Space Race II

[eggwards]

It seems that President Bush has proposed Americans returning to the moon, then on to Mars. While I'm really thrilled by space exploration, watching it for all of my young life (heck, I did a science fair project on how the shuttle worked, and I'm watching for information about the current Mars Rover) I'm sort of suspicious about this announcement.

First, we don't have a space shuttle right now, so we already need a vehicle to do the "day to day" space shots. Second, it seems less about actual exploration, but more about bravado and trying to challenge the Chinese who are working on their own space program, some thirty to forty years late. Third, Where are we going to get the money. NASA's budget has been slashed in the last few years, but the federal government has already overspent its budget by millions, if not billions.

Still, it's an election year.

The story from yahoo.

Comments

[octoberdreaming.livejournal.com]

And then there's this thought: Do we really want the current NASA administration making necessary decisions on such a major project? Considering the recent trend of very bad decision-making on their part, I can't see how in the world they'd come up with a viable solution for getting us to the moon and back again. They'd probably say something really stupid like, "use the shuttle". Doh!

Anyway, while I do think a new space initiative is necessary, Bush's announcement means nothing if we don't get the funds and the people to back it up. Given the number of men and women who have picked up and left flight design in disgust, I dunno if we have the personnel even to fly the shuttle safely, let alone another mission. NASA will have to offer some pretty big incentives to get those people back, and that just doesn't fit with past history.

But we can always hope.