To the moon and beyond: NASA's Exploration Systems Architecture Study, 630 pages, 2006

"OM" wrote in message
...
....From Wikileaks:

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/To_the_moo..._pages%2C_2006

OM


Funny it should be leaked at this time.

What does that tell everyone about the chances
of going back to the Moon?

I'm astonished so few here admit the obvious. That
manned space flight and NASA needs a new goal
and reason for existing.

What should the new direction be?
Pure science, or global problems?
Military or civilian? What?

Because times like now are an opportunity
for a complete redesign and endless possibilities.




--

Why cannot someone actually say what everyone seems to think, and that is
that as a species, there is some drive to go and explore. With the costs now
being beyond one person, beyond one organisation, it surely needs some pan
global organisation to continue the push.
There is no reason, its like religion in many ways, its in our make up and
nobody knows why, well one can guess that the species has succeeded because
its been able to go and live places that are not all that hospitable and in
order to do this it has explored and learned to live there.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Jonathan" wrote in message
...
"OM" wrote in message
...
....From Wikileaks:

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/To_the_moo..._pages%2C_2006

OM


Funny it should be leaked at this time.

What does that tell everyone about the chances
of going back to the Moon?

I'm astonished so few here admit the obvious. That
manned space flight and NASA needs a new goal
and reason for existing.

What should the new direction be?
Pure science, or global problems?
Military or civilian? What?

Because times like now are an opportunity
for a complete redesign and endless possibilities.




--

On Jun 12, 10:27*am, "Brian Gaff" wrote:
Why cannot someone actually say what everyone seems to think, and that is
that as a species, there is some drive to go and explore. With the costs now
being beyond one person, beyond one organisation, it surely needs some pan
global organisation to continue the *push.

The problem there is that the US Govt. has trouble with agencies
working together much
less trying to have a multinational space organization work. Do you
think a Space UN
will actually accomplish anything? We have partners and that has
worked. Japanese
instruments on American spacecraft, etc. But a Space UN?

There is no reason, its like religion in many ways, its in our make up and
nobody knows why, well one can guess that the species has succeeded because
its been able to go and live places that are not all that hospitable and in
order to do this it has explored and learned to live there.

We're not ready yet. Until we can eliminate war and clean up the
planet, we are not going to have a Space UN.

Eric


Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
*graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ _________________________*________________________ ___________

"Jonathan" wrote in message

...



"OM" wrote in message
.. .
....From Wikileaks:

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/To_the_moo...27s_Exploratio....

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * OM

Funny it should be leaked at this time.

What does that tell everyone about the chances
of going back to the Moon?

I'm astonished so few here admit the obvious. That
manned space flight and NASA needs a new goal
and reason for existing.

What should the new direction be?
Pure science, or global problems?
Military or civilian? What?

Because times like now are an opportunity
for a complete redesign and endless possibilities.

--- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

"Jonathan" wrote in message
...
"OM" wrote in message
...
....From Wikileaks:

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/To_the_moo..._pages%2C_2006

OM


Funny it should be leaked at this time.

What does that tell everyone about the chances
of going back to the Moon?

I'm astonished so few here admit the obvious. That
manned space flight and NASA needs a new goal
and reason for existing.

What should the new direction be?
Pure science, or global problems?
Military or civilian? What?

Because times like now are an opportunity
for a complete redesign and endless possibilities.




What is the deal with that inflatable 'stairway to the stairs" they are
talking about? I'm guessing it is about as puncture proof as my last
inflatable woman!

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
om...

Why cannot someone actually say what everyone seems to think, and that is that
as a species, there is some drive to go and explore.


That's my entire point about NASA's current goal. It's an ....instinctive...
drive to explore and colonize....which is not RATIONAL.
Are we going to colonize for no better reason than a moth to a flame???
Out of instinct only?

Or are we going to sit down and design a goal using the same kind
of rational thought we use to build our spacecraft?
Colonizing is running away from our problems, not an attempt to
solve them.


With the costs now

We need to justify those costs with more than 'faith' that if we
go something good should follow. NASA needs to be able
to say their goal with 'fix' this or that problem which returns exactly
x or y benefits to society by a date certain.

Manned space flight needs a business plan.


being beyond one person, beyond one organization, it surely needs some pan
global organization to continue the push.

The only 'global organization' that can rally the kind of resources is the
....people. The only rational way to proceed is to design a goal which
is wildly popular due to the tangible benefits the program could
deliver to as many people as possible. Benefits which inspire dreams
of a better future more so than any other. This is how we maximize
the potential for support, for success and for the level of accomplishment.

The moon and mars are too long term, spanning several generation.
While the costs and benefits are wildly out of sync.


There is no reason, its like religion in many ways, its in our make up and
nobody knows why

Let's leave the mysterious to religion, and building/learning to science.
NASA needs to build something that benefits society in ways we
can easily see and understand. Something that immediately makes
complete sense to as many as possible. Your very good description
of the inner need to explore is exactly the ...opposite of sensible.


well one can guess that the species has succeeded because its been able to go
and live places that are not all that hospitable and in order to do this it has
explored and learned to live there.


Right, because humans have the ability to manage their environment
in a sustainable way. Or have we? Needing to colonize only
shows we've failed to do that and failed to rise above the
animals. Animals simply fight or flee from their problems

Civilized means being able to fix our problems.

Any discussion of NASA's future should start by finding the
greatest global problems which NASA could potentially
solve.

Climate change, fossil fuel shortages and Space Solar Power
just seem to qualify on all counts as the best goal possible
that's still within the realm of possibilities.

And since low cost to orbit is the very first prerequisite for SSP
even if SSP never happens, if the crash research program for a
fossil fuel replacement takes us in other directions., it should
at least leave us with low cost to orbit. Which enables us to
do....anything....else in space should our needs change
in the future.

Low cost to orbit would enable the private sector to get involved
in exploiting space. It would enable our military and scientific
needs in space. It would give us the space infrastructure Apollo
.....and....the "Vision" fails to leave behind.

Jonathan

s



Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Jonathan" wrote in message
...
"OM" wrote in message
...
....From Wikileaks:

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/To_the_moo..._pages%2C_2006

OM


Funny it should be leaked at this time.

What does that tell everyone about the chances
of going back to the Moon?

I'm astonished so few here admit the obvious. That
manned space flight and NASA needs a new goal
and reason for existing.

What should the new direction be?
Pure science, or global problems?
Military or civilian? What?

Because times like now are an opportunity
for a complete redesign and endless possibilities.




--