Would you let your child...

[Phobotech]

...go into space?

So, hypothetically speaking, you're long in the tooth at this point. You got some grays in your hair showing through...you're working, and you have a child. Son, daughter, doesn't matter...

...anyway, they graduate from high school, or they're headlong through college or something, when they receive the opportunity to work for a privatized space industry. And there's tons to choose from by this point. From independent contractors, to whole companies that are built upon the need for common workers to space walk up there. Mining, Off-world maintenance, Cosmic Debris Defense, science/research, whatever demand they'll have at the time and whatever your kid happens to be qualified for...

Even with the risk of high exposures to radiation
Even with the risk of irreparable damage to their bodies
Even with the risk of getting shredded by space debris
Even with the risk of the space shuttle ferrying your child blowing up in the mesoshpere before it can reach it's destination due to less money being thrown around for reliable, sturdier shuttles to meet the high demand of traffic.
Even with the risk of co-worker harrassment in an isolated, sparsely law enforced workfield
Even with the risk of all kinds of causes of death...

...Would you be comfortable sending your kid up to space?

[supergandhi64]

would i be comfortable sending anyone up into space? i've no idea how to even launch a space shuttle

--supergandhi64

[Jin]

Make him aware of the dangers, leave the decision to him.

[Magical-Zorse]

fuck yeah, space is awesome

[Gimmick]

by the time i'm old, science will have found a way to throw people in space without all those dangers
so yes

[Cyberdevil]

At 3/13/13 06:11 AM, Phobotech wrote: ...go into space?

Yes

...Would you be comfortable sending your kid up to space?

No

At the point where they can embark on a venture into the great void, I wouldn't be one to judge/do anything about it. But I don't think I'd encourage it.

[BumFodder]

If it was their job then we would be rolling in the dosh

[FromADistance]

I'd be sure that they are aware of the possible dangers but if it was their dreams and they made it into space, I couldn't find a way to be more proud of a father than that.

[LordMartin-Mac]

No I won't, because that child is not ready for anything yet. It's best if I supervise my child if he/she wants to go.

[ToastedToastyToast]

At 3/13/13 06:13 AM, Jin wrote: Make him aware of the dangers, leave the decision to him.

I agree with this fully. I can't think of any way to say this better either.

[Viper50]

Pff yeah!
I mean...space is awesome!

[zag]

At 3/13/13 06:11 AM, Phobotech wrote: ...Would you be comfortable sending your kid up to space?

Yes, if that's what they want to do.
I'm not entirely certainly how I got a kid in the first place though.
I'm pretty sure I'm not even capable of partaking in the creation of a person.

[saqwert]

Yeah beh, it ain't my life
As long as they don't date any Puerto Ricans, everything is fine

[ill]

I would be a very proud parent.

[aListers]

I would be very proud for them to go into space. The universe is going to change in the next few years. They'll know the risks so they'll be one of the people who are risking their lives for the sake of human development. They're taking the risks that I was too scared and lazy to take so I'll be proud of them for it.

[Seasons]

At 3/13/13 06:11 AM, Phobotech wrote: Even with the risk of all kinds of causes of death...

...Would you be comfortable sending your kid up to space?

Yes! Absolutely! No question about it. They will be living the dream that I have always had, and I would not be able to tell them not to go, even if I were worried about their safety.

[Mismo]

I would show my child "2001: A Space Odyssey" the night before launch off.

[Kunera]

By the point they would be around college, they would have to start being able to make decisions for themselves, so it would really be up to them, but I would certainly be concerned, and make sure that they were very much aware of the risks involved. That's honestly what most parents would probably do in that situation.

[CiviLies]

Even with the risk of high exposures to radiation
Even with the risk of irreparable damage to their bodies
Even with the risk of getting shredded by space debris
Even with the risk of the space shuttle ferrying your child blowing up in the mesoshpere before it can reach it's destination due to less money being thrown around for reliable, sturdier shuttles to meet the high demand of traffic.
Even with the risk of co-worker harrassment in an isolated, sparsely law enforced workfield
Even with the risk of all kinds of causes of death...

...Would you be comfortable sending your kid up to space?

They're already able to make armor to defend from most of those, the armor 30 years from now will be crazy. The only one that's arguably a threat is the "co-worker harassment in an isolated, sparsely law-enforced work field" and there should be security measures in place to at least tackle that problem as well. Probably cameras and outer-space drones.

[Phobotech]

It seems that most of you are down for it. Vying for a surprisingly mature and reasonable response to the notion.

So, I guess I'll ask, would you be down to do it yourself? Either working alongside your kid in space, or at least working in a similar field Off-World?

[Xenomit]

Yes, I would let him go into space if that's what he so desired

[stafffighter]

At 3/13/13 09:48 PM, Phobotech wrote: It seems that most of you are down for it. Vying for a surprisingly mature and reasonable response to the notion.

So, I guess I'll ask, would you be down to do it yourself? Either working alongside your kid in space, or at least working in a similar field Off-World?

Oh I'm sure they'll love that. All of that work to go be a badass in space and then it turns out your dad will be there cramping your style.

[T3XT]

Hey, if it's their dream, I can't stop that.

[Suprememessage]

I wouldn't recommend but I wouldn't stop him if that was what he absolutely wanted to do with his life.

[Elfer]

At 3/13/13 06:11 AM, Phobotech wrote: Even with the risk of high exposures to radiation
Even with the risk of irreparable damage to their bodies
Even with the risk of getting shredded by space debris
Even with the risk of the space shuttle ferrying your child blowing up in the mesoshpere before it can reach it's destination due to less money being thrown around for reliable, sturdier shuttles to meet the high demand of traffic.
Even with the risk of co-worker harrassment in an isolated, sparsely law enforced workfield
Even with the risk of all kinds of causes of death...

...Would you be comfortable sending your kid up to space?

The thing is, you're describing a fairly unlikely scenario. For example, the radiation problem is one that's being worked on already for a completely hypothetical manned mission to Mars. I did some nuclear fuel research last summer and worked in the same office as a guy who was doing his PhD on estimating radiation dosage from transit through the Van Allen Belt, which was going to be used to help design the shielding. Interestingly, this is also something that's applicable to pilots and airline staff, who receive a higher radiation dose than the general public.

Decreasing reliability in response to increased traffic doesn't make sense because of the liability issues involved. If you own a company involved with space travel you can't increase frequency AND risk, it's an untenable legal position.

[Viper50]

At 3/13/13 09:48 PM, Phobotech wrote: It seems that most of you are down for it. Vying for a surprisingly mature and reasonable response to the notion.

So, I guess I'll ask, would you be down to do it yourself? Either working alongside your kid in space, or at least working in a similar field Off-World?

That depends.
If say I have a wife at the time would I be leaving here back here or would she be able to come with?
If its a no then I wouldn't.
If its a yes then I would.

[CoolBerries]

Pffft! I would so let my child into space! I mean, YOLO, right?

[BumFodder]

At 3/13/13 10:30 PM, CoolBerries wrote: Pffft! I would so let my child into space! I mean, YOLO, right?

YODO

[Nitro24]

I don't see why anyone would want to rob someone of the experience of going into space. I would kill to leave this shitty planet for a day. Seriously though most people will NEVER get the opportunity to go to space so it's a great honour in my opinion regardless of any danger. If I had the choice of how I would die I'de rather it be in space than being hit by a car or choking on food.

[BleachFanatic12]

If they graduated it is not like I own him/her