I remember way back (2006 IIRC) George W Bush made a speech regarding what he called “Vision for space exploration” I remember watching and thinking “Wow, the idiot has done something intelligent for a change” I'm a huge advocate of manned space exploration.
For those who missed it, the basic premise was to get humans back on the moon by 2018 and a lunar bas established by 2025. This got me really exited, we haven’t left LEO since the last Apollo mission in 1972!!
Then Obama comes along and axes the Orion program and announces that the moon is off the cards and he wants NASA to set its goals a little higher, a manned landing on an asteroid then a manned landing on Mars by the mid 2030s.
It got me thinking why he would do this? To me the moon is the logical step for more audacious manned space flight. It gives us a chance to test flight and crew systems closer to earth in an environment that has been extensively studied and explored.
However, the next thought in my line of thinking was this. China. They have only really started there space program and already have put a man in orbit and returned him to earth. That took NASA about 7 years. China did it in 2.
I think this “Lets go to Mars!” announcement may just be a response to the perceived threat to American dominance in space.
Another space race maybe? Could the heady days of Apollo be returning?
For those who missed it, the basic premise was to get humans back on the moon by 2018 and a lunar bas established by 2025. This got me really exited, we haven’t left LEO since the last Apollo mission in 1972!!
Then Obama comes along and axes the Orion program and announces that the moon is off the cards and he wants NASA to set its goals a little higher, a manned landing on an asteroid then a manned landing on Mars by the mid 2030s.
It got me thinking why he would do this? To me the moon is the logical step for more audacious manned space flight. It gives us a chance to test flight and crew systems closer to earth in an environment that has been extensively studied and explored.
However, the next thought in my line of thinking was this. China. They have only really started there space program and already have put a man in orbit and returned him to earth. That took NASA about 7 years. China did it in 2.
I think this “Lets go to Mars!” announcement may just be a response to the perceived threat to American dominance in space.
Another space race maybe? Could the heady days of Apollo be returning?
