The Moon by 2020? No…The Moon by 2013
It was on May 25, 1961 that John F. Kennedy addressed Congress and stated that the USA would have a man on the Moon by the end of the decade:
“... I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. He never lived to see his vision become reality, but on July 20, 1969, the US did put a man on the moon; it was a shame that he did not live to see his dream become reality.”
John F. Kennedy before Congress - May 25, 1961
This space race was fueled by the Cold War that raged at the time; the USSR was the first nation to put a man in orbit. The US did not intend to be upstaged again. After a few other visits to the moon, the last visit was in 1972. Numerous scientific advances resulted form this ambitious program, but since the last moon landing, no human or craft has ventured out from Low Earth Orbit.
Since that rather heady time, there has been Skylab and Mir and since 1982 or so, the Space Shuttle program. The Hubble Telescope was lifted to orbit in 1990; the pictures it takes are awe inspiring to say the least. Shortly though, the year 2010 will be upon us; it is time that we go back to taking large steps at a much faster pace then the speed of government.
This is not the moon of yore
On November 13, 2009, a probe deliberately collided with the moon. Though it didn’t detect a very large amount, water was still detected on the moon in the form of frozen particulate. This discovery has broad reaching implications. If there is water on the moon, it could be converted into drinking water as well as its energy potential regarding hydrogen extraction.
Upon being presented with the information from the mission, the best that our President could do was to make a sort of vague promise that we would go back to the moon ca. 2020 or so. Considering the state of our federal government at this time, that simply isn’t good enough.
Going back to the moon in 2020 is not a dynamic and forward thinking pledge at all; we need to be back there in force much sooner then that. This time it isn’t a Cold War space race; it is a needed goal for the future of the human race!!
Getting There – Private Enterprise or NASA?
Back in the time when we first went to the moon, such an endeavor was only really possible by governments with not a small boost from their military personnel. With the awarding of the Ansari X-Prize though, that may no longer be the case. Though a sub-orbital launch is not even Low Earth Orbit let alone a moon shot, private enterprise has shown that it is not only up to the task, it can do so with not only efficient cost but overall efficiency as well.
Despite the fact that NASA has outside help in its missions and projects (The Space Shuttle components were made by three large aerospace companies), it is still a governmental entity subject to the whims of funding as well as the attitudes of Congress. As with most any governmental agency, efficiency is not its highest priority; if there is a funding shortfall, it is the tax payers that produce the needed revenue.
Private enterprise does not have that capacity, though; this almost ensures that there will be a minimum of waste as well as an eye-on-the-prize mentality which would have a minimum of obfuscation.
There is a report due shortly upon the president’s desk which doesn’t paint a very rosy picture as far as NASA being able to even afford to go back to the moon, let alone Mars. There is a brutally simple way to get around this potential choke point. Cut NASA out of the loop!
The Cost of Getting to the Moon
It would be foolish to say that something of this scope would be cheap and inexpensive, at least in the initial start up stages; to quote a cost of billions of dollars wouldn’t be that far off of the mark. This is not to say that something like this could be implemented at NASA, but once this matter is politicized, the cost overruns and earmark slop will soon follow. If NASA can’t lead the way, they need to step aside for those who are capable of doing so.
This matter would best be addressed by placing it into the hands of private enterprise. The billions needed are there and in return, allow private enterprise to profit from the industries that come to be created as a result, from cargo/passenger transport to souvenir sales and tourist venues. To motivate the aforementioned, limited tax credits should be offered on what monies are invested. For those who would be ready to scream ‘unfair’, there is nothing ‘unfair’ about that incentive at all. Private enterprise would be investing a lot of money up front with returns on that investment most all long term in nature. They would also be taking all of the risks in that regard; cost overruns and mistakes and failures would come out of their own pockets; it would also be foolish to imagine this undertaking to be an error or a casualty free enterprise.
Flying to the Moon
Since the first launches into low Earth Orbit about fifty years ago, the standard way of doing things is to boost a payload into orbit using a rocket device. Even though they do work, they are a monument to sheer inefficiency as well as being inherently dangerous. They are limited in cargo capacity as well as their ability to transport passengers. A Theoretical/Extrapolative replacement will be discussed in my next post. Its tentative name is the Astroliner.
What would be the benefits of going back to the moon and why is it that the future of the human race is at stake?
