New Budget Delays or Cancels Much-Promoted NASA Missions

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/02/science/space/02nasa.html?hp&ex=1141275600&en=24bc8c6157772c06&ei=5094&partner=homepage ^

[Crazieman]

They axed JIMO, Mars sample return, and the Terrestrial Planet Finder??? Wha???

Noooooooo :(

[Crazieman]

Sad ping

[RightWhale]

efforts to look for habitable planets and perhaps life elsewhere in the galaxy

When reported a month ago the reaction was: so, what's that. There is zero interest in finding habitable planets.

[Termite_Commander]

Among the casualties in the budget, released last month, are efforts to look for habitable planets and perhaps life elsewhere in the galaxy, an investigation of the dark energy that seems to be ripping the universe apart, bringing a sample of Mars back to Earth and exploring for life under the ice of Jupiter's moon Europa...

That sounds hilarious. Well, to me anyway.

Programs that are being cut include: SETI type program, getting our hands on some Martian rock samples, and figuring out what's tearing the universe apart.

Are you sure we shouldn't be funding that last one? Sounds kinda important. =P

On a serious note though, too bad they're cutting the Europa-exploration-thing. If there's one place in the solar system where life exists, I'd imagine it would be on Europa.

[KevinDavis]

[RightWhale]

The look for habitable planets is not a SETI type thing at all but a gigantic space telescope that would be able to image earthsize planets around other stars directly.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

The Big Rip

If there's one place in the solar system where life exists, I'd imagine it would be on Europa.

I'd imagine it would be Earth. < /deadpan >

[Termite_Commander]

Hmm. It seems my lighthearted disclaimer "Besides Earth" was erased whilst I was proofreading.

Musta been an EBE that did it.

I guess one snuck past me while I was petting the cat.




Or maybe it is the cat.

[Fatuncle]

"If there's one place in the solar system where life exists, I'd imagine it would be on Europa."

I'd imagine it would be Earth. < /deadpan >

What in God's name would lead you to such a ludicrous conclusion??

[Calvin Locke]

...too bad they're cutting the Europa-exploration-thing.

Um, "ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA...."

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

What in God's name would lead you to such a ludicrous conclusion??

Good point!

[fatima]

Beware of the cat:)

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Or maybe it is the cat.

"Who, me?"

[Mulder]

Really no surprise here. America is on the decline. This is yet another example.

If you think the budget cuts are bad now, just wait until the boomers start retiring and voting to maintain and increase their current benefits. Those selfish fools have run up $8 trillion in debt, to be paid by the grandchildren. So what's a few more trillion? So what if we lose the space race? The important thing is that gramps makes his tee-off time and gets his cocktail of drugs.

Maybe the chinese will give an American a token ride to Mars 50 years from now, if they can find one that isn't obese or dumb as a load of bricks. Probably not.

[RightWhale]

If the US would withdraw from the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and open a land office for registration of property claims this country would take off so fast and go so far that the rest of the dumb world would wonder where we went.

[Strategerist]

When reported a month ago the reaction was: so, what's that. There is zero interest in finding habitable planets.

As opposed to interest in Astronauts circling the earth in the Internation Space Station...doing what? Scratching themselves?

[RightWhale]

There is pretty much zero interest in space development aside from commsats and tourism, neither of which involve development of celestial resources. There is zero interest in NASA, and nobody is even aware that NASA was going to be looking for new habitable worlds, which doesn't matter anyway since the 1967 Treaty would prohibit development of new planets if found.

[John Locke]

I fear you are right. NASA made six manned space voyages to the moon, and then shut the whole program down. Ming China did one better: they made seven blue ocean voyages (under Admiral Cheng Ho, of course), and then shut the whole program down.

They gave up the dominion of the world; we have given up dominion of the Solar System. And for what? For an empire of debt.

[SunkenCiv]

"an investigation of the dark energy that seems to be ripping the universe apart"

"Dark energy" might not exist, scientists say
World Science | Feb. 14, 2006 | some geek who doesn't have a Valentine
Posted on 02/28/2006 1:17:49 PM EST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1587112/posts

"efforts to look for habitable planets"

Optical Device Cancels Starlight So Astronomers Can See Distant Planets
University of Arizona | 02/28/06 | Lori Stiles
Posted on 03/01/2006 7:07:08 PM EST by KevinDavis
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1588117/posts

"bringing a sample of Mars back to Earth"

ill-advised.

"NASA needs the money to keep the space shuttle fleet aloft"

Cancel US support for the ISS. Problem solved. Or, stop flying the STS, and use the money to develop (or redevelop) heavy lift capability to complete the ISS in a more economical manner (but hardly on schedule).