I was suppose to be in DC this week, helping to sell President Obama's new ambitious human space program. Yes, thats right, it is human, it is ambitious, and its very cool. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. That has me rather annoyed
In addition, I am getting rather sick and tired of the teabaggers (or the space equivalent to teabaggers) that have invaded some of the space blogs (and there are a ton). So, instead, I thought I'd tell you why I support the new NASA plan (although I will admit it is a work in progress).
In case you haven't seen it, there is a report over at the Wall Street Journal. The title of the article is White House Decides to Outsource NASA Work. However, I feel the article probably should've been White House Decides to Privatize NASA work. Or a better title would've been White House Decides to use NASA to Launch a New Industry
During a three-hour tirade about Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to transfer five detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the United States for criminal prosecution, Rush Limbaugh attacked the "dangerous" "ideologue" Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA), who in a Fox News interview that day discussed his support of Holder's decision.
--If Democrats do lose a significant number of House seats in 2010, the chamber as a whole will shift to the right. However, given who will lose, the Democratic caucus will actually shift significantly to the left.
--Yey, there is lots of water on the Moon! That's great and all, but if you want something that will really excite you about potential human colonization of space, check out the new VASIMR rocket--it can travel to Mars in only 39 days! Best of all, it was actually designed to ferry people and goods back and forth to a permanent Moon base, and is already being tested on the international space station. The pieces are really falling into place...
--New Stargate Universe tonight-and the premier of the Prisoner on Sunday. Woo-hoo
I am starting a short mini-series of blog entries, talking about the White House's Review of Human Space Flight Plans Committee. The point of this mini-series is to advocate action for a specific plan going forward, for NASA and US human spaceflight policy. The main issues I plan to address in this series of diaries is
1. We, (Democrats/liberals/progressives) should embrace human space development.
2. We should embrace space commercialization, particularly as it relates to all earth to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) transportation.
3. We should reject any and all plans that continue to utilize the Space Shuttle, its assets, its workforce, or any derivatives there of.
At the end of this, I hope to have you convinced to pursue action, in multiple forms.
But before I get into the details to convince you, I need to give you the background, so you know what President Obama is considering.
Forty years ago this week an event occurred that changed the history of mankind forever.
An event so monumental that the memory lingers on, even though the venue where the event took place has been, shall we say, "repurposed".
But we're not here to talk about the time that Minnesota Twins Manager Billy Martin appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Instead, let's talk space.
NASA is forever trying to interest the world in space exploration...and forever struggling to come up with the money to get things done.
Well, I'm not a scientist, nor an engineer, and I don't assemble rocket vehicles...but I am a fake consultant, and if NASA took my advice, I'd bet my fake paycheck that money would be a lot less of a problem.
Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the landing on the Moon in 1969. Neil Armstrong ("One small step for a man... one giant leap for mankind") ad Buzz Aldrin planted the flag and put out a plaque marking the landing which, in under a decade, had been the result of spending $183 Billion Bucks and upping the confrontation with the Russians, who had achieved the original advance in space by putting up Sputnik and sending two different cosmonauts on full orbits around the Earth.
It appears Senator Shelby has shaken down the Obama administration to the tune of $350 million dollars, from the American Recovery & Reivestment Act (IE the stimulus bill)
It now seems likely that NASA will delay the Moon base it had been directed to construct by the Bush administration:
NASA will probably not build an outpost on the moon as originally planned, the agency's acting administrator, Chris Scolese, told lawmakers on Wednesday. His comments also hinted that the agency is open to putting more emphasis on human missions to destinations like Mars or a near-Earth asteroid.
As a believer in the value of space exploration, I find this announcement a little sad. However, it also has the potential to be a positive, since it could help re-order our priorities away from exploration for its own sake and toward improving our space-based infrastructure. We do eventually need a Moon base, but we need that base to be useful rather than just reprising our exploratory glory days.
Vast space to continually, and slowly, expand the plants, as per our needs, over years and decades.
The ability to collect solar energy every hour of every day, as long two power plant centers are placed on opposite sides of the Moon.
With a proper satellite component, the system as a whole would have the ability to send this energy back to anywhere on Earth, anytime of day.
In other words, once such a series of power plants was in place, they could provide the entire Earth with cheap, 100% renewable, carbon neutral electricity, no matter the weather or time of day, for the entire existence of our species.
Not bad. Also, unfortunately, not tomorrow, given the expense and technological problems. However, there are steps we can be taking to build the space infrastructure that would make such an incredibly useful Moon base feasible in as little time as twenty years. Instead of a Moon-base, or a series of manned missions to Mars or Ceres, there are three key aspects of space infrastructure that should be receiving our most far-reaching space funding.
There has been extensive speculation about the direction that President Obama will take space policy. A lot of it has been centered around who he might appoint as NASA administrator.
But there might be another hint coming, and from another direction - FAA administrator. Particularly if he appoints Robert (Bob) Herbert as head of the FAA.
The Case for Becoming a Spacefaring Society:
Proposals for an Integrated US Space Policy by Jonathan Goff and Ferris Valyn
Throughout history, mankind has learned to master the environments around itself-developing new technologies to harness the elements to better our lives, improve our health and wellbeing, protect ourselves from others, and learn more about our position in the universe. In the past, mastering new environments, such as the developing of seafaring or aeronautics, has lead directly to substantial benefits for those nations which have chosen to take the lead.
While we have started to explore the next great environment-outer space and the planetary bodies of our solar system-such exploration by itself will not lead to a spacefaring society. The development of a truly spacefaring society-one that can master and tame this new environment, and harness its resources-is a more compelling vision than exploration alone, one that holds the potential for far greater benefits to our nation.
We strongly urge the new administration to make the development of a spacefaring society the focus of our nation's space policy.
From various news reports, it appears that President-elect Obama is beginning his final selection for NASA administrator. While I don’t have any specific names, I do have a few suggestions as to the qualities that the next NASA administrator should have.
Yesterday, Dr. Peter Diamandis, the man behind the X Prize, posted an essay over at huffingtonpost, entitled Re-establishing NASA's Leadership. In it, he offers a list of 7 ways to help reform NASA, so that it can better lead in the pursuit of space development.
Here is the list
1. Engage the Private Community
2. Use Risk as a Tool
3. Attract and Retain the Best Workers
4. Help America Benefit from the Global Space Community
5. Take the Lead Where Only NASA Can
6. Leverage Incentive Prizes
7. Inspire the Nation, and the World
Join me over the fold, to read my thoughts on his comments.
Space policy made a pretty decent splash at Netroots Nation. We had an excellent panel on space policy, and an excellent platform meeting. For those of you who don't remember, we had Andrew Hoppin moderating, and Chris Bowers, Lori Garver, Patricia Grace Smith, and George Whitesides all speaking. You can about the panelists here.
I figured now would be a good time to remind everyone (again) about some upcoming space events, that would be worth going to. We have a couple of major events this week, as well as future events upcoming. I promise reports to any and all I attend, and I suggest that you attend as well
However, today I want to talk about something that, Senator Obama can do, which doesn't require massive new spending, but would show an openness to the idea of manned spaceflight, and would fit well within his comments and concerns about having a coherent space policy. Senator Obama, please bring back the National Space Council.
STATE BLOGS
