NASA's Moon base plan

MB
Subject: NASA's Moon base plans
MB
From: "Martin Brown"
MB
Date: 6 Dec 2006 03:11:09 -0800
MB I think most of us would be OK with supporting NASA in the abstract.
MB
MB
MB Instead of engaging in real discourse, they repeat their
MB pet fallacies again and again, as if somehow saying, "the ISS is a huge
MB waste of money" or "we can't afford it" or "no science can be done from
MB the ISS" enough times will make it true. The problem is, they are
MB winning! People believe them.
MB
MB That is because the ISS has become little more than an orbitting hotel
MB for a few super rich wannabee space cadets to visit as the ultimate out
MB of the world experience. The astronauts up there are doing little that
MB has not already been done before by Skylab or the Russian MIR, and most
MB of it would not even pass muster for a high school science fair.
MB
MB Sadly, most astronomers are woefully
MB ignorant about the non-astronomical science and engineering that must be
MB done. I am one of them. But I am *aware* of my own ignorance! So many
MB astronomers seem blissfully unaware of how little they know about space
MB science. Astronomers don't hate the ISS for the right reasons. We hate
MB the ISS because there is nothing in it for astronomy. It's that simple.
MB
MB There is not a lot in it for anyone else either. I suppose "Big
MB Brother" could sponsor it for a few weeks and provide webcam views of
MB "bimbos bonking in zero g".
MB
MB In this atmosphere the proclamations of these naysayers are generally
MB accepted uncritically. I'm saying, wake up people! Complain about
MB mismanagement or waste, but support the idea, or we are going to have
MB nothing to pass on to future generations. The ISS is an essential step;
MB
MB No it isn't. We are learning practically nothing from it apart from
MB that inertia makes large boondoggle projects impossible to halt even
MB when they haemorrage money for no return.
MB
MB it may not be sexy but it's our step, and we have a responsibility to
MB future generations to take that step and make the most of it so they can
MB build on what we have done.
MB
MB I am all for space exploration, but I am utterly opposed to stuffing a
MB few souls in a tin can in low Earth orbit just for the hell of it. You
MB seem to believe in this space exploration fantasy so strongly that you
MB ignore all the hard evidence.
MB
MB I would like to see a new lunar mission that explored the polar
MB regions, but I think a manned moonbase is premature (and that the ISS
MB is a total waste of resources). If they do have one it should
MB definitely be called "Moonbase Alpha".

About two years ago, ther was a IMAX movie about ISS. It showed
how astronauts train for possible emergencies, handled heavy packages
and tools in zero0G, exervised for body strength, maintained the
station, how they did various household and personal chores.
And that was all. Thre was nothing about any useful work, no
science or engineering experiments, no astronomy observations, no
Earth monitoring.
When I heard Greg Olsen speak about his tourist flight to ISS back
in August, he described in deep detail the spacesuit, toilet
operations, food and drink, various machinery, exercise, zero-G tricks
sightseeing the Earth. He showed nothing about what the hell the
astronauts and cosmonauts are doing up there.
There are other clues. NASA stresses the great elevation that ISS
flies at: 400 kilometers! Ir stresses visbility of ISS as it flied
over as one of the brightest 'stars' in the sky. (Where are the
protests from the darksky corner?) It stressesthe long-duration stays
as training for trips to Mars. (Astronauts are limited to 6 months at
a time precisa mente because humans can not last for longer spells in
zero-G.)
As for biomedical and the survival of astronauts in space, NASA
hasn't done much to show what's going on. Do the astronauts shift
diet for a solar flare? Is a different exerciser installed bbecause it
stimulates muscles in some better way? Are blood samples colected at
certain intervals Was the spacesuit fitted with a better oxygen feed?
And so on.
So it sure liiks, BASED ON NASA'S OWN NEWS AND REPORTS, that ISS
isn't of much use or good.
NASA claims it has to finish ISS to meet our contracts with the
other countries. But we already cut corners on such agreements by
removing other countries's segments of ISS from Shuttle flights in the
future. We pared back by giving up seats on the Syuz capsule for spae
tourists, even tho they are Russia's customers. A tourist takes away a
seat for an astronaut to help build ISS.
NASA has 3 Shuttle vehicles left, but Discovery seems to be the
one most heavily flown. Atlantis may be retired early, in 2008. No
word on what Endeavor is foing.
Can NASA really send the Shuttle to ISS five times per year in
2007-2009? Remember taht the dealine for retirement of Shuttle is
September, not December, 2010.

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