Flip-flop
To Mars! No, the Moon then Mars! Nah, stick with the ISS! Scrap the ISS, We're going to MARS! Stop! check out asteroids first! No no no! To the Moon then Mars!
Somebody seriously needs to put Congress on Ritalin!
If the Republican-led House Subcommittee on Space has its way, NASA's proposed asteroid-retrieval mission will be killed, the agency's budget will be capped for the next two years at about 5 per cent less than last year's, and NASA's Earth observation efforts will be cut back. In addition, Congressional control over the choice …
The UK has been through this kind of thing before, in the 1950's we were the technological kings in aviation and the nuclear industry. Successive labour Governments killed all that off mostly because they didn't understand. Now we've got the possibility of a Labour Government in 2015 where 80% of their candidates are Union officials.
That will stifle industry.
Good luck USA, but you will find your country playing second fiddle in the next few years if you don't see the light.
Too late. The PRC is already producing more scientists and engineers than the US is. They're also essentially the world's manufacturing base. Quite soon, they'll not need to spy and steal designs, they'll be postured to be the R&D and manufacturing capitol of the world.
Years ago, Reagan suggested we turn into an R&D center for the world. Bush the Greater decided to move us to a service economy.
The problem with a service economy is one is servicing oneself and not generating profit. An R&D economy could have licensed all manner of new designs and products to be produced by whoever wishes to build them.
Just shows why you should never have politicians in charge or anything. They have no long term plan other than getting re-elected. They have no interest in the people except to use them for votes. They have no pride in their country except to make their own egos bigger. Scrap all politicians, they are just a waste of space. They should be on the B-Ark.
Regrettably, you are far off of the mark. Their egos are up there in their considerations, however, the special interests that pumped in over 8 billion dollars in campaign contributions in the last Congressional race and a like amount in the Presidential race are of paramount interest. Lest they lose the source of their campaign funding in favor of someone who will tend to their master's wishes and desired.
Hence, the blocking of Earth Science, lest further evidence of climate change be revealed.
In the military, we had an old joke. "When the revolution comes, the VA is against the wall right after Congress."
Yes, the US military.
Interesting subject, and I agree people who think the earth is 5000 or 10000 years old should not exist, and not be elected to any office. The funny thing is that Americans seem to be pissed off with Washington taking all their money, but at the same time the Army, the Navy, the Air Force are given all that money from Washington and that is OK. Cut the military by 50% and NASA could do something important even considering the defence in the future.
There are plenty (read lots) of people who are very opposed to the ridiculous DoD budget. Only madmen and those poor souls who are in fear of [bad guy] approve of our perpetual war footing. The amount of FUD surrounding defense spending is phenomenal though and that's the problem.
The big radio station here in DC, WTOP, runs crazy adverts every year during Congressional budget time. There are f'ing ads for advanced missile systems, armored troop transports, aircraft, the list just keep going. The ads are accompanied by serious voice overs telling the public how "our troops and our safety depend on the latest advances in war fighting technology developed by [global_corp]". "Contact your Congressman today and tell them to support the [explodey_thing] contract. Your safety depends on it."
Our own government and its defense contractors are terrorizing the population with stuff like this. When the machine has become so powerful it scares even those who are supposed to be managing it things have gone terribly pear shaped. Until these fears can be overcome I don't believe DoD spending will be reduced.
On that note, I think it is hilarious, in a sad way, that it's illegal to advertise tobacco or alcohol on the radio but if you want to sell a goddamn tank or missile system it's all Hell Yeah.
The next man on the Moon will be Chinese
NASA's current space capability is roughly where it was in 1962 in real terms
They threw out all the technical schematics of the Saturn V etc - so they are starting from scratch and they'll never get the wherewithal to overtake China
Never-mind that the asteroid mission would give NASA valuable experience in long distance teleoperation, conditions outside Earths Magnetosphere and care and feeding of high isp drives - Congress decided its a detour so away it goes, and now were back to fiddling around on the moon (which pretty much has no point unless your planning a permanent settlement) which will provide sod-all experience at getting to Mars (they only thing they really have in common is they aren't on Earth)
Thats also 8 astronauts that are essentially out of a job on their second day of work - I wonder if they can lodge a hostile workplace grievance?
The Saturn 5 blueprints still exist, as do the plans for the Ford model T. The primary issue is that the huge Saturn 5 assembly lines and in some cases the manufacturers themselves simply do not exist anymore.
The cost to start fabricating Saturn 5's again would never be funded... Unless there's another country threatening to beat them to it again!
If funding wasn't diverted from the Saturn 5 program in the 1970's in favor of the Shuttle it would have been possible to assemble the ISS in only five launches!
"They threw out all the technical schematics of the Saturn V etc - so they are starting from scratch and they'll never get the wherewithal to overtake China"
That's a UL. The schematics exist and are IIRC in a warehouse in Kansas City.
The Moon could like deep space give experience of long term closed loop life support and (possibly) the use of small(ish) nuclear reactor power systems.
But so could the asteroid mission. What it can't give is experience of work well outside the Earth Moon system.
But your right trouble comes when the Legislature sets the goals.
Maybe. Is the Chinese State really all that interested in space, or is it that they want to show how rich and clever they are. After all, once upon a time the US seemed rather interested in space, but now ...
