A meaningful goal for NASA

[Griff]

I like it.

[tw]

Originally posted by Undertoad
Regarding A meaningful goal for NASA, this person has an interesting proposal that rings true and makes a lotta sense.

Which guarantees and entrenches the French as world leader in satellite launch business. Because of the Shuttle program, US long ago lost out to France as commerical satellite launch leader. Now the French or Russians become the world leader in heavy launch vehicles.

Amazing how many #1 rankings of importance the US will surrender because politicians - not engineers - make technical decisions. Top of the list for why the US loses leadership in other, productive industries: anti-ballistic missile defense system - that does not work but creates lots of jobs. Jobs that result in nothing productive.

If the shuttle fleet stops flying, then the $150billion for the ISS will also become a flaming meteor.

Heard today that the US has asked Russia to bring back three astronauts on ISS. Not sure if this means the ISS will be abandoned for a while. Without Shuttles, ISS cannot be maintained except for short periods using supplies from Soyus capsules.

[tw]

Universe expansion is accelerating - a mystery discovered by Hubble. One suggested reason was dark matter. Currently, not enough matter (Hubble number) has been found to account for the big bang. Science speculates that 'dark matter' must exist.

Also to confuse quantum mechanics theories is a shortage of anti-matter. In theory, matter and anti-matter should be in equal quantities.

Noble prize winner Samuel Ting of MIT leads a 16 nation space mission to find these answers. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is a multi-purpose particle detector to perform three experiments including a search for dark matter and to locate the missing anti-matter. Previous attempts using high altitude ballons discovered nothing. The detector must get outside earth's atmosphere.

Normally AMS would be launched into high orbit by expendable rocket. But ISS was so desperate for any real science (previous NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin had to justify ISS existence). A free shuttle launch without the usual NASA restrictions was offered. Entire AMS program will cost $840million. AMS would still be exposed to earth's atmosphere in low earth orbit (LEO). But free launch and eliminated attitude control would make the bird both simpler and less expensive. Also the bird could be recovered three years later so that data can be 'tweeked' by recalibrating an aged space vehicle.

Expected launch data was 2007. That was until George Jr annouced his 'man to Mars' mission. AMS may be bumped this summer when NASA reevaluates all science not directly traceable to a manned Mars mission. Just more good and essential science being undermined for the glory of George Jr's wish to become another Kennedy - without first learning facts. "We're going through a rethinking process," says Bernard Seery of NASA's biological and physical sciences office.

If AMS does get bumped, then the bird will require massive changes to fly freely; including hardening of its structure, enlarged power systems, and a flight control system. Messy job after the bird has been designed and is being constructed. But then George Jr better understands what science needs do. Politics being more important.

[lookout123]

I think there were an awful lot of pepople who spent 8 years claiming science is best served by keeping political objectives far, far away. They were right then and they would be right if they said it today under a different president.

IMO, NASA should be about space exploration for the benefit of the US. Participation in mulitnational programs should be pursued when it is in our national interests.

I don't see how making a religious group feel good about themselves intersects with space exploration at all.

[spudcon]

Having been alive and interested i NASA since it's inception, I disagree with most of what Bolden said, and definitely about the politics Obama injected into it and foisted onto Bolden.

[Happy Monkey]

1) Has always been a NASA goal. Perhaps one of its most important goals, albeit one that has become much more difficult as people became more jaded to space news. Administration of current space projects is fine, but the future strength of the nation is based on the future engineers of the nation.

2) Gets more and more important, especially with the ending of the Shuttle. NASA will rely on foreign vehicles for transportation, for a while at least. During the Cold War, NASA was a de facto diplomatic channel, for both competition and cooperation with the USSR.

3) Seems out of place, but both it and its relative prominence ("perhaps foremost") are probably owed to the venue of the interview. I agree that, as stated, it doesn't seem to be relevant to NASA, but I also agree that it is a "worthwhile thing". If Obama made that a goal, and then picked NASA to do it, that would be odd. But if Obama has a general goal for all of his foreign policy, and wanted NASA to consider that goal with particular focus on engineering in its international dealings, that would make sense.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

1) Has always been a NASA goal. Perhaps one of its most important goals, albeit one that has become much more difficult as people became more jaded to space news. Administration of current space projects is fine, but the future strength of the nation is based on the future engineers of the nation.

2) Gets more and more important, especially with the ending of the Shuttle. NASA will rely on foreign vehicles for transportation, for a while at least. During the Cold War, NASA was a de facto diplomatic channel, for both competition and cooperation with the USSR.

3) Seems out of place, but both it and its relative prominence ("perhaps foremost") are probably owed to the venue of the interview. I agree that, as stated, it doesn't seem to be relevant to NASA, but I also agree that it is a "worthwhile thing". If Obama made that a goal, and then picked NASA to do it, that would be odd. But if Obama has a general goal for all of his foreign policy, and wanted NASA to consider that goal with particular focus on engineering in its international dealings, that would make sense.

Well said... in fact (1) was a primary goal when Sputnik caught the US by surprise

For (3) it's not an unknown practice for Obama or the US to try.
Think of a model of what happens with military production contracts... that is, spread the manufacture of parts around thru every state in the union and you immediately have support from each Senator and Representative if/when problems arise.

The reaching out to "Muslim nations" was rather crudely put, but the concepts and pressures are the same.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

3) I agree that, as stated, it doesn't seem to be relevant to NASA, but I also agree that it is a "worthwhile thing". If Obama made that a goal, and then picked NASA to do it, that would be odd. But if Obama has a general goal for all of his foreign policy, and wanted NASA to consider that goal with particular focus on engineering in its international dealings, that would make sense.

Well said, but it just seems out of place. I tend to agree with Lookout.

NASA should be about space exploration for the benefit of the US. Participation in mulitnational programs should be pursued when it is in our national interests.

I don't see how making a religious group feel good about themselves intersects with space exploration at all.

I didn't know that...

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

(1) was a primary goal when Sputnik caught the US by surprise

[Spexxvet]

I'd like to see NASA build a space elevator, and found a permanent settlement on Mars. Including muslims may reduce the chance that they would fly a plane into the space elevator.

[squirell nutkin]

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

I'd like to see NASA build a space elevator, and found a permanent settlement on Mars. Including muslims may increase the chance that they would fly a plane into the space elevator.

[squirell nutkin]

Then, there's always this:

[TheMercenary]

With our countries increasing and in many ways exclusive reliance on near earth vehicles to control much of our current navigation we had best not neglect rapid movement and defense of space and the equipment it occupies. To do so would be to do so at our own peril.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The North Koreans have pulled ahead.

[slang]

"I'm going to pee any second now!"

[TheMercenary]

HAAAAA!