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USA To Return To Moon By 2015, Then Mars
securitas writes "This afternoon George Bush announced space exploration plans for the USA to return to the Moon by 2015, the design and construction of a new space vehicle fleet by 2014 (called the Crew Exploration Vehicle) to replace the aging space shuttles which will be retired in 2010, and the construction of a permanent Moon base, followed by manned missions to Mars. The initiative begins with a $1 billion increase to NASA's budget and $12 billion in new space exploration money over next five years. However Congress is concerned about how to pay for the new space policy initiative in the face of a $500 billion national budget deficit. AP via Yahoo has a Moon/Mars/space policy FAQ, and there's more at NASA and the New York Times among others."
Diverting funds from NASA to domestic programs will not change anything except to kneecap our development as a multi-planet species.
Yup, while what you say about it not solving the countries social issues is probably over half true, there is the simple fact that most of us in the country don't have any desire to become a multi-planet species...
I don't care if we find intelligent life anywhere, if we do, I certainly don't want to threaten our way of life by inviting them back to see what we have over here, and my biggest complaint is that I just don't give a fuck. If you are going to waste $820 million dollars why not build shit right here in our deserts on THIS country? Let's see if we can get life to survive in the harshest areas RIGHT the fuck here.
Ever thought of that? Apparently not.
....put George Bush into space
The problem is that the evironmentalists don't want you to disturb the desert tortiose.
They also want more fuel efficient cars while mostly driving cars (like 30 year old volkswagons) that pollute more than the worst modern SUV.
They also want recycling, even if it turns out to waste more resources than not recycling.
They also want wind power, but don't want the poor little birdies to get hurt...
Hydroelectric is OK as long as the little fishies aren't disturbed.
Definately no nuclear, even if there hasn't been a single death or any pollution attributed to nuclear power in the U.S. since it's first use.
And even if they accept destroying the natural habitat of the sand mite, they uniformly have that old relative of the NIMBY syndrome, the IOFYBNFM (it's ok for you, but not for me) syndrome. In other words, you can go live in the desert, but it's not going to be their bag. Just like hybrid cars... they want everyone else to use them, but it doesn't quit fit in with the hippy image, does it?
I agree we should probably concentrate on solving the problems we have here first, but it seems, as many have pointed out, that a lot of useful technology and innovation has come out of NASA. Maybe by figuring out how to exist on the moon, it will be a simple matter to exist in the desert.
Stupid sexy Flanders.