I reckon that there's a pretty good chance that once the Chinese have done something important sounding (man on the moon, whatever), they'll give up on the adventurous stuff and stick to pissing about in low orbit like the rest, maybe sending the odd science probe out to here or there.
And anyway,. better the Chinese, than nobody at all.
The US seemed rather interested in space for two main reasons :
- Because of the other use of rockets. You know, the one with the funny explosive devices on top.
- Because the other side was beating them to it.
You may think "FOR SCIENCE!" should be in the list, but it was probably not considered very important...
Now, the question is... Why are the chineese interested in space? i'ld say the first reason still apply for them, but i'ld also wager that they are planning long term exploitation of space-based ressources.
No they didn't. They just couldn't find them for a while. If you've ever seen a government inventory control system you'd understand how it happens. About 5 years back they found them again. But even at that, we'd be better off engineering a new system. An orbital station from which Moon missions are launched would be better for long term planetary exploration anyway. Build the transit vehicles and engines in orbit, then gather fuel from either the Moon or asteroids. Less gravity tax getting it there that way.
Is this the same "science" committee that is led by a life-long creationist Republican who doesn't actually "believe" in science, and thinks that some goat-herding stone-age tribe had it right and 6000 years of scientific progress has it all wrong? Or was that another US "science" committee?
Yes, but those tales are based on earlier very similar fairy tales. Perhaps one could say it was science then, "who are we, where did we come from, where are we going". We still ask the same questions, but the problem with religion is that as soon as the priests got the power they had to stick to the old tales to stay in power. That is where science broke free. For the church (any) it has been about walking on a thin line trying to keep both the power and the tales. But more recent rubbish we find from "modern" times with rubbish like Mormons and Scientology and what not.
Religious types (AKA Republicans) don't worry too much about science as 'god' has their back.
They think that 'god' will end the world (many think its started).
So IF a planet killer did hit us, then they would say it was 'god's' will/plan. Not some random space missile hurtling unchecked through space.
Trouble is, most people on this rock are neither Republican, American or even Christian.
It's probably true to say the whole World relies on the USA for serious space adventures*
* less so every day
I was having visions of them solving the radiation exposure problem by hollowing out a large enough asteroid for Earth-Mars trips.
Plus maybe using a captured asteroid to see off the big one before it hits earth.
Ah well, as others have said above - time to look at the Chinese vision of the future.
"I was having visions of them solving the radiation exposure problem by hollowing out a large enough asteroid for Earth-Mars trips."
It may not look very sleek but there's a lot to be said for being inside a large fresh water tank inside about 10m of rock
It's radiation protection level is formidable
But, no, that's not what Con-gress wants.
If you are looking for a group of something you havent previously seen, how can you know you have found 95% of it???
THE US's various arms of government are getting so short sighted they will be ditching funding to buy aircon (during the winter) and heating (during the summer) as they cannot see an immediate use for them
It's the Appropriations act that dishes out the real cash.
There will also be a Senate version of this and the White house will have a version as well.
Do you ever feel that the idea in "Eagle Eye" for a decapitation strike on the US leadership's only flaw
was it didn't take out the Congress and Senate as well?
Issiah Berlin's comment about "negative" and "positive" freedom seems rarely more obvious.
Hello? Congressman X? Yes? This is [Hollywood Studio]. It has recently come to our attention that your space agency, what's their name? Ah, yes, Nasa, are trying to muscle in on one of our inventions. You will of course need little reminding of the Bruce Willis v Asteroid case, in which the United States Film Industry established an implied patent in our favour.
These are exactly the sorts of people you a) don't expect to understand, or need to understand, about space science, and b) will stick to a goal once set, without bothering to check if tthe driving forces have changed, or if the stated goal is even still achievable or desirable. So don't ever expect those people to be sympathetic to NASA's changed plans - unless of course some of the Asteroid hunting happens to bring business to their constituencies, in which case there's suddently a good scientific reason to do it. But wait, that's political science, not space science? Oh what the heck, don't even bother!
The political process keeps spinning NASA out of control. NASA needs to get us back to the Moon and on to Mars with manned space flight. Also maybe a trip to an asteroid would be nice. NASA also needs to develop its own manned spacecrafts and own set of rockets. Space telescopes and the Earth observation also need to be kept. NASA wavers with each budget bill. Space needs long term goals with checks on the cost.NASA also needs to be able to innovate. Set some goals, fund them, and stick to them! Don't change them every political battle.
It's fucking space! It's big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space and if you think getting out there will be cheap you're doing it wrong.
So what's a few billion between agencies when you can just print out more! You're already in debt and throwing money at programs that probably won't matter in one hundred years, but space! I mean come on! It's space!
The Chinese have the "vision" right now. Thorium reactor development and a manned space program. The US is lagging way behind the Russians these days in space and gave up finding a safer nuclear power option.
The Soyuz isn't the most elegant tech, but it's a work horse with an impressive record. The Senate Launch System (SLS) might wind up on the scrapheap in a few more years just like Ares. The goals dictated to NASA change with each major election. It's no wonder they can't get much done. It was great when they could at least educate and excite school kids in science and engineering. That's gone with the last pass of the scythe.
The problems aren't with a particular political party. The problems is with the politicians. It's past obvious that they are bought and paid for. I'm sure in the next couple of years, the companies that bought them will proudly state it on their Farcebook pages without repercussions.