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  • US: Moon + Mars = priority

    SPACE CENTER, Houston

    NASA's new administrator and Texas Republican (Majority Leader) Rep. Tom DeLay said Tuesday the space agency will have the necessary funding to implement President Bush's vision to send astronauts back to the moon and to Mars.

    "We have the money to do good things," said Michael Griffin, who has visited at least seven of NASA's centers since he was appointed in April. During a two-day visit at the home of human spaceflight, he spoke with astronauts, flight directors and other top administrators.

    Griffin said the agency has received a steady flow of funding that when adjusted for inflation is comparable to the funding the agency had when it first sent astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program of the 1960s and early 1970s.

    "You will find that NASA received as much in the last 16 years of its existence as in the first 16," he said. "In my judgment, we can go to the moon. We can go to Mars. We can't do them quite as quickly as we did during Apollo, but we can do it."

    DeLay said NASA is a priority — even in a time of war and tightening budgets.

    "We will provide the funding necessary to get us where we want to go," the House majority leader said. "And hopefully we can do it in an expedited manner."
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    Dr. Mordrid
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

  • #2
    I could think of better ways of spending money
    Brian (the devil incarnate)

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    • #3
      I'm sure the peasants of ancient Phoenicia said the same thing, watching the king's ships slip out of the harbor and onto the mighty sea, many never to return.

      Kevin

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Brian Ellis
        I could think of better ways of spending money
        I agree. The US does NOT have the money to fund space exploration just yet. We need to turn over more policing authority in the Iraq to the Iraqi's and to the UN to cut our spending there. Then we need to cut our debt, increase spending on projects that will increase jobs on US shores and decrease our GDP and strengthen the US dollar. Once that's done we need to improve US wellfare and programs that benefit the US people.

        Then, and only then, will we have money to fund space exploration.
        “Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get out”
        –The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Jammrock
          I agree. The US does NOT have the money to fund space exploration just yet. We need to turn over more policing authority in the Iraq to the Iraqi's and to the UN to cut our spending there. Then we need to cut our debt, increase spending on projects that will increase jobs on US shores and decrease our GDP and strengthen the US dollar. Once that's done we need to improve US wellfare and programs that benefit the US people.

          Then, and only then, will we have money to fund space exploration.
          Ah, where to begin, where to begin? So many tired old arguments...


          We need to turn over more policing authority in the Iraq to the Iraqi's and to the UN
          Iraqi people, certainly. UN? That's a joke. The UN has done SO MUCH to help us in Iraq so far. The UN's attitude is "You got yourselves into this, you get yourselves out."

          Then we need to cut our debt
          No argument there. If we permanently cancel the entire space program we should save enough to fund social security for about half a year at best.

          increase spending on projects that will increase jobs on US shores
          Again, no argument. But just how does spending money on space exploration preclude this? Oh I forgot. We're "just shooting money into space." People say this like we're loading the cargo bay of the space shuttle with hundred-dollar bills and firing it all into the sun. It never occurs to people that the money goes into the pockets of the hundreds of thousands of everyday workers employed by the contractors associated (however distantly) with the space program. That money then goes to home builders, auto manufacturers, furniture makers, ad infinitum. Does that make the space program a national make-work program? If it does its one of the better ones we've come up with.

          Once that's done we need to improve US wellfare and programs that benefit the US people.
          If you can think of a better way to improve US welfare than by putting people to work and promoting science and math education I'd like to hear it. Otherwise if you propose simply expanding current welfare plans then I'm afraid you've lost me. The tens of trillions of dollars we've spent over the last half-dozen decades have done SO MUCH to eliminate poverty. Let's do it some more. Again, permanently cancel the entire space program to finance current welfare programs for two or three months. THAT will solve the problem!

          Kevin

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          • #6
            I always get a kick out of people who hammer the space program, then go on to watch their cable/satellite TV's, make cheap international phone calls, send tons of email and post to forums like this one, get advanced medical treatments and diagosis and in general use all manner of technologies directly related to space exploration and research.

            Hell....even using a cordless drill is using a tech directly tied to the space program

            Dr. Mordrid
            Dr. Mordrid
            ----------------------------
            An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

            I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

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            • #7
              Tang, you forgot TANG!!!!!

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              • #8
                I was thinking more in terms of advanced medical sensors and diagnostics, computing, telecommunications, etc. etc., but now that you mention food how about advances in dehydrated food storage, compact waste processing (this tech is being deployed in the 3rd world for water purification) and on and on....

                Dr. Mordrid
                Dr. Mordrid
                ----------------------------
                An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                Comment


                • #9
                  I would leave the moon and the other planets anole, and let's concentrate on fixing our planet!!!!

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                  • #10
                    If it were suddenly reported that we would have to start doing without all of the things we've gotten from the space program over the years, it would be called a national catastrophe and the American people would be screaming at congress and the President to DO something, RIGHT NOW, or economic collapse on a global scale would be guaranteed.

                    Kevin

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Elie
                      I would leave the moon and the other planets anole, and let's concentrate on fixing our planet!!!!
                      Sorry. I'm a smartass.

                      Kevin
                      Attached Files

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                      • #12
                        We should have left the Americas alone 500 years ago, and concentrated instead on fixing the problems in Europe. Look where THAT decision has gotten us.

                        Kevin

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