Posted on 01/26/2012 7:36:33 AM PST by The_Victor
The United States will have a permanent manned colony on the moon by 2020 if Newt Gingrich is in charge, the Republican presidential hopeful announced today (Jan. 25).
Gingrich laid out this goal during a speech in the city of Cocoa, on Florida's Space Coast. He also said that near-Earth space would be bustling with commercial activity by 2020, and that America would possess a next-generation propulsion system by then, allowing the nation to get astronauts to Mars quickly and efficiently.
"By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon, and it will be American," Gingrich said.
The former Speaker of the House made no apologies for the boldness of his amibitions, which depend primarily on the emergence of a vibrant commercial spaceflight industry. He said the U.S. space program needs a kick in the pants like the one President John F. Kennedy gave it in 1961, when he promised to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Newt- NASA - Moonbase
Obama - NASA - Muslim outreach
Any questions?
I agree with this proposal wholeheartedly.
Historically, exploration and colonization has lead to some of the greatest increases in national wealth. Recapturing a lead in space can only help this country.
1000% backing this plan!
LLS
Great. Love it. Nothing wrong with appealing to folk’s dreams and ambitions, even their fantasies, so long as you aren’t asking them to pay for your own without giving them a choice in the matter. Involvement in such a plan would excite me, as I’m sure it would many others.
Actually thought the details he gave here on the idea showed a very considered and well-thought-out approach to this topic: it’s clearly something he’s reflected very carefully on. Enormous potential and opportunity in this field for so many aspects of business and industry.
Have to admit I’m just a tad worried what the MSM may make of this in their write-ups, though. I can see some of the ridiculous headlines already...
Why does anyone assume that spending our tax money on a lunar base is a good thing? It's just another boondoggle - a form of corporate welfare no different than the green energy fiasco of 0bama.
If I learned anything from reading Heinlein, I learned the importance of controlling the high ground....
Heinlein wrote FICTION. If you learned anything from him it should be how to write.
I haven’t heard all he has to say about his proposed space program, but it is my understanding that he is wanting to give free enterprise and the private sector more of a seat at the table vis a vis funding.
That, and “an armed society is a polite society”.
Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures-Ralph Waldo Emerson
If it is PRIVATELY FUNDED, then I’m all for it. As long as the taxpayers aren’t expected to foot the bill space exploration is fine. Let those who want to spend fortunes for no tangible return put their money up and I’ll cheer them and hope they get something out of it.
LLS
Good. I’ll have somewhere to move when our government collapses under its massive debt.
Just a thought- is this right wing engineering that Newt supposedly deplores?
People also laughed at Reagan for proposing “Star Wars.”
Not true. Did you examine the physics and economics of it or is this just something you got from reading science fiction? Do you have any idea what the cost of a moon base would be?
Are all you moonbase supporters going to step up and say “raise our taxes” or do you want to borrow money for this also?
That’s what they said after we bought Alaska after we just lost over 100,000 people and billions(in today’s money) of dollars fighting a civil war.
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