Is Bush's Moon-Mars Initiative a New Space Frontier?

[mouseonmoon]

State of the Union

"too many steroids"...

(agh, excuse me,but...Manned Mission to Mars...)

i repeat..."a real Flag..."

(at least 'one' person understands me!)

thanks!

thought i was 'alone' ...

 

[Phobos]

Originally posted by Nereid
Bush? a scientific visionary? Show me ONE THING in his record which supports your hypothesis!

Well, he supports research for more oil drilling in Alaska.

(Yes, I'm kidding.)

 

[LURCH]

Originally posted by Nereid


Bush? a scientific visionary? Show me ONE THING in his record which supports your hypothesis!

I've been looking for somewhere where Bush is referred to as "a scientific visionary". To whose hypothesis are you alluding?

Also, much has been made in this Topic about the idea that Bush may be doing what he's doing just to get votes. Isn't that what he is supposed to do? It is the job of the president of a democratic nation to actualize the will of the people. The people make their will known by voting for the candidate whose programs most closely match that will. If Bush gains votes with all his talk of reinstituting a manned space program, then a manned space program must be what the American people want.

 

[Nereid]

LURCH,
Adrian said: "Maybe Bush is a visionary who sees the value of scientific endeavours?" This is his hypothesis. I asked him to provide evidence to support it.

LURCH: Also, much has been made in this Topic about the idea that Bush may be doing what he's doing just to get votes. Isn't that what he is supposed to do?

Of course. What made me depressed is 'the vision thing'. If he had the vision, he'd work on a policy that would have a reasonable chance of success, and if he were to continue in office (or influence those who followed him), there's a fighting chance the vision would see the light of day.

OTOH, if he's merely a vote-seeking automaton, given that a 'man on Mars' is hugely expensive, would take decades to realize, and kill funds for almost all other space science (look at the Shuttle, the ISS), can you construct a realistic scenario under which serious space-based science grows?

LURCH: If Bush gains votes with all his talk of reinstituting a manned space program, then a manned space program must be what the American people want.

The American people's wants cannot be manufactured? The leader is purely passive? The leader has no agenda other than 'do the will of the American people'??

 

[jimbot]

Mars? Nah

But the moon, on the other hand, makes sense. Look back to history, how many cities started off as a lonely fort in a hostile environment? This could start a new land rush, gold boom, etc. But I seriously doubt that hookers or moon shiners will be the first civies there

On a serious note, I would think that someone could produce new alloys, uncontaminated by trace elements that are unavoidably added by smelting in our atmosphere. This could be one of many reasons for colonizing the moon.