George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

Enyo · 2003-12-05 17:43:17

you know, wouldn't it be more in bush's interest to wait until february after all the mars missions have landed to make some grand announcement like this?

The alternative date people have suggested for the announcement is the State of the Union. Which would be after the landing and operation of the the first of the two rovers.

But it also is near the three anniversaries of the USA's space tragedies, Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia all within a couple of weeks from the State of the Union Address on January 20, 2004.

Shaun Barrett · 2003-12-06 05:47:34

Is it true what I heard this evening, that President Bush has just announced both a Moon-base and humans-to-Mars within the next 15 years?!!!
???

Or are they having me on?

Shaun Barrett · 2003-12-06 07:33:25

I guess I'll have to apologise and withdraw my last post here because I haven't been able to get any confirmation personally that it's true.
I'm very sorry if I've raised any hopes unjustifiably but, believe me, nobody could be any more disappointed than I am.

Two people reported seeing the same news clip, involving Dick Cheney I think, but it must have been a case of inaccurate journalism.

Christina · 2003-12-06 10:13:10

I feel that the Powers That Be should be talking of Mars via the Moon. Testing man's ability to live on low gravity planets while still within reach of home in case of emergency.

And I am confident that the technologies developed to solve the problems of living off Earth will have benefits here too. Like non-fossil fuel transport, recycling techniques, etc.

Alt2War · 2003-12-08 14:22:34

I would absolutely love, LOVE to see America, or any human opf any nationality for that matter, go out of low earth orbit again.

I don't see how we can afford it.

The US is in major debt.

We just tacked on what another 200 billion onto the budget?

Where will the money come from to go on this moon adventure?

This administration does not cut budgets.

If we go to the moon, our adventures will be paid for in interest by our grandchildren.

Mothball the ISS. Cut our bloated military budget. Otherwise dont make future generations pay for our adventures.

clark · 2003-12-08 14:29:42

Tax the future martian colonists...

Vir Stellae · 2003-12-08 14:56:19

Anything would be better than ad nasuem pointless shuttle launches, the Space agency needs a direction.

jadeheart · 2003-12-08 15:02:10

If we go to the moon, our adventures will be paid for in interest by our grandchildren.
Mothball the ISS. Cut our bloated military budget. Otherwise dont make future generations pay for our adventures.

there is something to be said for fiscal morality. the only argument i could offer would be that if we embarked on revamping space efforts, we'd better do things to make damned sure our grandchildren will thank us for taking the gamble with THEIR money.

it did bother me to think about what that $87B we sent to iraq could've done in space. if you believe zubrin's estimates, that would be enough for about 3 mars direct missions. it's too bad halliburton & bechtel don't have any space operations; then maybe we'd at least see an indirect return on all that money we're shoveling their way.

RobS · 2003-12-09 02:29:03

Actually, $87 billion would have been enough for three Mars Direct PROJECTS, not missions; the missions are $2 billion each. It is sad, but right now the danger Iraq could becoem a terrorist haven requires spending money there. Of course, after spending the money on Iraq, it could STILL be a terrorist haven. . . .

-- RobS

Vir Stellae · 2003-12-09 10:12:07

"Mothball the ISS. Cut our bloated military budget."

ISS is garbage, yes.
The military budget is small compared to the porkish social garbage plagueing the government.

Gennaro · 2003-12-09 10:42:18

It is sad, but right now the danger Iraq could becoem a terrorist haven requires spending money there. Of course, after spending the money on Iraq, it could STILL be a terrorist haven. . . .

It's even more sad considering that Iraq wouldn't have risked becoming a terrorist haven if that enigmatically motivated war hadn't been rushed into in the first place.
Personally, I believe and did so long before 9/11, that raising of the sanctions would have bereft Saddam's tyranny of its ra?son d'etre and supporting a dissident wing within the Baath party would have toppled it.
It was never the originally social progressive Baath party that was an enemy of the United States or the problem. Only Stalin Hussein and his thuggish family.

But that's only my opinion. I could be wrong of course.

wgc · 2003-12-09 11:26:14

"Mothball the ISS. Cut our bloated military budget."

Isn't that how we got into this mess in the first place, Skylab was garbage don't save it, the apollo program is unsustainable so abandon it. (although , I think in apollo's case, Political infighting had alot to play, it was Kennedy's program)

The original concept for ISS was good, it was all the revisions that made it unuseable, there may be things we can do to make it somewhat useable in a new interplanetary strategy. At least in terms of long duration micro-gravity research, and earth observation. Maybe some moneies could be transferred out of the earth observation program.

Lets not start abadoning anything until we're sure we get something in return.

As for the military budget, you have to be careful what you cut, but I am sure there are some pork barrel cold war era programs that could be cut.

Rxke · 2003-12-09 14:14:52

I, as an European, always feel rather uncomfortable with this 'ISS-scrapping' talk... A lot of hardware has been built cooperatively, science racks, the soon-to-be used ATV, and of course our little Colombus-lab. Same with the Japanese. A lot of hardware is waiting to be launched at Florida, today, ISS still has a future, i think. Don't abandon it mid-construction.

Vir Stellae · 2003-12-09 14:49:40

Sorry, but The ISS is just one in a string of international collaborations that have gone bad, I am forever sour to them. Everyone wants the other person to foot the bill and at the same time wants to preside over it.

Competition is what got us on the moon, and space Technology. Collaboration got us a 500% overbudget and operationally scaled down Space Station, and the Useless Nations.

clark · 2003-12-09 14:54:34

Competetion ostenibly gave us the drive to go to the moon, but it was cooperation with other nations that got us there.

America didn't get to the moon by itself.

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#26 2003-12-05 17:43:17

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#27 2003-12-06 05:47:34

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#28 2003-12-06 07:33:25

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#29 2003-12-06 10:13:10

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#30 2003-12-08 14:22:34

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#31 2003-12-08 14:29:42

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#32 2003-12-08 14:56:19

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#33 2003-12-08 15:02:10

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#34 2003-12-09 02:29:03

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#35 2003-12-09 10:12:07

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#36 2003-12-09 10:42:18

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#37 2003-12-09 11:26:14

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#38 2003-12-09 14:14:52

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#39 2003-12-09 14:49:40

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

#40 2003-12-09 14:54:34

Re: George Bush Jr planning on kennedy speach - mostly moon, but as prep for mars

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