA will launch a > > lunar reconnaissance mission this year, but many analysts believe > the > > Chinese will be the first to return astronauts to the moon > > >