The benefits of undertaking such a task would be near endless, but there is also the matter of the future of the human race to consider. Rather then use two separate sections to answer what is in essence a dual question, it is possible to be more concise in this format. Despite the fact that the human race has come a long way since we first came to dominance on the earth, we still have a long ways to go. The following is at best only a partial list of benefits as well as problems that could be alleviated once we are on the moon to stay:
- The world population stands at over six billion as of now; even though it is possible that the growth rate may slow down, it will not cease to be. As countries gain more population and become even more crowded, where will the human race go once the earth has too many people living on it to support them. Our only option is to move out into space. The moon would be only the first step to that goal: The Second Mass Diaspora. ( Future of our Race)
- One of the worst ills the human race suffers still is nationstatism. Nationstatism is not only a waste of resources, but contributes a lot to the various states of human misery on the planet. Perhaps once we make it to the moon, the nationstatism can be left on Earth. (Future of our Race)
- Once on the moon, a jumpstart could be applied to most all of the emerging fields of xenoscience. Humans would have another planetary mass to study along with the puzzles and new discoveries that would go with it. (Benefit)
- The largest percentage of fuel is used on a launch to escape the gravity well of Earth. Once on the moon, a shipyard could be constructed; craft launched form there would have no gravity well from which they would need to escape. (Mars or the Asteroid Belt anyone? (Benefit/Future of our Race)
- Perhaps as technology progresses, the moon could be terraformed to be made inhabitable over its entire surface. (Benefit/Future of our Race)
- As touched upon earlier, if private enterprise led the way back to the moon, then they would profit from moving passengers and cargo as well as the selling of memorabilia and other such tourist items. Imagine a Moon theme park with a zero gravity area or a xenogarden composed of what was found on the moon and revitalized. (Benefit)
As stated, the above is probably only a partial list and even then only the readily noticeable ones. The only question remains is this:
It isn’t as if we don’t have the needed technology and expertise to make this a reality. But will private enterprise be ready to step up to the plate if or when NASA/The Federal Government falters?
That remains to be seen
A Jaded Bard
It was on May 25, 1961 that John F. Kennedy addressed Congress and stated that the USA would have a man on the Moon by the end of the decade:
“... I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. He never lived to see his vision become reality, but on July 20, 1969, the US did put a man on the moon; it was a shame that he did not live to see his dream become reality.”
John F. Kennedy before Congress - May 25, 1961
This space race was fueled by the Cold War that raged at the time; the USSR was the first nation to put a man in orbit. The US did not intend to be upstaged again. After a few other visits to the moon, the last visit was in 1972. Numerous scientific advances resulted form this ambitious program, but since the last moon landing, no human or craft has ventured out from Low Earth Orbit.
Since that rather heady time, there has been Skylab and Mir and since 1982 or so, the Space Shuttle program. The Hubble Telescope was lifted to orbit in 1990; the pictures it takes are awe inspiring to say the least. Shortly though, the year 2010 will be upon us; it is time that we go back to taking large steps at a much faster pace then the speed of government.
This is not the moon of yore
On November 13, 2009, a probe deliberately collided with the moon. Though it didn’t detect a very large amount, water was still detected on the moon in the form of frozen particulate. This discovery has broad reaching implications. If there is water on the moon, it could be converted into drinking water as well as its energy potential regarding hydrogen extraction.
Upon being presented with the information from the mission, the best that our President could do was to make a sort of vague promise that we would go back to the moon ca. 2020 or so. Considering the state of our federal government at this time, that simply isn’t good enough.
Going back to the moon in 2020 is not a dynamic and forward thinking pledge at all; we need to be back there in force much sooner then that. This time it isn’t a Cold War space race; it is a needed goal for the future of the human race!!
Getting There – Private Enterprise or NASA?
Back in the time when we first went to the moon, such an endeavor was only really possible by governments with not a small boost from their military personnel. With the awarding of the Ansari X-Prize though, that may no longer be the case. Though a sub-orbital launch is not even Low Earth Orbit let alone a moon shot, private enterprise has shown that it is not only up to the task, it can do so with not only efficient cost but overall efficiency as well.
Despite the fact that NASA has outside help in its missions and projects (The Space Shuttle components were made by three large aerospace companies), it is still a governmental entity subject to the whims of funding as well as the attitudes of Congress. As with most any governmental agency, efficiency is not its highest priority; if there is a funding shortfall, it is the tax payers that produce the needed revenue.
