When pulp sci fi was being written, no one really knew what might be in our own solar system. Some assumed Venus could be a jungle teaming with life, Mars full of caverns with civilization. Obviously now we know that’s not the case.
So the idea that there’s some appeal for people to walk around nothingness in a space suite is off the mark. The reason we want to send people to Mars is not to enjoy the barrens of Mars, but to further our capabilities. (Although there is an undeniable beauty ti geology as well, the beauty of the Grand Canyon for instance)
The barrens are a stepping stone.
If there are planets with alien snakes and bugs, whole ecosystems with intelligent beings, the only way to get there is baby steps in our own barren solar system.
So that’s the appeal. The challenge of exploration to see what’s over that next hill.
Edit: Your points of not appreciating what’s on Earth are right on point. You’ll note one of the posters is an Earth poster. In many ways demonstrating how barren and inhospitable most of the universe is, helps people realize what they have here and how precious it is. So in other words, your exact point of view is what many hope everyone can understand.
Whenever this comes up, it’s weird to me that people seem to not understand that different people have a wide variety of interests and tastes. Also, some people like making the barren into a lush garden.
“Why do people want nothingness” is a sort of earth-centrists’ strawman of what space inhabitation enthusiasts are passionate about, and also super factually incorrect about what space contains.
:-)
i'd quite enjoy bouncing around in 1/4 gravity, or sailing over lakes of hydrocarbons if i could. sure it's equally arbitrary, but it would be more novel than any environment on earth.
what does selfishness have to do with it?
I think you underestimate the experiences available on Earth, but I otherwise agree that it would be awesome as heck.
I've seen this before, and couldn't get over it then.
I got the Kepler 16b poster printed and framed, it looks amazing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get copies of these posters from NASA or JPL? The images are free for you to print. Please consult the JPL Image Use Policy[1] for further details.
Is it okay for me to print them out myself and display them? Download the full size posters above so that you can print them and hang on your walls and share with us on Facebook or Twitter.
Do you have other sizes that you haven’t posted, or can you make new ones in a different size? The current sizes on the website are what are currently available, which are 20 x 30 inches.
[1] https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/jpl-image-use-policy :
Unless otherwise noted, images and video on JPL public web sites (public sites ending with a jpl.nasa.gov address) may be used for any purpose without prior permission, subject to the special cases noted below. Publishers who wish to have authorization may print this page and retain it for their records; JPL does not issue image permissions on an image by image basis.
https://reves-d-espace.com/affiches-spatiales-pour-decorer-v... (unfortunately not available in the original site anymore)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16Hcdw4lER8t63YgDGm9W...
https://astrography.com/collections/visions-of-the-future-by...
Not affiliated just a customer.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galleries/visions-of-the-future
from 2016
"Propaganda" has negative connotations today, because it has been used as a manipulative tool. But that was not always the case.
WPA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration
