So what do you think about the plans by the President to "go to the moon" and Mars?

The president unveiled what he billed as a "new course" for the nation's space program in a speech at NASA headquarters, shifting the long-term focus from the space shuttle and the international space station to the creation of a new manned space vehicle that will be flying with a crew in 10 years and will return humans to the moon within 16 years.

Is it just me or did anyone else notice that it is going to take longer to get BACK to the moon than it took the get there in the first place? Not to mention a hell of a lot more money. This smacks of more election positioning... we can't vote someone else - we might not get to the moon. We might miss out on Mars. I think it is crazy - scientists have long stated that we could have a settlement on the moon within five years and be to Mars in ten if we make it a serious agenda (like the initial moon shots.) NASA has grown into a bureaucratic behometh that is largely inefficient and one of the largest of pork barrels in existence.

Kick out the fat cats - tear down the NASA bureaucracy and get serious about it.

Speaking of serious about it - why have we landed on Mars and avoided any areas of interest? Why have we ignored "the face" on Cydonia - why are images released to the public blurred in post when the resolution onboard is clearly superior to what is being released?

This whole episode is pork barrel politics as usual - a lot of people in Texas and Florida helped Bush get elected and now NASA (mainly headquartered in Texas and Florida) is getting $12 billion in funds.
- posted by Chris @ 12:53 AM