[aclug-L] Re: Columbia

[Nate Bargmann <n0nb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

* Michael Moore <mrmoore@xxxxxxx> [2003 Feb 02 19:54 -0600]:
> I was very saddend by the loss of the 7 astronaunts and Columbia.

Certainly.

I was quite shocked by the loss of Columbia and her crew Saturday.  By
today, however, it just seems like another disaster we must take in
stride.

Sadly, my co-worker said that his step-daughter (18 and a senior in high
school) and her friends could find no relevance to the loss of Columbia.
In short, the attiude seemed to be one of 'that money spent on space is 
just a waste'.

> Those topics were being discussed a lot on the news today.  What should 
> be NASA's role in the future?

Perhaps a good place to start is explaining to the public of the
benefits the space program has brought us.  How the technologies
developed for space have been used in everyday life.  Also, the
importance of the continued exploration of space and of Earth from space
is to do more than make science textbooks larger.

Does space travel still inspire today's youth?  I don't know.  I have no
kids of my own or that live with me, so I wonder if growing up in a
world where the space program is a fact of life creates a ho-hum
attitude.  Having been born in the early '60s, I can still recall the
moon landing in 1969 (right around my birthday) and the impact it had 
on my life for several more years.

Unfortunately, its impact waned as human space flight nearly ground to a
halt except for a few Space Lab missions in the mid '70s.  Just before 
I graduated high school the spark was re-ignited with the maiden voyage 
of Columbia.

> With the economy the way it is I think it will be a long time before 
> venture capitalists would take on such a risky venture.  But, it would 
> be cool if that was to happen one day.  At one time I think there was 
> even some talk about using MIR as a Hotel in the sky.  But, the Mir was 
> in too bad a shape.

The economy may have venture capitalists looking for a more sure thing.
I'm not one, so I can't say.  Space tourism does seem to be a
substantial opportunity in the future.  I do wish it would become a
reality and affordable in my lifetime.  I still would like to fulfill
that childhood dream and be an astronaut for a day!

> Some tough questions - Should space be commericalized?

Yes.  I think this is the only way to re-ignite the innovative thinking
that got us there in the first place.  Had it not been for the cold war
and the resulting race in everything between the USA and USSR, we may
still be waiting for the first human to orbit the Earth "any day now".

Clearly, monopoloy positions hurt progress whether they be in software
or space access.

> The same question was asked about Linux several years back.

Some very similar parallels apply, especialy with regard to the near
government monopoly on space access.

Something or someone needs to get the public excited about space again,
What will it be or what will it take?

- Nate >>

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