“Putting money now into the effort means we can figure it out later, and will spur technology and all sorts of other industry, as it always has.”

You mean like Iraq?

I fail to see the connection. There is a certain amount of work that can be done now to prep for future exploration efforts. That doesn’t mean working on space ship designs or colony layouts. $700 Million is not all that much when applied to programs like this. It’s less than the Pork Congress has inserted into NASA’s budget. If they really want to cut boondoggles, hit some of those things Phil listed in a previous blog entry.

Nigel Depledge said:

I wonder if enough of the old Apollo hardware is still in good enough condition to act as hints or guides for the new hardware designs? For instance, the F1 rocket engine that powered the Saturn V.

Anyway, I remember reading (or seeing on telly) that the design of the engine was very tricky, and the design team got it right through trial and error, but never understood why they had it right. Maybe if we were to try to build a similar engine now, we have the tools to understand the combustion dynamics in such a large motor.

I’m sure they are turning to the old Apollo designs. The new CRV is an upsized Apollo Command Module. I think the F1 rockets played in to the design of the Shuttle main engines. Maybe we can get JayUtah to weigh in here - he really is a rocket scientist. (He works on propulsion systems and rocket engines.)

GAry 7

I remember I wrote rather idealistically and somewhat grandiosely about some of the then current as well as possible future spin-off benefits, and I wrote about the jobs that had been and would be created. I also wrote about our general and insatiable quest for knowledge and understanding about our world, our solar system, our galaxy, our universe and about our selves - all to justify the expenses (time, materials, resources, life) that would need to be invested to support space exploration. I wrote with great confidence that these would all be resources well expended because I was sure the returns for our investment would be very good, and I still feel that, for the most part, they have been, but I’m having trouble justifying shooting for the Moon and Mars right now.

Phil, when you created your list of steps we need to carefully take, you left out a very critical one, and it’s one that applies across the board, not only to NASA and space exploration. We need to learn how to spend money and expend resources more wisely. We have a rather abysmal record so far and I don’t see any signs of that improving yet, and perhaps it never will. We don’t know how to wisely determine and set goals of common interest with the common good in mind and heart. We don’t know how to efficiently create what we need in order to realize the goals we set. We don’t know how to avoid or eliminate excessive waste, cheating, short changing, fraud and deceit from the process. Whatever we undertake, there is always an incredible amount of waste of resources, which seems to always be reduced to being measured in monetary terms.

As a result, there is a huge and growing divide between the haves and the have-nots in our country and in the world, and the proportion of have-nots is enormous and growing. We have to learn how to take care of ourselves and each other, right here on Earth, before we go shooting for the Moon, let alone Mars. Whatever money we expend on space needs to be kept close to home, so to speak. We need to focus on what can be helpful in understanding our Earth, on it’s systems and dynamics, and our impact on it. And the knowledge and understanding we gain from this focus needs to be applied intently and generously as possible for the common good of all of humanity. Only after we learn to take better care of ourselves and each other right here on Earth, only after we learn to expend our resources more wisely for the good of all, should we think of sending humans further from home.

After another four decades of living and observing life here on Earth, I’d write a rather different essay. I wouldn’t promote eliminating the space budget, but I would lobby for keeping our goals a lot simpler and closer to home until we are all better off and we can all better appreciate reaching further into space.