Africans urged to back continent’s first moon mission

The Guardian ^ | 05 January 2015 | David Smith

[Drew68]

"The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena,” wrote the astronomer Carl Sagan. “Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors, so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.”

Africa has had its fair share of self-important generals and emperors who failed to comprehend the bigger picture. Now the continent is being asked to gaze upward and unite for a common goal: its first mission to the moon.

Organisers of Africa2Moon hope to inspire and educate a new generation of engineers and scientists, as well as shattering prejudices in the rest of the world that often paint this as a hopeless, dependent and scientifically illiterate continent.

“The main reason we chose the moon is that you can walk outside and there it is,” said Jonathan Weltman, manager of the project and chief executive of the Foundation for Space Development. “Kids across Africa can pull out a telescope and see it.”

The ultimate ambition, which could take a decade, is to put a probe on the lunar surface or in orbit around it, then beam back live pictures via the internet to classrooms all over Africa.

...snip...

[X-spurt]

They be usin the telescope to check out those green moneys, for food and pleasure.

[X-spurt]

I may be wrong, but wasn’t that in New Guinea?

[CodeToad]

The first space capsule with fuzzy dice, curb feelers, and rack of subwoofers. It will land on 31” wheel.

[X-spurt]

You ain’t fooling me, they’d still be in every TV commercial.

[dead]

That was awesome!

[Secret Agent Man]

i’d rather urge a certain demographc of africans back to their mother continent, permanently.

[spodefly]

Maybe they should start small ... build an auto industry, work up to aeronautics, then once the industries that support those industries are robust, think about aiming to space.

In other words, build a basic industrial infrastructure first, then think big.

[MasterGunner01]

That might be so, but sending the U.S. African-Americans to the moon would free up space for real African immigrants that actually do REAL work and want a better life for themselves and their kids. America’s natives are the entitled welfare class that prefer to live off the taxpayer.

[uglybiker]

He shootin' up again

OH SH*T!

[Boogieman]

Not quite African, but:

The Old Negro Space Program

[olezip]

"The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena,” wrote the astronomer Carl Sagan. “Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors, so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.”

Carl Sagan had much psycho-babble in his writings that have nothing to do with reality.

Another mission to the Moon makes sense. The Moon is a celestial body close to the Earth with much to offer in science and technology, living and working outside of the Earth, harvesting resources for sustainable living in outer space...

[X-spurt]

Got an idea, we get em all on the rockets and instead of the Moon we aim at the Motherland and land em there.

[catnipman]

“I may be wrong, but wasn’t that in New Guinea?”

I think you’re right, but am no expert; just aware cargo cults existed during WWII & thought a pic of such would express my opinion regarding an African moon mission.

[MasterGunner01]

We will run out of Saturn-size rockets before we run out of Afros and Africa. Besides, the Saturn V wasn't cost effective or reusable. We need something like a fleet of Antonov An-225 size space ships to take them to the Moon a thousand passengers at a time, return, get serviced, and launch again. Think of it as the Space Shuttle that goes to the Moon and back instead of the International Space Station.

Or, better, we perfect the Star Trek transporter to beam them from Earth to the Moon (or Africa).