On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 00:34:17 GMT, (Derek
Lyons) wrote:

(Allen Thomson) wrote:

What's wrong with a feel good and/or national prestige program?

It re-enforces the impression that space is only the domain of
steely-eyed missilemen who work for the government, and the impression
that 'exploration' is only worth doing when it generates headlines.
In other words, the same situation we've been in for over a
generation.


By that definition, Spirt and Opportunity are "stunts." They generate
healdines, and their operators work for the government. So it can't
possibly be worth doing. No more mars probes! They're JPL's stunts!
Right?


..... If stunts are the only reason to have a manned space program ....

I don't consider what Bush is proposing a "stunt." A Moon Base is
just that, a base, which is occupied long term; scientists can do
research on site. A Mars mission is a two-year round trip including
several weeks or months on Mars while you wait for the planets to be
in correct position to come back. You can't get out, plant the flag,
and immediately take off again unless you don't mind Earth being there
whe your ships course intersects its orbit around the sun.

Sounds more like the long haul instead of a sudden.

..... It seems objectively pointless to many because it does not generate
headlines unless something is wrong. By that same standard, we should
stand down the dozens of oceanography vessels the US Government
operates, the Antarctic stations, the geological and geopyhsical
observatories, funding for astronomical observatories, and every other
science program that isn't designed to pander to the public thirst for
spectacle.



Funny because lunar eploration has been compared to exploring
Antartica. The new base probably wouldn't grab a lot headlines after
it was founded, but its personel can still do science -- geological,
geophysical science on site on the Moon.




----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---