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Martin under article 16 of the outer space treaty any country may withdraw from this treaty if it gives one years notice. Also there 98 states that are signitories but this means there are a 95 countries out there who still have to sign. This is almost half the world. It does not give this treaty much global coverage does it.

The outer space treaty is a repressive set of guidelines designed to stop the West and Eastern blocs squaring up to each other in space. The cold war is over but the treaty remains as the anachorism it is.

A UN space agency designed with the purpose of so defending such a treaty would find the literal "rug" pulled from under it by any major space power that so decides to leave the treaty.

http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/SpaceLaw/o … html]outer space treaty full text link

This is the full treaty for you to peruse yourself.

NASA is best described as a very broad agency. Until recently its research was from everything from the origins of the universe to what haapens if you pollinate a plant upside down.

Fundamentally NASA was used as the civilian version of DARPA and though it did do projects with defence possibility it was often due to the Hi tech nature of these projects and the possibility of them rather than a need to create a better weapon. Still it happens and a lot NASA learned was later put to use for defence but then again ce la vie. The USA is a superpower and to the fundamentalists target numero uno 1 it has the right to do what it wants with what it learns as long as it does not interfere with countries that are not in conflict with the USA.

Im not even an American but I can understand this as should anyone who is willing to think. But in the world today are many tensions and countries that wish to be top dog. The UN is a not an impartial body actually its a talking shop with beauracracy. It does do good work with the WHO but even with that it has shalll we say slipped up. Those missing super flu organisms are a good example. I have trouble with an organisation that puts to the head of important committees like the human rights sub committee Zimbabwe one of the worst abusers.

Any UN space agenecy that was evolved to defend the treaty that is the outer space treaty would be handicapped from the start. The outer space treaty is fundemantally flawed and is just asking for a major space power to withdraw from it so making it worthless and there is set procedures for withdrawl too. This means any UN space organistaion would have all that is bad from NASA and none of the good and would likely not be under any "progressive" goverment control or influence and this would basically stop spaceflight and exploration.

But not at the expense of the cancellation or delay of another probe we want to send.

There is only so much pie, when you cut a slice out and give it away you do not have it magically refill. This is NASA's budget and the Shuttle cost overuns and extensions to the Mars probes all cost money.

NASA was told to do the hard thing and cut programs and jobs and centers so that it would have the funds for the Bush vision. NASA was then told by the senate that it could not close the centers, this meant a lot of jobs where automatically saved too. One of the biggest concentration of jobs is the so called Shuttle army and until the ISS is finished these are safe too. This leaves programs and now NASA is doing what it has too. Many programs that are involved in Advanced flight are now no longer under NASA's budget. Many advanced programs in creating food that the future Martian settlers will grow has also stopped or due to soon. Education programes are also likely to be hit too.

Then comes the probes. Unlike Oppy and spirit which are getting extensions there are a lot of probes that they plan to do away with so that the funds can be moved elsewhere.
They will likely delay the launching of new probes so that the funds can be offset unless they can get more from the cuts they make. Then it comes to existing probes, Voyager was for NASA an easy target there is a probe that will be specifically sent soon to do the science on the border of the solar system, so why keep it. What worries me more is that probes like the Mars Global Surveyor are also likely being looked at as means of cutting costs.

NASA is a major source of the technological lead that the USA has over many countries. Do you see an international agency formed recieve all that NASA knows and not have it purloined by another goverment that could in the future be hostile.

There is no chance that the likes of ESA or NASA would wish to form one agency. Im sorry to say that Europe does not trust the USA that much. And if NASA and ESA cannot agree what chance has the formation of a unilateral space agencies that also involve the Chinese and Russians.

Still the funds have to be found somewhere and the extensions to the rovers on Mars are taking 3 million a month and this is money that has to come from somewhere.

I dont want the IBEX mission and the JWT telescope delayed or cancelled due to funding problems. And we need the CEV up and running too.

On the 14th of April, Kamil Bourgass 31years was sentenced to 17 years old for being a member of Al-Qaeda and of being concerned in the production of Ricin. Bourgass was already serving a life sentence for his murder of detective constable Stephen Oakes during his arrest. The other accused in the trial where found not quilty but as they are of algerian descent they are to be thrown out of the UK.

This did not make the papers as it had been black flagged by the courts and the restrictions removed on wednesday so that the accused would recieve a fair trial.

This is the UKs first Al-Qaeda trial and shows that they are still out there and getting stronger. Bourgass had recieved training in various "terror training camps" and was actively involved in a well known mosque in London. Still lessons learned was Bourgas was an illegal immigrant and asylum seeker who had been lost by the goverment like many others. Still all ammo for an election year.

And if we catch one what else do we have. Ricin is a very dangerous substance made from castor beans it is famous as the substance that was used to kill the Bulgarian disident, Georgi Markov. It is not a WMD as it is hard to utilise as a vector agent. Still it is a poison with no cure.

Thought id pop this one in just as a warning to those who think Al-Qaeda has gone.

Seems the ESA probe Smart 1 has found an area of the Lunar North Pole that could well be a peak of almost eternal sunshine.

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/lunar-05 … SpaceDaily article

Needless to say added with this article

http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050411/ … tml]Nature Article

With this and the possible nearby Hydrogen indications this is one of the most important spots for space explorers and the development of the Moon ever found.

There seems to be a problem with peoples ideas what surface structures are. Maybe its the name. But even the metal sided huts or similar that will be one of the first structures constructed on Mars will be partially dug in and definitly covered by bagged regolith to provide radiation protection.

There is no need to dig hundreds of metres underground when it is simpler and more cost effective to go only so far and to add other materials to provide long term radiation protection.

Voyager is not finishing its mission it is simply we on Earth will not be listening. As stated before the money is needed so that we can get the new CEV the Moon, Mars plan and to get America back on track in space again.

NASA has already fought the battle to get money and it did get a limited rise in funds but if it wants to do what it is mandated to do and get the CEV and the Moon, Mars plan then it has to make cuts.

It still has to fly the Shuttle and complete the ISS, in this it has no choice. This costs a very good proportion of NASA funds. Now the funds have to be found and that means job cuts and yes non core program cuts. Voyager is certainly a non core program. NASA will have to make serious job cuts if it is to do what is needed. It is an easy cut, but soon it will have to start cuts that will cause real political problems for NASA. And some will be vetoed and then NASA will have to cut something less politically sensitive.

SAD can already be helped by the use of special lights. These provide light that is very similar to what a person would recieve from the sun. Obviously they need careful care when used but this does not stop there benefits.

And they are not that expensive.

Seems the Great White Shark has competition and its called the Mako. Especially from a shark supposedly from Africa,

http://animal.discovery.com/news/afp/20 … tml]Recent Shark attacks on Porpoises

Can the water be warming that much or is it lost.

Well I voted no in the poll.

The voyager has been a very very successful probe and is worthy of respect but to advance to the Moon and Mars we have to make very hard choices. Keeping in contact with a probe which is not giving new data is a choice and not keeping an eye on it and spending money is one of those.

NASA has to cut and slash to make the budget it has stretch it has to make the hard choices and no longer paying to listen to voyager is one that I can support. I have more problems with the Hubble but the cost to repair it for the little it can give us above earth based telescopes again dooms that mission.

NASA needs the money it has to be hard and dooming missions is hard. But then the amount of job cuts is hard, these are peoples lives that we are ripping apart and listening to Voyager or sending someone home to tell his wife that he is redundant and that they and the kids have to move to get a worse paying job is also hard. But it still has to be done, if we are to return to the Moon and go further.