NASA Back to Moon by 2018 - But WHY ?

[Note follow-ups.]

In sci.space.policy steve wrote:

Bush has restarted the US space effort because a few years ago China
announced they were going to put a man on the moon and Mars, too.

Bush restarted the US space effort because after the Columbia accident
it was widely regarded that NASA lacked direction. It was thought that
a concrete goal would help solidify the space program.

Second, China has not announced that they're going to put a man on the
moon and Mars, too. They announced that they were going to put a man in
space and land an unmanned probe on the moon. This was widely misre-
ported in the West as an announcement of landing a man on the moon.
It was so widely misreported that the Chinese issued a clarification.
As far as I know, China has been silent on Mars. The Europeans and the
Russians have both announced a manned Mars program, but as of yet neither
has taken concrete steps toward carrying one out.

The Chinese action was, itself, prompted by the American intention to
monopolise space in the strategic interests of the United States. China was
not going to allow that to happen.

America does not have, nor has it ever had, an intention to monopolize
space. It does have a policy to dominate space, much like its policy to
dominate the land, air, and seas. It goes with that superpower thing.

In a sense, the American intention to dominate has provoked a space race.

There is no space race. Neither the United States nor China is in much
of a rush. China is launching a manned flight about once every two years.
And lately that's been about the rate NASA's been flying too.

Had the US just SHUT UP, there would be no problem.

You're suggesting that the U.S. keep its military and foreign policies
secret? What an odd idea for an open society that is.

Mike

-----
Michael Kent Apple II Forever!!
St. Peters, MO

Michael Kent wrote:

Second, China has not announced that they're going to put a man on the
moon and Mars, too.



Boy, that guy would really have to spread his legs wide apart, wouldn't
he? :-)

Pat (running)