Discussion: New Space Exploration Report Released

[Fraser]

SUMMARY: When President Bush announced his new space exploration plan earlier this year, he tasked a special committee to figure out the best way to implement. After several months of research, including public forums and feedback from a wide range of space experts, the committee has released its findings in a 64-page document. The report contains eight findings and fourteen recommendations on how to implement the vision, which emphasizes the importance of a vibrant space exploration industry.

What do you think about this story? Post your comments below.

[StarLab]

The most informative part of the summary of the commission's document was that last part about scientific education.

[Victoria]

A totally awesome outline and representation of why Space Funding is without a doubt a major role in the future of our Universe. After all that is cabable it would be an embarrasment(spell check )to not invest in such a wide open success. Being an American myself, I am not only proud to have NASA representing the future of exploration but also inspired to live the dream.

[imported_jdmack]

I think it goes without saying that space exploration fascinates me and everyone here, or we wouldn't be here to begin with. I have been following the Cassini photos with ever increasing enthusiasm. I can't wait for the Rosetta craft to land on Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. So keep this in mind when I write what I am about to write.

As much as I appreciate space exploration, I think that the Bush administration should take all the money that they would spend on a mission to Mars, and spend it on developing an alternative to the fossil-fuel powered automobile. This would be just as difficult an objective to achive, would require just as much additional emphasis on science in the public schools to produce the next generation of scientists to take on this task, and would possibly reap just as many side benefits from the research needed to achieve this objective. Additionally, it would go a long ways to winning Bush's "war on terror" (not truly a winnable war - you might as well declare a war on hate. But it would certainly cut off much of the funding to extremists from the Middle East). And finally, the benefits to the environment - particularly to air quality - would be substantial.

Anyway, this is what I think at present. I am posting this in this forum because I suspect some (or many) of you may have a different viewpoint, and I'm still open on the subject.

[zephyr46]

Go as you can pay

Arh yes, this sounds like a government defunding itself. So everyone, keep your eyes open for someone in a hurry to get to space with a trillion dollar buget in their pants!

But otherwise YAY! What more could we ask for? Not just a glossy brochure, but a visionary document.

[Manchurian Taikonaut]

What do I think?

I'm not so sure about it all.



The space man who knows much about these projects had harsh words. John Glenn provided criticism of the Bush space exploration plan. He was especially critical of plans to eliminate US-supported science on the ISS that wasn't related to Moon and Mars goals

Others have asked is it wise to build a base on the moon when we want to go to Martian landscapes. With launch costs of ten to twenty thousand dollars per Kg, we would expect that anything that could be manufactured on the Moon or Mars would be cheaper than the same item launched to the Moon from Earth. How much weight would we need to launch to the moon before we could get a colony there capable of mining and refining and manufacturing the products? Once it can start manufacturing it will be able to bootstrap, but getting it to that point will probably require at least a megaton of stuff to be placed on the lunar surface. It seems that a lunar colony would only be useful if it was essentially self-sustaining.

There have been other articles on it calling it flawed. The Bush Space Initiative: Fiscal Nightmare? Many commentators have denounced Plan Bush an insanely grandiose program that will waste $1 trillion dollars of tax money. the long time scale of Plan Bush is attracting criticism. Many other nations have decided to build space projects and have other plans for Space, the Russians are making new ideas, the Chinese have designs and the people in Europe are building probes and want people in space. Some say the Bush plan is slow. It is very long relative to the average politician's career -- or even the average engineer's career. Will college students of 2004 really be inspired to take lots of boring, difficult math and science courses by the prospect of a Mars mission that won't happen until they are too old to participate in it?

[zephyr46]

It will be interesting to see How NASA spends it's money, with a 3% increase in its buget. Still, NASA is the Impressive agency it has always been.

Unless India and China do embark on a space race to the moon, I can't see much incentive for America to rush. It is only when the pressure is on that they will take chances like the Apollo programme.

