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According to media sources, President Bush's vision for space hasn't fired the imagination of the people. I'm not so sure about that. Look around the blogosphere and you'll see plenty of mention about it, and everywhere you look in mainstream media there's a related story. I think for now it's a quiet buzz, as if people are toying with the idea in their mind, and discussing it around the water cooler.
Have you noticed how little we're hearing about how there are no real benefits to going? If NASA has done one thing right, it's been getting the word out (again, quietly but pervasively) that we've gotten a lot of everyday technology back from our space program. People today do realize that there is a return to the money spent on space, and I'm not talking just about Space Food Sticks.
Mala of Wrong Side of Happiness has an impressive list of them, plus this link to even more (.pdf document). A good point is made in her comments that being associated with the space program doesn't neccessarily mean that it was directly invented by or for. A lot of basic technology is discovered but has no immediate practical application, and the space program has excelled in taking these little bits of existing science and finding real-life uses for them, which then make their way into everyday life.
Major thanks to fellow Munuvian Victor for passing along the link to Mala's blog.
Over at The Ministry of Minor Perfidy, the inaptly named Buckethead is doing a great series of posts on space exploration. I particularly like this idea:
To prepare for the Mars mission, we should have some experience with long duration flights. We can do a dress rehearsal of the Mars mission by mounting an expedition to one of the Near Earth Asteroids. These asteroids are small bodies of rock or metal that have orbits that cross Earth’s. Some of these asteroids are very close to Earth, at least in terms of how much fuel we need to burn to get to them. Rather than a three-year mission to Mars, we can plan a one-year mission to an asteroid.
And you can bet that someone will figure out a way to make a buck with said asteroid, which means someone with vision in private industry will want to go back. And that's how the process gets kick-started again, this time with less government.
Finally, Chirs Hall pointed out these two fine space related sites:
A space blog, The Eternal Golden Braid.
Also, Sylvia Engdahl's Space Subsite.
Many thanks Amigo!
Posted by Ted at January 18, 2004 09:19 AMSpace Food Sticks!!! I loved those! Do they still make 'em?
Posted by: Tuning Spork at January 18, 2004 06:53 PMI loved the Astronaut Ice Cream, myself. But I think the apparent lack of interest in Bush's "race for the moon" or whatever he's calling it is because our nation simply doesn't have the money for it right now. Furthermore, I think a lot of people are figuring that this is another smoke and mirrors, pre-election ploy to get the nation's attention off the domestic economic situation. Just my opinion.
Posted by: Punch Buggy at January 18, 2004 08:20 PM