[FPSPACE] No money to put astronauts back on Moon by 2020; Moonnot a realistic goal--Augustine Panel

[David Portree]

Zeger:

 

I would argue that we don't need or want a public relations stunt or a defining event; neither another empty election-year speech nor another instance of getting caught with our pants down. We want reasonable, sustainable progress on a sensible course. Let our discoveries and achievements provide the drama.

 

I don't think that asteroids - detection and deflection - offer a challenge substantial enough to support our space program at anything like its present level. In any case, our program shouldn't be dominated by any one goal. What space has to offer is diverse, so our program needs to be diverse. Of course, we can't do everything there is to do. 

 

The Ride Report laid this out back in 1987. It wasn't very popular - it accepted that limits exist - but was the earliest instance I know about of an attempt at a sensible policy. Basically, pick where you want to lead and take steps to lead in those areas.

 

So, if we decide that detecting and deflecting asteroids is a priority - an opporutnity for leadership - well, that's great. It fits nicely into the monitoring-Earth-from-space thrust, since both deal with understanding potential threats to our civilization. And, as I've stated here already, asteroids are great exploration targets. It's a winner all around - which is why the human spaceflight bull in the china closet wants in. That's neither necessary nor desirable if we're serious about detecting, exploring, and deflecting asteroids!

 

Were people crying out for a vision for manned spaceflight after Columbia? Most of what I heard was, "NASA messed up again, those silly geeks, duh, what are Brad and Angelina up to these days?" Some bits of the space community saw it as an opportunity; others saw it as a sign that we'd bloody well get out house in order. Myself, I saw it as one of those things that happens. Fix the problems it reveals and get back to work. I mean, when an oil tanker runs aground, do we redefine our entire energy policy? No.


David S. F. Portree

dsfportree at hotmail.com
dportree at usgs.gov
 
http://robotexplorers.blogspot.com/
http://beyondapollo.blogspot.com/
 
http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/About/People/DavidPortree/
 



 
> Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:51:35 +0200
> From: dokter.nuyens at pandora.be
> To: fpspace at friends-partners.org
> Subject: [FPSPACE] No money to put astronauts back on Moon by 2020; Moonnot a realistic goal--Augustine Panel
> 
> >
> > Man hours in space, number of modules attached together in orbit, launches 
> > per year, most powerful rocket, longest manned mission ...I could go on, 
> > but why?
> > 
> > 
> As far as Man hours in space goes,Russia is still clearly in the lead. 
> They build an enormous lead in the Salyut-Mir days. I think today it 
> must be something like 60-40 in their favor.
> However this is just trivia. What is going on right now is much more 
> serious and it really saddens me deeply.
> I remember in the post Columbia days a lot of people were crying out for 
> a real vision for manned spaceflight. Well, we never got it and we 
> won't get it any time soon. Setting out a space policy and not funding 
> it is all we got.
> One can really only hope for an ET landing on the White House lawn or 
> maybe a dramatic change of course of Apophis or another of Grondine's 
> beloved asteroids making it a sure hit.
> It should wake our governments,should it?
> 
> Zeger Nuyens
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> FPSPACE mailing list
> FPSPACE at friends-partners.org
> http://www.friends-partners.org/mailman/listinfo/fpspace

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