Any big grants of money to NASA would be spent in the High tech sector any way, that is why I don't understand why Americans won't give themselves a good welfare state to go with the great economy???

What comes around goes around. NASA gets money, tech stocks bloom, poor get money, Agriculture and Housing bloom, in Australia at the moment the government has pumped huge incentives into first home buyers, the housing secter hasn't looked this great in years!

What Comes Around Goes Around.

[Guest]

What can Americans, Russians, Chinessians explore in close future?
It doesn't depend if Bush or some other single person wish or don't wish.

You must accept that extraterestrials... are here.
They were here in time of Tutmose 3.-read Tulis paper,
read Bible-Moses,Ezekiel...
during Rome time- Julius Obsequinus- read his ...Prodigorum
They see us now too!!!
Why you were kicked out from Moon!!??
Why the most part of Mars probes was simly shot down??!!...

We must for the first travel on Mars... in Astral manner. It is Cheaper and you will see easier if you are wellcomed there or if not!!!
If your wisdom will not be used and will not be opened for whole mankind so your researches can't be successful!!!
Other civilisations can't simply afford it, that some materialistic, selfish people will occupy their teritories can endanger their posts, can missused new knowledge against mankind, against extraterrestrials...

[Tinaa]

Most of us can't travel in the Astral plane. We have to do it the hard way. If the ETs are here they need to speak up. The Mars probes were not shot down and we weren't kicked off the moon. Where in the world do these insane ideas come from?

[Tom2Mars]

jdmack, I really appreciate your comment-

I think that the Bush administration should take all the money that they would spend on a mission to Mars, and spend it on developing an alternative to the fossil-fuel powered automobile.

and your additional observations.

An approach that I have been working on is to make an affordable, utility-independent house which could reduce sufficient costs to a family so that one of them wouldn't need to drive to a job, which would eliminate lots of fuel consumption. They think I'm quite mad you know.

zephyr! Whaaaa!-

in Australia at the moment the government has pumped huge incentives into first home buyers, the housing secter hasn't looked this great in years!

Hey, maybe I'm not so crazy after all! Maybe I'm just in the wrong country.

[Guest]

Most of us can't travel in the Astral plane.
--- Yes I agree, but if we give billions dollars on space projects so we should to find people who are able to do it. It is much cheaper and we don't need to risk so many lifes..., but people (scientiests mainly) must change their materialistic approach to science, life,...

We have to do it the hard way.

If the ETs are here they need to speak up.
--- They speak, but not with corrupted politicians,...


The Mars probes were not shot down
--- look on the pictures (video) from before last american Mars flight-
last moments from captured video showed clearly motion of eliptical shadow on Mars surface.
Probe during these last movie simply died...
(eliptical shadow wasn't from Phobos or Deimos!!&#33

and we weren't kicked off the moon.

--- Ask astronauts who were there.
There was published info from one Apolo astronaut who said that some extrater. kicked to their landing modul and they showed with it that our astronauts are not welcomed on Moon...

Where in the world do these insane ideas come from?
--- RNDr. Smutny Pavel, but who is insane??!!

[Spacemad]

Originally posted by jdmack@Jun 17 2004, 12:19 AM
I think it goes without saying that space exploration fascinates me and everyone here, or we wouldn't be here to begin with. I have been following the Cassini photos with ever increasing enthusiasm. I can't wait for the Rosetta craft to land on Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

When I began to read your post. jdmack, I thought you were quoting one of my posts! The wording seemed so familiar & the enthusiasm you show is so like mine!

Your comments on investigation into an internal combustion engine thatīs not dependent on fossil fuels gets a warm vote of approval from me - only I wouldnīt take all the money from space investigation to do it with - Iīd take the money that is spent on arms every year - for one thing that is far greater than the money spent on space investigation (which returns much good through spin-off technologies unlike the arms race which only returns hate & the desire to buy bigger, "better" , more destructive arms to kill more & more people).