[extropy-chat] FWD [forteana] Re: NASA going back to the moon

[Terry W. Colvin]

On: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 16:39:40 +0100

"Gordon Rutter" wrote:

>Nasa details Moon and Mars plan

<snip>

>"Getting agreement to move forward on it is going
>to be heavy lifting in the current environment,
>and it's clear that strong presidential leadership will
>be needed."

Well, that's that little project doomed, then.

>Story from BBC NEWS:
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/4260396.stm

>Hands up if you thought we'd have got to Mars by now?

Sir, sir, me, sir.

I thought we'd have at least three permanent moonbases by now including
the Big One in Clavius, found the Monolith in Tycho and been well on they
way to seeking out the second one out by Uranus. And I've already
celebrated the blowing up of the nuclear waste dumps and the pushing
of the moon out of orbit (September 13th, 1999).

>A bit worried they're using Apollo (1960's tech) and
>Space Shuttle (1970's

Well, to be honest, a lot of the Apollo hardware is extremely sophisticated,
even by today's standards. The lunar EVA suits, for example, are actually
more agile than the current shuttle suits. The major improvements since
Apollo mainly involve avionics and systems integration.

Curiously, there's a document just landed on my boss's desk entitled
"Space Project Management". I'm going to have a look and see if
there's a sign-up page for the CEV...

Robin Hill, STEAMY BESS, Brough, East Yorkshire

"Is everything ready on the dark side of the Moon?"
"Play the five tones."



-- 
"Only a zit on the wart on the heinie of progress." Copyright 1992, Frank Rice


Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1 at mindspring.com >
     Alternate: < fortean1 at msn.com >
Home Page: < http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/8958/index.html >
Sites: * Fortean Times * Mystic's Haven * TLCB *
      U.S. Message Text Formatting (USMTF) Program
------------
Member: Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood (TLCB) Mailing List
   TLCB Web Site: < http://www.tlc-brotherhood.org > [Southeast Asia
veterans, Allies, CIA/NSA, and "steenkeen" contractors are welcome.]