Spirit on Mars Rekindles Speculation White House Will Send Humans (starting with Moon)

Space.com ^ | January 8, 2004 | Leonard David

[ElkGroveDan]

I sure hope they don't bounce down to the surface in a craft surrounded by airbags.

[RightWhale]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1053974/posts

Same article?

[zarf]

Why not? The pilot will probably be some young chick on a cell phone....young chicks have lots of experience with air bag inflation while careening into hard surfaces.

[Support Free Republic]

Rank	Location	Receipts	Donors/Avg		Freepers/Avg		Monthlies
44	Idaho	60.00	2	30.00	92	0.65	45.00	2

Thanks for donating to Free Republic!

Move your locale up the leaderboard!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Sorry Right Whale. I should have looked.

[longtermmemmory]

I also figure the international space station was just busy work for russion space program scientists so they don't go to Nort Korea or China.

I am all for starting the program to go back to the moon. But, only if it is with an eye to going private. Set up a moon base but a base with regular civilian fligts and a permanent residences, even a hotel.

LunarDisney? DisneyMoon?

[steplock]

Until Americans grow up from being such "Cry-Babies" about every little thing and expecting the MAMA-govt to come and kiss their "boo-boos" for them, there is no way in hell that the "good citizens" of the USA would even think about even the remote possibility that an astronaut could DIE exploring space.

Americans have turned into liberal mush with no ambitions nor the gumption to take the risks that made this country what it WAS before up until the late 1960's.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Rocket fuel!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Americans have turned into liberal mush with no ambitions nor the gumption to take the risks that made this country what it WAS before up until the late 1960's.

This is a very real problem, couple that with fear of failure and it's evident there is no time to waste getting back in the saddle again.

[RightWhale]

Not a problem. There is a link between the two threads. There should be a way to combine threads directly when this happens.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Thanks.

[plain talk]

I don't understand the timing for such an announcement. Many on the left and right will not cozy up to this with $500M deficits. Better to get reelected first then introduce this later after more tax cuts stimulate the economy and reduce the deficit.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Space is the place: New space exploration needs a clear goal By Tom Jones

Space: Japan aims to join moon club

[RightWhale]

the timing for such an announcement

Timing is based on need. Bush would probably never have run for President on his own, and even now wouldn't run for a second term if the same people who asked him the first time didn't ask him to run again. If he is meeting their needs, they will ask again. If giving NASA a clearer goal meets the needs of the country now, he will do that now.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I don't understand the timing for such an announcement.

Because most people don't understand the "why" of going. Think national security (comcats - commercial and military). Add to that a need for more math and science graduates, a push for new technology that always helps our economy, and you have a national goal that pays back as well as inspires.

[Salgak]

And the REAL pity is, the legions of Mama's Babies are mirrored by a legion of those who WOULD dare to explore the Final Frontier, and maybe get killed in the process. I know I'd volunteer in a heartbeat. . .

[longtermmemmory]

The key is going to be to make money. Outside of tourism, there has to be an industry to be in space. You also need maned rockets that are able to use existing airports.

[sandydipper]

'Bout time! The endless studies on weightlessness was making me light headed.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It was putting us all to sleep.