The space program is a sore subject with me. I watched the first moon landing during nap time when I was in nursery school. Two people were awake; myself and the teacher.
I always believed we actually made it there in '69, and sort of laughed off the loonies who didn't believe we really went there. I heard all their stuff about this shadow is not at the right angle to the other shadows, etc. but never bought into it.
Remember, Kennedy said in about '62 that we were going to the moon by the end of the decade, and in seven years or so we were there (supposedly).
The reason for my doubts only came about late this year when NASA said we were going back to the moon. The dollar budget seems about right allowing for inflation, but with all of our improved technical capabilities since the '60s, WHY WILL IT TAKE 13 YEARS TO BUILD THE STUFF TO GET THERE NOW??????? I guess all of our Germans are retired now.
That being said, if we really did go to the moon, why in the world are we fooling around with the space station? The moon is the perfect place for a space port. Water has been "found". Raw materials and oxygen have now been found. Gravity is there but quite low for easy launches and soft(er) landings.
Anybody at NASA listening?
For another couple of takes, only about Mars, see the Ah-nold Schwarzenegger Movie "Total Recall" or the Isaac Asimov short story "The Martian Way".
Cheers!
> WHY WILL IT TAKE 13 YEARS TO BUILD THE STUFF TO GET THERE NOW???????
Because in the '60's, NASA got 4% of the Fed budget, and had one distinct goal: Apollo. Now they get less than 1%, and have to support the ISS.
No. Everyone who has the vision thing has been weeded out of NASA years ago. It took three plus decades, but work well done! NASA has also perfected modern techniques to create total boredom out of unlimited adventure.