Re: space exploration is a good thing


Posted by Measurement on Jan 15, 2004 at 09:58
(68.109.0.123)

Re: space exploration is a good thing (Pasti)

P: If he has your support, as you say, that means you are playing his hand, or in harsher words, you are as dumb as he thinks you are.

Or I just like the idea of going back to the moon and eventually to Mars. If he's going push that, I'm going to support him.

P: Do you really believe he REALLY supports space exploration of any kind?I(personally) very much doubt that.

I believe he says he does. Whether he REALLY does remains to be seen. I have no reason to disbelieve him. Still, just because he supports does not necessarily mean it will happen. A lot of [political] things have to first fall into place. The political waters surrounding this venture are far different than they were in the early sixties, even if the technology is far more advanced.

P: Is it a manoeuver to gain political capital for the next election season?I think yes.What do you think?

Possibly. Even partly probably. Whatever his motives, they support my goals, so as far as I'm concerned, I don't care why he wants to do it (within reason) so long as he does it.

P: So you support him now,and you will see how serious he is about it,you say.My question is,can you afford to do so?

Um...yes.

P: Do you really believe that the necessary amount of money and effort will be spent to put a man on Mars, after the elections?

Um...no. Nor has he indicated such. Mars is the goal and is, necessarily perhaps, far into the future, well past his rein. That pretty much goes for the moon as well. The question is, well he see to it, or attempt to see to it, that we began the political/technological journey necessary to get us there.

P: Or is it possible that after the elections the project will be railroaded to the same level it is today?

Possibly. I hope not. I don't have a crystal ball but so far Bush has a fairly good record of getting what he wants and putting in action that which he gets.

P: Try to remember that the Mars probe today is nothing new, in the sense that this is the successful attempt, the last of them but not the only one.And because of that one can put any "spin" on the topic without actually doing too much about it.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. I really don't see what the current probe has to do with it except that had it failed, it would have been a shame in that it might well have robbed Bush of the political momentum needed to get the moon/Mars program going.

P: If you actually want such a program to start being developed at a steady and effective pace, with some results in a more or less near future,don't invest any type of capital (financial or intelectual) in structures that are prone to change every four years or so.

I understand what you're saying but that system is the only one currently in town. Private missions are a long way from being profitable and are therefore a long way from being a reality. IOW, if not the politicians, then who?

P: If you want to understand why, remember that putting people on Mars has been in the "works" as a political tool since the early 70's if not before(Remember the movie "Capricorn-1"?).

I remember the movie, sort of...and also that it was just a movie. I also remember vividly the day Neil set foot on the moon. I was nine at the time but remember it like it was yesterday.



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