International Declaration Signed Advocating Return to the Moon

Space.com ^ | December 5, 2003 | Leonard David

[Cincinatus' Wife]

[Pedantic_Lady]

Why bother with the moon? We did that way back in the 1960s. Let them have our leftovers....let's go to MARS.

[samtheman]

I don't want to work well with others. I want a US military base on the moon. And hotels.

[BenLurkin]

If the U.S. chooses to go back to that big airless rock, then let it be for the benefit of the U.S., first and foremost. The rest of the world can drop dead as far as I am concerned.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I don't want to work well with others.

I know what you mean.

[Flyer]

Russia is stealing our space station. We should go back to the moon on our own.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

It's cheaper, quicker and safer doing it ourselves.

[Diogenesis]

Here is a vote for BUSH BASE on the near side.

[BenLurkin]

Beat me by 25 seconds!

[Rebel_Ace]

For the foreseeable future (next 100-200 years) the MOON is way more valuable real estate than MARS.

It is far closer, (less travel and communication time) it has a lower gravity well, (easier to lift off and go elsewhere) the dark side offers permanent sheilding from Earth radiation (for delicate astronomy) AND it can serve some soon to be vital defensive purposes.

Mars can't do those things.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

We'll never get to Mars unless we first go back to the Moon to stay.

[tkathy]

Mars is fascinating. Hope we go there.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

USA Today: U.S. considers new moon mission***The reports put the moon, which in recent years has been ignored by all save baying dogs and werewolves, back on the national agenda.

"The moon can be made into a major asset, rather than just providing light at night," Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., chairman of the House subcommittee on space and aeronautics, said Thursday.

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, even talked about a space race between the United States and China, which put its first astronaut into space this fall.

Early reviews of the plan, reported Wednesday by the National Review magazine and Thursday by the New York Post, were mixed.

"Totally embarrassing," said physicist Robert Park of the American Physical Society. "Been there, done that."

"Great idea," said Roger Launius, a space historian at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. "If we are really going to get off this planet and go to a place like Mars, we've got to learn how to operate in deep space."

The debate over a moon program comes during a difficult time for the space agency, which has been excoriated for inefficiency and lack of focus since the space shuttle Columbia disaster in February.

The administration has been reviewing its space mission. On Wednesday, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said that 2004 would be a "seminal time. ... There's an effort underway that will focus the administration's view very prominently on options we can consider," he said. "We are looking at some significant changes." ***

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Personally, I see something different in this. The 64 meter antennas are in Spain (a good allay), Australia (a good allay) and California (now Republican). A lot of space money stays on the ground, and I find it very interesting that those nations/areas that will be collecting the data for NASA/JPL just happen to be very friendly with this administration.

I don't see anything sinister in it, in fact its a perfect way to "pay them back" without appearing to "pay them back"

[Pedantic_Lady]

For the foreseeable future (next 100-200 years) the MOON is way more valuable real estate than MARS.

Then why did we waste all this time and money on the stupid shuttle program? (Not badmouthing the astronauts...just the shuttle and its design and COST.)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The Moon is facintating too. Take a look.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Good points. Many countries are asking to be included in our missile defense shield.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

How would you like to see the money spent? Do you think government should be involved in large national endeavors like the Panama Canal, Apollo, interstate highway system, TVA, etc?