Re: [Phys-l] A solid round of boo to NASA

[Rick Tarara <rtarara@saintmarys.edu>]

No boos from me.  The faster we develop the technology and then actually 
deploy it to have a colony of humans housed elsewhere than this planet, the 
better--IMO.  With all the eggs in one basket we are a prime setup for an 
extinction event--be it asteroid, super-bug, or self-inflicted.  A 
self-sustaining colony on Mars is the only (near term) insurance against 
such.  A moon colony is probably a necessary step towards the Mars one.  Too 
bad we don't have money to do every last thing everyone wants, but I'm in 
NASA's corner on this.

Rick

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Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
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Free Physics Software
PC & Mac
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Faraday321@aol.com>
> The March 16 edition of Science had an article on  NASA, where it is clear
> that astronomy and science are being flushed down the  toilet and so 
> called
> "exporation" is being pushed.  We are going to the  moon to put a station 
> there: a
> bolder and more expensive boondoggle than the SSI  space station. 
> Deploying
> gravity wave detectors, optical telescopes,  particle physics/cosmic ray
> detectors, are out and programs to explore the moon  for human habitation 
> is in.
> Then there is this:
>
> http://bcast1.imaginova.com/t?r=2&ctl=D442:499E4
>
> Inflatable lunar habitats!  Yes Buzz Light  year this will stop those 
> nasty
> KeV protons release by solar fares --- its a  faith based thing.  Of 
> course the
> moon initiative is rubbing out other  programs, in particular Earth
> observation  systems.