http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2311-2004Jan9.html
When I saw your headline, my immediate response was, “So, send him.”
:lol:
I’m sure that will help with the deficit. Maybe they have gold on Mars!
They misprinted the cost estimate gave his dad; it was $400 billion to go to Mars, not $400 million.
And I’ve got to wonder if JFK included the political aspects of it so blatantly…
you aren’t alone there. (now I’ll go read the article)
What, saying it out loud that it was for political reasons? Maybe it’s tacky, but did anyone back then think that JFK pushed the space program so hard for anything but political reasons?
I’m generally very supportive of NASA and space exploration, but frankly unless Bush gets rid of his tax cuts, this is a horrible idea. The deficit is already getting out of control because of Bush’s policies. Spending money to go to Mars without putting our financial house in at least some semblance of order first is a very bad idea.
I fully support sending Dubya to the frickin’ Oort Cloud. :lol:
I guess he’s trying to court the nerd vote, now that he can’t count on the military vote.
If NASA has anything to do with it, it will never go anywhere regardless of money. Scrap it.
I’ve always liked Pournelle’s prize idea, but I doubt Bush would propose anything so bold:
Be it enacted by the Congress of the United States:
The Treasurer of the United States is directed to pay to the first American owned company (if corporate at least 60% of the shares must be held by American citizens) the following sums for the following accomplishments. No monies shall be paid until the goals specified are accomplished and certified by suitable experts from the National Science Foundation or the National Academy of Science:
The sum of $2 billion to be paid for construction of 3 operational spacecraft which have achieved low earth orbit, returned to earth, and flown to orbit again three times in a period of three weeks.
The sum of $5 billion to be paid for construction and maintenance of a space station which has been continuously in orbit with at least 5 Americans aboard for a period of not less than three years and one day. The crew need not be the same persons for the entire time, but at no time shall the station be unoccupied.
The sum of $12 billion to be paid for construction and maintenance of a Lunar base in which no fewer than 31 Americans have continuously resided for a period of not less than four years and one day.
The sum of $10 billion to be paid for construction and maintenance of a solar power satellite system which delivers at least 800 megawatts of electric power to a receiving station or stations in the United States for a period of at least two years and one day.
The payments made shall be exempt from all US taxes.
That would do it. Not one cent to be paid until the goals are accomplished. Not a bit of risk, and if it can’t be done for those sums, well, no harm done to the treasury.
:shock: Cold War. Space race? Sputnik? The infamous JFK moon speech and the Apollo project was entirely about politics. While it was a remarkable acheivement, it marked a space program that was run entirely for a political agenda rather than establishing a permament manned space presence.
I meant announcing to all and sundry that the President was looking for a unifying political goal to 2004. The Bushes have this wierd thing with reading the stage directions out loud.
Kind of agree on NASA; incompetents they are.
My brother’s roommate used to do some work for NASA in Florida and he painted a fairly grim picture of the place. Definitely not a fine-tuned, smooth operation. He thought it was his dream to work there and that dream was rained on.
I really don’t think we should start on this until after we invade China to look for TIE Fighters.
Someone who should know talkin’ shit about NASA.