@mike_malaska@deepspace.social
2026-04-11 20:25 UTC
Replies (17)
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@chgowiz@dice.camp 2026-04-11 20:33
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social I'm going to caveat my "devastated" response because I'm not OK with, but devastated is not what I'll feel. Disappointment. And some anger that we squandered a lot of opportunities to be on the Moon already. So yes, if China gets to the Moon before we return, I'll be deeply disappointed. But hopeful that we'll redouble our efforts to return there for good.
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@Michael@weatherby2378.social 2026-04-11 20:38
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social We really are back in the 60s, aren't we? Space race, taking pictures to help finding a good landing spot...
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@xgebi@hachyderm.io 2026-04-11 20:39
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social @AkaSci@fosstodon.org The whole world saw over the last year cuts in science in USA. So I think most of us who live outside understand that China will beat USA to the moon. I wish ESA would be beat both but ESA is not there yet.
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@JSteven@wandering.shop 2026-04-11 20:41
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social American here. I checked "okay," but I wouldn't be okay. I'd be disappointed, but not surprised, because it's probably happening. Also disappointed because while China is a more vibrant and healthy state, it isn't, even at this dark time, necessarily a better one. But happy humans did it. But if, say, Japan and India and Europe got their shit together and did it, THEN I'd be delighted. But I can't see that happening either.
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@mastodonmigration@mastodon.online 2026-04-11 20:46
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social When the Chinese land first on the Moon it will be just fine, and a good lesson for Isaacman, a tech bro who now leads a public administration. The reason we will lose this race is NASA bought into the wild SpaceX promises and has wasted untold billions and a decade shoveling money into an poorly conceived really big spaceship white elephant. Perhaps this will inform his decision making on public vs corporate spending going forward, but one doubts it.
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@libramoon@mastodon.social 2026-04-11 20:58
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social probably wouldn't much notice
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@sethrichards@mas.to 2026-04-11 21:12
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social I voted "devastated" but that's not really the right word. I'd have extremely mixed feelings. As others have said, I'd be extremely disappointed that my country has given up its leadership in so many areas. On the other hand, I'd get some enjoyment watching the meltdown among people who think our place in the world is something we're owed rather than something previous generations worked hard to achieve and maintain...
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@jeffc@mastodon.online 2026-04-11 21:36
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social Imagine the shockwave of taikonauts bypassing the moon and walking on Mars.
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@colinburgess@mastodon.nz 2026-04-11 21:46
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social I’m a lot more worried about conflict when the USA, China and maybe India start trying to exploit the moon rather than studying it. Conflict ahoy!
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@Logical_Error@fosstodon.org 2026-04-11 21:48
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social i wouldn’t care as long as humans are making progress for humanity, im happy. we should strive to make these arbitrary social differences irrelevant the prevailing sentiment from the space race between the usa and the soviet union of yesteryear is not “the usa/soviet union won!”, but that of “wow, im surprised humans are capable of this” i hope we can all try to think of structural changes we could make to encourage this way of thinking
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@EinsPossum@chaos.social 2026-04-11 22:23
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social I'd be devastated because it would be the result of NASA being wrecked (which is already happening) and that sucks. Not particularly because im against the ideas of chinese spacecraft getting people to the moon or because im particularly attached to the idea of american spacecraft getting anywhere first but space stuff is good.
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@GlasWolf@mastodon.scot 2026-04-11 22:45
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social "Exceptionalism" is an odd word for him to use here. I presume he meant superiority or leadership, but to me it generally implies delusions of grandeur rather than the real thing.
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@htpcnz@mastodon.social 2026-04-11 23:48
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social extra funny if China is purposely doing the reverse of USA vs USSR, where USA dealt a great blow to USSR by being the first, where as China basically accelerate the downfall of US empire by getting USA involved in a faux moon race wasting billions recycling old tech while soon to be trillionaire blows up piles of others cash, some of it that of taxpayers, every few months.
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@Oldfartrant@mstdn.ca 2026-04-12 04:47
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social Trump destroyed the Myth of American exceptionalism. Now it's just boorish yahoos.
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@raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie 2026-04-12 07:34
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social But sending people to the Moon or Mars is pointless. Send machines. Sending people is ego.
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@samueljohnson@mstdn.social 2026-04-12 08:57
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social Shock waves felt around the world? An absurd conceit. What would cause shock waves The US implementing universal health care controlling guns getting money out of politics ending vote suppression and gerrymandering decarbonising ASAP Etc The space tech achievements of a tech bro society seen as a threat to the rest of humanity aren't things the rest of the world cares about. The US today is a grotesque with delusions of importance, making enemies, alienating allies.
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@jdmsl@hostux.social 2026-04-12 11:20
@mike_malaska@deepspace.social Where's the "I'd be mildy disappointed but still happy for science (I am US and have friends who work in the space industry so I have interest in them succeeding)" option?