Comments on: John Glenn: Space station wasted http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2007/02/21/john-glenn-space-station-wasted/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:54:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: billg http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2007/02/21/john-glenn-space-station-wasted/#comment-1591 billg Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:59:00 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2007/02/21/john-glenn-space-station-wasted/#comment-1591 Well, yeah, there’s not enough money to go around, because Bush is taking us into debt spending it in other, less useful, venues. He’s funding the lunar effort by ending the Shuttle (OK with me) and rolling back ISS (not OK with me). It’s an effort to keep NASA’s budget relatively flat, since people tend to go ballistic about the comparatively small change we spend annually on NASA, just like some folks do about foreign aid, while ignoring the really big bucks we spend elsewhere. I’d rather see us cut down on the “elsewhere” spending and ramp up funding of the things I support. Well, yeah, there’s not enough money to go around, because Bush is taking us into debt spending it in other, less useful, venues.

He’s funding the lunar effort by ending the Shuttle (OK with me) and rolling back ISS (not OK with me). It’s an effort to keep NASA’s budget relatively flat, since people tend to go ballistic about the comparatively small change we spend annually on NASA, just like some folks do about foreign aid, while ignoring the really big bucks we spend elsewhere. I’d rather see us cut down on the “elsewhere” spending and ramp up funding of the things I support.

]]> By: Eugenia http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2007/02/21/john-glenn-space-station-wasted/#comment-1590 Eugenia Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:40:00 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2007/02/21/john-glenn-space-station-wasted/#comment-1590 The problem is billg, that there is not enough money to do all three things the RIGHT way. All of the 3 projects will experience resource shortages, because the reason they were ordered by Bush was for some political stand rather than being done on their right time. The problem is billg, that there is not enough money to do all three things the RIGHT way. All of the 3 projects will experience resource shortages, because the reason they were ordered by Bush was for some political stand rather than being done on their right time.

]]> By: billg http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2007/02/21/john-glenn-space-station-wasted/#comment-1589 billg Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:35:00 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2007/02/21/john-glenn-space-station-wasted/#comment-1589 Personally, I think we ought to do all of it: really support ISS, and go to the Moon, Mars, etc. The thing that’s screwed up is that most people seem to think that space travel is only about research, and that ISS is all about research and that going to Mars and back to the Moon isn’t. Space travel is as much about potential exploitation as it is research. And, a lot of that research ought to be targetting ways to use space travel to our advantage. The best research tool, on or off this planet, is a human being. The best reason to operate a space station in low-Earth orbit is as a fueling and maintenance depot for trips elsewhere. Personally, I think we ought to do all of it: really support ISS, and go to the Moon, Mars, etc.

The thing that’s screwed up is that most people seem to think that space travel is only about research, and that ISS is all about research and that going to Mars and back to the Moon isn’t.

Space travel is as much about potential exploitation as it is research. And, a lot of that research ought to be targetting ways to use space travel to our advantage.

The best research tool, on or off this planet, is a human being. The best reason to operate a space station in low-Earth orbit is as a fueling and maintenance depot for trips elsewhere.

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