[blam]

Li`bra´tion point` (lî`brā´shŭn point`) n. 1. any one of five points in the plane of a system of two large astronomical bodies orbiting each other, as the Earth-moon system, where the gravitational pull of the two bodies on an object are approximately equal, and in opposite directions. A solid object moving in the same velocity and direction as such a libration point will remain in gravitational equilibrium with the two bodies of the system and not fall toward either body

[ArrogantBustard]

President Barack Obama is still in power, which is good news for NASA,

The author's mind is apparently beyond the Moon ...

[opticks]

Oh so now he’s JFK...

[cripplecreek]

The plan involves establishing a manned outpost about 38,000 miles from the moon in an area known as the Earth-moon libration point 2, or EML-2.

Its not all that hush hush because I read about this weeks ago right here at FR.

[rfp1234]

Good. Start with space cadets like Sheila Jackson Lee and Dennis
Kookcinich.

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

Man has already visited Mars and been in underground dwellings there (if you watch TV and believe those shows) .Inside a top secret building in El Segundo, CA, you can .’jump’ from the 8th floor and teleport yourself to Mars. I saw it on TV!!!

[Boogieman]

Cool. I think Obama could really show his strong leadership skills if he personally led this space mission to the outer solar system.

[machogirl]

From space.com (high school students send Barry to the edge of space.

[trublu]

Nah.. Obama will insist they use wind power to get there.

[backwoods-engineer]

Can we load up Obama, Holder, Jarret, and all their minions and send them to the far side of the moon?

And does that count toward NASA's prime mission of "Muslim Outreach"?

[TBP]

So that's BO's plan to deal with his political opponents!

[Flag_This]

Now obama just wants to load it with some conservative "astronauts."

[Kirkwood]

I was surprised to hear 2 rocket engine tests at Stennis today. Something I hadn’t heard in years.

[C210N]

Why is NASA reaching to the other side of the moon... Are there muslims over there to outreach to?

[bgill]

There’s a vacation the obummers can take.

[LibLieSlayer]

I have friends at NASA and obama has stopped almost anything of real value to manned flight. This is nothing but BS... that is all obama and his court are... BS. He is defacto king so stop calling it his administration... jarrett and others serve the king in his court.

LLS

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

The plan involves establishing a manned outpost about 38,000 miles from the moon in an area known as the Earth-moon libration point 2, or EML-2. This is a gravitationally stable spot, making it possible to "park" a spacecraft there, explains Wall.

Somebody has their terminology screwed up. "Libration" refers to an effect caused by the apparent wobble of the Moon as it orbits the Earth. The Moon always keeps the same side toward the Earth, but due to libration, 59% of the Moon's surface can be seen over a period of time. What they were trying to say was "Lagrange Point".

Lagrange Point
French mathematician and astronomer Joseph Louis Lagrange showed that three bodies could lie at the apexes of an equilateral triangle which rotates in its plane. If one of the bodies is sufficiently massive compared with the other two, then the triangular configuration is apparently stable. Such bodies are sometimes referred to as Trojans. The leading apex of the triangle is known as the leading Lagrange point or L4; the trailing apex is the trailing Lagrange point or L5.

Easy mistake to make (both words begin with "L") but they mean entirely different things. If we are ever to move permanently into space and commercialize the asteroid belt, we will need to build a large base at one of the Lagrange points. The best way to do that would be to start with a base on the Moon, use solar power to produce building materials for the Lagrange station from Moon rock and ship it to the assembly point with a mass driver.

If the Earth is going to survive population pressure we need to begin moving permanently into near space and then progress further as technology develops. We are made of "star-stuff", it's time to go home.

Regards,
GtG

PS A mass driver on the Moon would make an excellent way to launch kinetic weapons (rods of God?) back at Earth should the need arise.

[HangnJudge]

[elkfersupper]

All that crap needs to just go away.

Yeah, I'm sure we got Tang, Teflon and a number of other things out of that, but the "space" mission has turned into something that looks suspiciously recreational.

[dfwgator]