Space Forum / Space Policy / January 2004

NASA should fund two more identical rover missions using the Spirit rover
design but drop them into more challenging places. They could be ready for
launch in 2007 (or 2005 if back-up hardware was used and the money could be
put in place). If a system works - why not use it?

Found at:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-01-19-hubble-ditched_x.htm
Hubble Space Telescope first casualty of Bush space
initiative

From Boeing News Now for Jan. 16:
In a move designed to align the agency with the new exploration agenda
outlined yesterday by President George W. Bush, NASA Deputy
Administrator Frederick D. Gregory announced a comprehensive

So NASA cancels a shuttle maintance mission and says it's cheaper to
(1) re-write the shuttle software program to work with three gyros
operational instead of four; then probably with two instead of three
(we don't even know this is POSSIBLE yet)

Here is a blast from the past which might blow down some of the barriers
standing in the way of progress.  In 1959 Uncle Sam carved an artic base out
of an ice sheet.  Literally dug out two dozen trenches and dropped in
pre-fab housing.  Slapped in a nuclear reactor and got a ...

NASA needs to impress the hell out of congress by moving quickly on the
CEV - have it ready for human flights by 2010, whilst doing it under budget.
The rest of the budget should then be used to fund a near term mission, such
as a lunar orbit mission. NASA needs to also prepare the ...

Most of the news and opinion about bush's plan return to the moon have been
negative.  Some good reviews have been posted.  Here are several:
Wall Street Journal:  http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110004570
Wash-times: http://washtimes.com/culture/20040115-100117-1022r.htm  ...

What are some of the best space events expected in 2004?
I'd include shuttle return to flight (maybe), Cassini arrival, Messewnger
launch, maybe X-Prize win, etc etc.
Other suggestions?

Space.com has posted one:
http://space.com/news/bush_plan_faq_040115.html
A very handy link to throw at people still babbling about trillions of
dollars and colossal waste etc.

Ppl seem to be down on the use of nukes to defelct asteroids but I
think that even with a loosely bound bunch of rocks nukes are a good
way to go.  The best use of a nuke on asteroids does not involve
hitting the asteroid but instaead setting it off some distance away

The NASAtanists and Earth pickers and enviro-satanists have done it
again thinking they no more about the Godly universe than He Himself
as said in the Holy Book. Matthew 24:29 says "the stars will fall from
the sky" so how can Mars even be big or far away? Mars is no bigger

The White House's "Renewed Spirit of Discovery" document [1] directs the
NASA Administrator to (among many other things):
"Pursue commercial opportunities for providing transportation and other
services supporting the International Space Station and exploration

Mixed feelings.
(1) Finishing ISS is a commitment, OK.
(2) Retirement of the Shutle by 2010 was decided already the Gehman borad -
or "requalification". All us knew that the latter was not a realistic

For whatever time is left, to do whatever it is capable of doing?
Selling it would have the added benefit of taking NASA partially off the
hook for its demise.
Who would possibly want to purchase it?

In preparing for establishing the proposed lunar colony, I think we need
to rally support rally support from around the internet to set up root
servers for the .moon top level domain. ICANN has no jurisdiction there.
We should also do .mars while we're at it.