Democrats And Space? Food For Thought...

[mattblack]

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/499/1<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[vt_hokie]

While not a registered Democrat, I am a left leaning independent who very much supports space exploration. I just don't feel that this nation is taking the correct approach.

 

[mattblack]

I'm not making a political judgement, but the partisan opposition to anything associated with the "George W. Bush" space initiative is a matter of factual record, not a beat-up. I believe this book has the full story:<br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1894959124/102-3287088-7780916?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[frodo1008]

This was NOT a detail type of article. It didn't give how these things were to be done, but the more important WHY these things should be done! It was a beautifully well written piece of work that I am in total agreement with! <br /><br />I already started a thread giving Kudos to President Bush on this issue! His further appointment of Mike Griffin showed that he was in earnest when he set his goals!<br /><br />IF congress were to actually fund NASA to the extent that it really should be funded, then Griffin would quite probably be supporting this vision in a different way!<br /><br />The situation here is unfortunately very similar to the same situation back in the early 1970's when NASA wanted enough funding to build a totally re useable TSTO type of shuttle (which would have cost more in initial developement, but far less in the long run!), however it was more important to congress for us to blow holes in rice paddies in south east asia. Now almost the exact same thing is occuring, except the holes are in the desert of the Middle East! <br /><br />I agree with you that I would prefer a better solution, but that would take more funding than congress is going to be willing to give to NASA! Perhaps the purly private space tourist efforts of such as Burt Rutan will eventually do it correctly! I certainly hope so! But in the meantime I would rather have the insurance of the VSE system, so that at the very least we don't end up with absolutely nothing!!!

 

[mattblack]

You Are BANG on, frodo!!! Also, see below a copy of another threadpost I made earlier this evening:<br /> />>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><br /><br />I'd bet real money that this picture below is part of the reason why the Vision For Space Exploration exists: <br /><br />It shows George Bush Snr. at JSC on February 3rd 2003. The President sent his Father to act as Senior Ambassador for him after the loss of Columbia. And while Bush Jnr had never even been to JSC in all the time he was Governor of Texas, Bush Snr had been to JSC many times and had established relationships with men like Alan Shepard and John Young. Young acted as the Astronaut Office representative for greeting the former President, who did more for America's space program than any U.S. President since Lyndon Johnson. <br /><br />But as most of you know, Mr Bush Snr was shot down by Congress after unveiling his huge, some say bloated SEI policy. Now, I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when John Young and Bush had their meeting. The following is entirely hypothetical, but I'd bet it was apocryphal: <br /><br />YOUNG -- Mr President, I can't tell you how much it means to have you here. We lost some really good people. I reckon they were some of our best. <br /><br />BUSH -- Thank you, John. I sure do wish this visit was under better circumstances. This is a such a terrible tragedy. God, I cannot believe something like this could happen again! I'm here on behalf of the President to offer George (Abbey) and your people any resources and assistance you need. <br /><br />YOUNG -- Yes, Sir, thank you. Mr President; I warned them before. They made some changes since Challenger, but it just wasn't enough. (Sighs) I may finally be getting too old for all this carry on. What we need before, during and after this whole mess is for our people, the guys and gals who KNOW their jobs... Well, Sir, they need to be listened to. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>