These are scary days for the manned American space program. We are about to give up our access to space, and wait for private industry to get us back up there. Or Russians. I'm hoping for the Japanese or the Chinese since it seems without some breakthrough in technology, only a nationalistic based space race will get us into collective gear.There's a lot of development in the private sector, and NASA will now act more like a venture capitalist/philanthropist, providing grants, funding, and for the best options, large purchases of services. And over many years I'm quite confident private space vehicles will be the norm, and far cheaper to build and fly than the current Shuttle. And I'm sure someone, someday well into the future, will make a go for an asteroid, since if one were able to capture a good size asteroid you would have more metal and other minerals than has ever been used by humanity, ever and for all of time. You'd be beyond rich. But that's well down the road.
Alas, since we seem to be motivated by greed and fear, then a good old profit motive/fear of the other doing it first will work, I'm sure, eventually. It's just a question of, how soon?
Could be years. And we - America - will be grounded on Earth. Sad state of affairs since Apollo and my childhood dreams of how freaking 2011 would be. But, we've got iPhones and iPads, so I guess it's all not so bad...
Also, and by way of apology, sorry! I'm in the final stages of the construction of my mountain Fastness, or Redoubt, if you will. New Gondolin rises! And soon shall be my abode. Till then, I remain, your's in Redshirtedness.
4 comments:
Is our generation to blame for this sad state of affairs? People spent the '60s gung ho about space. I would think folks hitting their prime right now would be all about exploration. Instead we're photoshopping penguins onto launchers. Damn you, Interwebs!
Yes. It quite literally is all Reagan's fault, and anyone who subscribes to the philosophies popularized by the so called Reagan Revolution. Gen X is the Reagan Generation, sadly, and there are many of our number gladly slaving away in pursuit of "trickle down" magic.
Speaking of trickle down magic, what's up with Obama and the Bush tax extension? Isn't this just Voodoo Economics all over again?
The Rethuglicans are holding everything hostage in the name of a continuation of sweet tax breaks for the super rich. Boiled down to: Give us what we want, or we'll blow up the building.
Funny thing is, they're going to blow up the building regardless. Fun times!
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