Slashdot Mirror
Bush Reveals New Space Policy
Josh Fink writes "Space.com is reporting that President Bush has unveiled his new space policy. From the article: 'U.S. assets must be unhindered in carrying out their space duties,' the Bush space policy says, stressing that 'freedom of action in space is as important to the United States as air power and sea power.'... As a civil space guideline, the policy calls upon NASA to 'execute a sustained and affordable human and robotic program of space exploration and develop, acquire, and use civil space systems to advance fundamental scientific knowledge of our Earth system, solar system, and universe.' While this policy does seem to push for more civil involvement in space for exploration and research, the article does go on to say, 'The policy calls upon the Secretary of Defense to "develop capabilities, plans, and options to ensure freedom of action in space, and, if directed, deny such freedom of action to adversaries."' So it will push into the intelligence community, and will supercede a similar policy from 1996. You can read the entire policy."
Because not two months ago, he wanted to shut down the ISS missions because they were estimated to cost $200M.
... weekly?
Isn't that like one tenth of what we blow on a war
Mod this to oblivion, regardless of what positive action he takes, I still don't like him.
Ive had this question in my mind since a loong time, but is it possible legally for any one country to claim things in space as part of their country?
For example can the US claim the Moon or Mars (in future) just because they landed their countrymen on the body, and planted some flags?
Are there any legal guidelines for this?
Wow, we can't discuss the article and what good could come of it, we ahve to immediatly start politician bashing. Hey lets just stop submiting articles to /. instead why don't we just put a article on the front page that says "George W. Bush. DISCUSS!"
We would get rid of all these useless interesting topics about technology and we could all just bitch with reckless abandon about our favorite politician.
I mean FUCKING HELL. If any other president had said this most of you asshats would be having fucking orgasam on the spot.
You mad
Bush could advocate an end to the DMCA, banning DRM, and making OSS manditory in all government entities and people on slashdot would STILL bitch. The only debate this article should be sparking on slashdot is between the "let's do all we can to explore space" crowd and the "we should be spending this money on my favorite agenda" crowd. Shit, people, get a hobby.
What a surprise. A recent leak about US satellites being blinded by Chinese lasers and now a more military flavor to the US space program.
First entomology, then virology, and finally bioinformatics systems. Bugs follow me wherever I go.
It wont take much for some loony countries to screw over space for the rest of us. Seriously launching merely a 20 tons (possible with 1 heavy launch trip) of ball berings or some other crap up there and you have a hazardous LEO zone permanently preventing anything from being able to hang out in low earth orbit for any long term (1 yr+) periods (run the full math it actually takes less than you think). At the minimum the hazards will prevent manned launches. I'm sure I read somewhere the chinese were looking at this. Also, it's more possible to screw the GEO orbit .. but that's not to useful seeing as how most assets will be in LEO.
Yeah, I could say all of those things, but the fact remains that we have dropped 120,000+ soliders and $300+ billion into a foreign country to interdict nuclear weapons that did not and do no exist, and stop an alliance with Al-Qaeda that also did not exist. Also, this is the same administration that advocates for the creation and deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield. So at this point, there is very little room left for 'overreaction'. Things really are that insane in the White House, and will probably only get worse once the Republicans lose control of Congress in November.
I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
mod parent up! The entire "Freedom of Action" section has nothing to do with US citizens, or those of anywhere else in the world; it is entirely about freedom of action for the warmongers in power.
Previously there have been some trial balloons by the Airforce (see http://www.guardian.co.uk/space/article/0,14493,13 45460,00.html and http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology /higher_ground_040222.html) who really wanted to add "space warfare" to their portfolio, and now it's been enshrined in national policy.
Ensuring US superiority in space ... that's what the new policy boils down to.
I just wonder what the Russians, the Chinese, the Indians the Brazilians, the Japanese, and the Europeans are going to think of it. Will they agree to US space superiority or might they perhaps start space weaponisation programs of their own?
And what about the cost? Could it be that in the long run it will cost the US less to secure its national interests by aiming for parity and a reasonable deterrent instead of starting yet another arms race in search of superiority? I wonder.
I'll say one thing for the current administration ... if there is even a remote chance of turning a conflict on interest into a real conflict they can be relied on to identify it and steer that way.
Better prepared to do what? Invade?
Again, there are a couple of hundred countries in the world...what have they contributed to a peaceful solution?
Where is the massive influx of European or Canadian aid? Did they even try?
Why is it the role of the US to clean this up (or prevent it) in the first place? As we are continually told, the world doesn't want us to be some self-appointed policeman..but now they want us to confront the bad guy with a big gun.
Moderation -1
100% Flamebait
I react to some Bush worshipper who says nothing but
"Can you say wild overreaction? Can you say schizophrenia? Can you say lift the tin foil full face helmet so you can breathe?"
by pointing out their denial, and that's "Flamebait". TrollMod denial is nuclear powered.
--
make install -not war
I've noticed this problem, too. Now, whenever I post anything even slightly anti-Bush, I get modded down into oblivion. I guess the right-wing nutballs have even gotten organized on slashdot.
Similar to the upcoming US election results
If you decided on your own to ignore the speed limits for a time, and by any luck if you escape the ticket, does it make speeding laws unlawful ?
This is a non sequitur. The correct analogy would be that there were no speeding laws and that you or a predecessor had agreed to limit your vehicle's speed or perhaps to create internal laws in order to comply with the terms of the speed limit treaty. Later you decide not to comply with the speed limit treaty. What laws are broken? Perhaps your internal law, it might be illegal in your country to break a treaty once made. But there's no external law to break.
On the other hands, nations can (and did) ally at UN level to enforce a rule against a non-UN member nation ; that's pretty much as making laws as can be.
It was a one time rule. Using your analogy, it's like there's no constraint on speeding, but I did something so wild and dangerous (say, drunk driving a rocket powered car into the side of a house) that a bunch of my fellow drivers got together and made me pay for the damage. But there's no formal restriction on anyone else doing the same thing. They might get away with it or not depending on who's willing to deal with them. Further, no one's really keen on making such rules because after all, they might have a good reason for drunk driving a rocket car.Actually it did work really well when the Clinton administration did it. North Korea didn't resume their nuclear program until 2002 - when GWB was well in the white housse. Read more here.