Why is space so unpopular!!!

I totally agree on the fact that todays kids are in front of the tv with their gamecubes and such crap or in front of the computer playing online dumb games.  Personaly, my kids have'nt tried it yet, the older one is near 5 years old and he is more interested in the space shuttle missions and the International Space Station than in these crazy games.  I hope it will remain that way for a long time.  Of course, that's because I am passionate for space myself, otherwise he would'nt be interested.

I was not complaining, I'm sure I'm not the only one interested in the different space programs but I wish some manufacturers will still provide us with quality kits.  I'm waiting for the big new CEV to be launched and I hope somebody will make a plastic kit of it.

Yann,

From what I've seen, NASA really hasn't had that spark for years, the Apollo missions to the Moon was the last spark for youngsters to imagine to travel to another heavenly body in reallity, now we have robots doing the dirty work like going to Mars, Venus, Jupiter's Moons but no Buck Rodgers in the seat and I think that's what is hurting the Space Modeling draw, there is the Star Terk types of modeling but no actual reallity space modeling in years, I've seen modelers bust their chops when Monogram & Revell released the Space Shuttle kits back in the late 70's, early 80's but now you can't get the modelers to take a second look at the kit unless the modeler is really into the Space Program, and they are a breed all their own and the kits are either a scratch built, or a very high Dollar resin kit, or a hard to find out of production kit from the late 1960's, the model companies are more into the Automotive kits then any other type because more of the young individuals are into their computer games like X-Box, Game Cubes, Nintendo's then into modeling anymore, and when they take a break from the games and go into modeling it's eazier for them to comprehend working on a car then an airplane, tank or spaceship so they'll get a car kit then a model of the space shuttle or a Patton tank or a airplane

I'm not against the Space Program, Heck I was a part of it, I worked Magellion, Galliao, TES, Commerical Titan, Titan II & IV, and my father worked with NASA during the Gemini & Apollo Missions and worked Viking and more various other satelites that where built by Martin Maretta (now Lockheed-Martin), as with my brother who still works for Lockheed-Martin

Perhaps the facination with war and distruction superceeds any intrest in new discoveries, or the unknown. We as a race seem to dwell on our own distructions rather than take the time to praise our accomplishments. I am no different than most, and have a keen interest in certain military subjects, but my first intrests always lay with space and space exploration. People like us, I believe, are the exception, not the rule, and kit manufactures know this.

I don't think it is really unpopular.  It's just that down here, most people have more 'urgent' preocupations like paying bills and putting food on the table.  Indeed people live for the moment, with little thoughts about a longer term future.  That is why not much is really done to curb greenhouse gases emissions or find alternative fuels for instance.

People have lost touch with space.  Apollo was a fantastic programme, but people are losing interest fast, and once the Soviet had been beaten at the Moon race, there was little interest in doing more of the same.  We lack great visionaries who can put difficult long term goals in our minds.  And we could do with more TV programmes and books such as Carl Sagan's Cosmos to give us the desire to look up at the starts again.

And as to the occasional high profile due to an accident or other casualty, just look at any paper in the world.  Bad news sell.  People like to see there are worst things happening to others than to them.

Jim Barton wrote:

This is, after all, the era of instant gratification, instant meals, instant messaging, instant water (just add water), instant this, instant that. You get the picture.

That is very true there.  I am 23 and when I was in college and my friends saw my models and they went "instantly", "oh i will never have the patience to finish that".  They'd rather park their rears down in front of a PC playing some online role-playing-game for 5 straight hours if not more till day break. 

What made me kind of happy was when I go to my LHS on Saturdays, I'd see 15 year olds playing warhammer table top miniature war games there, which all requires painting and some minor assembly.  At least this hobby itself still have some future for the younger generations.  (sure is a whole lot more popular in asian countries though, no idea why)

*uhem..off-topic...

Even if they did finally do a manned mission to Mars (which I don't see happening within my lifetime), chances are kids would then rather play computer simulations of the mission than actually build a kit of whatever spacecraft makes the trip. After all, look at all the kids today who would rather play with the computer (or just sit and stare at the TV) than build a model, with all the waiting for the glue and paint to dry. This is, after all, the era of instant gratification, instant meals, instant messaging, instant water (just add water), instant this, instant that. You get the picture.

Although I don't build spacecraft models, I've got a major interest in the new discoveries away from the earth, both from spacecraft fly-bys and space telescopes, as well as the new interferometers (multiple telescopes that work as one giant one). There's something new nearly every day, it seems.

Another problem is that the mainstream kit companies (Revell, Airfix, etc.) relatively stopped making spacecraft to concentrate on high-selling kits (Nascar, Gundam??).  Plus, they have also primarily converted over to the pre-painted, mostly finished, "kits" that cater to today's youth who don't want to take time to do a kit from scratch.

To find a good space kit, you now have to rely on the cottage industries who deal primarily in resin.  Or shell out bucks on eBay.  Currently, more than one 1/48th Gemini capsule is selling for the mid-$60's with still a few days left on the auction.  And they started at $10!  Are they that rare.  I've got two on my shelf. (No, they aren't for sale!)

They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  Maybe a mass mailing to The Big Guys would get them to possibly do a few re-releases (they did re-release the 1/96th Saturn V after all).  The only kit I can't afford is the 1/48th Apollo stack ($150+ on eBay).

My two cents.

Mike

cuz cpt kirk ruined it.  gyahahaha... 

Personally i got two diecast shuttles on my desk at work and did a full research project on mars rover design back in school.  I sure hope they don't decide to abandon mars all together as well.  Now i just need to get my hands on a lego mindstorm set to implement some of them into a battlebot some of my old roommates and I are planning to make, a fully automated KILLABOT.  LOL.

NASA took the last Saturn V rocket, broke it up into little pieces and laid it on it's side. A working rocket, the most powerful people mover ever built, and they laid it on it's side.

Then they tried to pawn off that low altitude not-quite-space shuttle as a space ship.

That's why.

I remember watching the first man on the moon. I never thought I would see the last man on the moon.

I'm told the space program was too expensive to bear. Considering what technological marvels and benefits that came out of the program, I say it was cheap at twice the price.

I have just finished watching the last episode of James Burke's amazing series "Connections" (from 1975, but amazingly current), who advises me that during the same time period American women spent the same amount of money on cosmetics as NASA did for the entire Apollo project.

Makes me weep, it does.

Why are we so outnumbered in this forum? 

Most likley its because there are so many forums on the net these days, and this is not one of the more active ones. I would suggest some, but that might violate forum rules..

 

Robert