posted
OK, now only the first two will have any impact on his administration, assuming he gets a second term:
2008 - Unmanned lunar satellites and landers to pave the way for manned expeditions
Rather nebulous, this. How exactly will they "pave the way" for future landings? By finding nice places to land? Big wow. That's not going to get them any closer to having anything that'll get them anywhere near the moon let alone onto it.
2010 - Completion of US commitments to the ISS, and retirement of the space shuttle.
And then? Sorry, Dude, Where's My Car? references aside, from now on we're in the realm of Bush's successor, be he Rep or Dem (that he'll also be a rich middle-aged WASP isn't in any doubt). So whether or not this or any other part of the "roadmap to space" come to pass really doesn't matter as far as the Bush administration is concerned. But what exactly is meant by the completion of their commitment to the ISS? And as for retiring the shuttles, why not do it now? They're death traps, they're uneconomical, and their capacity as launch platforms is limited to something about the size and weight of your average SUV. But don't worry, let the shuttle get scrapped on someone else's watch and let them carry the can for Proxmiring the shuttle.
-------------------- "This is why you people think I'm so unknowable. You don't listen!" - God, "God, the Devil and Bob"
Registered: Mar 1999
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Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Okay, the ONE thing I'm really wondering about is the dubious goal of using the Moon as a staging platform for launches to other planets. How does this work? I mean, unless you BUILD the ships there, there's no point in shipping a bunch of stuff to the Moon, assembling it there, and then launching it AGAIN to a final destination. There's no real technology or infrastructure yet developed to establish manufacturing capabilities in space, let alone on the moon, where gravity would muck up construction stuff anyway. 99% of all studies of missions to other planets involve assembly of a larger ship in Earth orbit and launching it from there. I suppose you could use lunar regolith to process into oxygen, fuel and possibly air/water if ice is there; but certainly not a ship. Anyone care to speculate on the deal here?
Additional: Here is the official government release on the whole thing. Take it as you will.
quote:Originally posted by PsyLiam: Someone had better bookmark that comment.
He'd have to be: two term limit and all.
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Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
Why a moon base? Breathalyzers don't work in a vacuum do they?
Which is to say that as excited as I am about a president with a vision for a human future in space, I'll believe it when I see it. An additional paltry $1 billion per year will not buy you a brand-spankin' new re-usable 3-8 person space vehicle in 4 years. Nor does asking the notoriously bureaucratic NASA to re-allocate $11 bil. I'm not saying this can't or shouldn't be done. I'm just SUPER skeptical about A) his motives, B) his true dedication to this idea.
I suppose since Mission Control is in Houston, that maybe he's not spewing total BS. I want to believe. But, frankly, from what I've seen so far, I don't.
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posted
I would think that this plan is better then the currnet NASA plan, right?
-------------------- "That's the problem with nature. Something is always stinging you or oozing mucous on you. lets go watch tv." - Calvin & Hobbes
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
It's time to send more than tinker toys to Mars. I think there should be a moon base....we'll just call it "Alpha". Then we make these multipurpose ships....let's just call them "Eagles".....
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Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Of course, if the public gets excited about this and the Democrats shoot down this new "dream of exploration" they'll look like total shit.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Lee: Actually, he'll be out of office, what, about Jan 20th, 2009, isn't it?
IF - that a big enough if for ya? - he gets a second term, that is.
Please find me ANYONE worth voting for, Lee.
Before you do though, I just want to say: Good luck, we're all counting on you.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Yeah, then the President would be correcting my spelling mistakes.... Probably via some Secret Service goons too.
Pass.
Still...better you than Austin.
Or (God forbid), Omega!
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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"That's not going to get them any closer to having anything that'll get them anywhere near the moon let alone onto it."
Well, we already know how to get onto the moon. We've done it before. I'm sure we're a little rusty after all these years, but it's not like we'd have to figure it out from scratch.
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