Private enterprise does not have that capacity, though; this almost ensures that there will be a minimum of waste as well as an eye-on-the-prize mentality which would have a minimum of obfuscation.
There is a report due shortly upon the president’s desk which doesn’t paint a very rosy picture as far as NASA being able to even afford to go back to the moon, let alone Mars. There is a brutally simple way to get around this potential choke point. Cut NASA out of the loop!
The Cost of Getting to the Moon
It would be foolish to say that something of this scope would be cheap and inexpensive, at least in the initial start up stages; to quote a cost of billions of dollars wouldn’t be that far off of the mark. This is not to say that something like this could be implemented at NASA, but once this matter is politicized, the cost overruns and earmark slop will soon follow. If NASA can’t lead the way, they need to step aside for those who are capable of doing so.
This matter would best be addressed by placing it into the hands of private enterprise. The billions needed are there and in return, allow private enterprise to profit from the industries that come to be created as a result, from cargo/passenger transport to souvenir sales and tourist venues. To motivate the aforementioned, limited tax credits should be offered on what monies are invested. For those who would be ready to scream ‘unfair’, there is nothing ‘unfair’ about that incentive at all. Private enterprise would be investing a lot of money up front with returns on that investment most all long term in nature. They would also be taking all of the risks in that regard; cost overruns and mistakes and failures would come out of their own pockets; it would also be foolish to imagine this undertaking to be an error or a casualty free enterprise.
Flying to the Moon
Since the first launches into low Earth Orbit about fifty years ago, the standard way of doing things is to boost a payload into orbit using a rocket device. Even though they do work, they are a monument to sheer inefficiency as well as being inherently dangerous. They are limited in cargo capacity as well as their ability to transport passengers. A Theoretical/Extrapolative replacement will be discussed in my next post. Its tentative name is the Astroliner.
What would be the benefits of going back to the moon and why is it that the future of the human race is at stake?
The benefits of undertaking such a task would be near endless, but there is also the matter of the future of the human race to consider. Rather then use two separate sections to answer what is in essence a dual question, it is possible to be more concise in this format. Despite the fact that the human race has come a long way since we first came to dominance on the earth, we still have a long ways to go. The following is at best only a partial list of benefits as well as problems that could be alleviated once we are on the moon to stay:
- The world population stands at over six billion as of now; even though it is possible that the growth rate may slow down, it will not cease to be. As countries gain more population and become even more crowded, where will the human race go once the earth has too many people living on it to support them. Our only option is to move out into space. The moon would be only the first step to that goal: The Second Mass Diaspora. ( Future of our Race)
- One of the worst ills the human race suffers still is nationstatism. Nationstatism is not only a waste of resources, but contributes a lot to the various states of human misery on the planet. Perhaps once we make it to the moon, the nationstatism can be left on Earth. (Future of our Race)
- Once on the moon, a jumpstart could be applied to most all of the emerging fields of xenoscience. Humans would have another planetary mass to study along with the puzzles and new discoveries that would go with it. (Benefit)
- The largest percentage of fuel is used on a launch to escape the gravity well of Earth. Once on the moon, a shipyard could be constructed; craft launched form there would have no gravity well from which they would need to escape. (Mars or the Asteroid Belt anyone? (Benefit/Future of our Race)
- Perhaps as technology progresses, the moon could be terraformed to be made inhabitable over its entire surface. (Benefit/Future of our Race)
- As touched upon earlier, if private enterprise led the way back to the moon, then they would profit from moving passengers and cargo as well as the selling of memorabilia and other such tourist items. Imagine a Moon theme park with a zero gravity area or a xenogarden composed of what was found on the moon and revitalized. (Benefit)
As stated, the above is probably only a partial list and even then only the readily noticeable ones. The only question remains is this:
It isn’t as if we don’t have the needed technology and expertise to make this a reality. But will private enterprise be ready to step up to the plate if or when NASA/The Federal Government falters?
That remains to be seen
A Jaded Bard
Labels: Moon, NASA, Nationstatism, Space Race
posted by CryHavoc at 9:46 AM
1 Comments:
I'm sure that once people didn't believe airplane would really fly. They do now.
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