Re: OT: VMs: Re: Shorthand + VMS-like illustrations

["Larry Roux" <LRoux@xxxxxxx>]

This is not the right place for this, so this will be my last entry on GW and Mars....but as an astro-nut I have to respond:

Going to Mars, as Bush proposes, is what the problem is.

1) Launching to Mars from the Moon is an idiotic idea.  People say "Well, the gravity is less on the moon so it would be cheaper to launch from there".  Wrong!  The cost to build/maintain a moon base is astronomical.  Plus, anything launched from the moon has to be sent to the moon from Earth, so you already have to launch it from the Earth and now re-launch it from the Moon (and, no, you cannot build a spaceship on the Moon).  So you are adding time, cost and complexity even thinking about going to the moon.  Bad idea.

2) Bush's proposal will eliminate any real science missions going on.  Other projects are ALREADY being cancelled and the House/Senate hasn't even had a chance to look at the proposal yet.  Do we dump science for a photo-op?  I don't think so.

3) This is not the right time for a Mars mission.  Heck, we can't even get a functioning shuttle/space program going.  So many projects (Space Plane, and others) failed due to dwindling support and lack of funds.  Bush will only be there for another year (I PRAY!!!!) so what happens when all these projects are eliminated and now we dump the Mars mission too?  Where is the SuperConducting SuperCollider?  Oh, that was cancelled half-way through.

4) Robots work cheaper and faster.  With all the $$$ Bush proposes to waste on man-on-mars we could send a TON of exepeditions to, say, Pluto (we couldn't afford that last year - what happened?), Europa, Mars and other places we have not been to.  We can build the next generation of Space Telescopes.  In short, we could do real science, not some flag waving idiocy that does nothing to further our knowledge.

Oh, by the way, none of this rant is my opinion.  It is Fact!!!

Sorry for the Off-topic continuation


******************************
Larry Roux
Syracuse University
lroux@xxxxxxx
*******************************

>>> Gypsylittledove@xxxxxxx 01/30/04 12:49PM >>>
.........I don't think going to Mars is wasteful.  How narrow minded is that?  
One day we will have colonies on Mars.  One must have the vision of the 
future to see that.  





message dated 1/29/2004 3:24:51 PM Pacific Standard Time, tsalagi@xxxxxxxx 
writes:
Jeff wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> > Perhaps we can get George Bush to fund a Voy Investigation Team (VIT)...If
> he can waste billions of dollars on some crazy mission to Mars launched from
> the Moon (scientifically unsound) maybe we can hit him up for a few million
> to fund our efforts!  <grin>

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