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NASA's New Mission to the Moon

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the to-the-moon-alice dept.

mattnyc99 writes "Popular Mechanics has a new, in-depth preview of NASA's Orion spacecraft, tracking the complex challenges facing the engineers of the CEV (which NASA chief Michael Griffin called 'Apollo on steroids') as America shifts its focus away from the Space Shuttle and back toward returning to the moon by 2020. After yesterday's long op-ed in the New York Times concerning NASA's about-face, Popular Mechanic's interview with Buzz Aldrin and podcast with Transterrestrial.com's Rand Simberg raise perhaps the most pressing questions here: Is it worth going back to the lunar surface? And will we actually stay there?"

4 of 283 comments (clear)

  1. it's a joke, people by User+956 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is it worth going back to the lunar surface?

    What do you mean "going back"? That assumes we were there a first time.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  2. Updated Technology by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 4, Funny

    The initial estimates are that this time around the mission is going to be far less expensive. One NASA official, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "CGI has really matured to a point where shooting a return to the moon is now viable. Instead of a sandy soundstage we'll simply have our guys in front of a greenscreen. In fact, some of the more optimistic estimates posit that by 2020 we won't even need live bodies in the studio."

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  3. we smoke while we flip the bird by User+956 · · Score: 5, Funny

    who cares about the MOON!

    The boston police?

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  4. Re:Yes! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Modern space ships don't have to be docked in water.

    Wasn't sure if you knew that or not.

    They fly around in the sky.