The President's Space Initiative Speech

I caught most of it -- and it was fantastic! To hear a president actually
promoting manned space travel, and laying out a plausible, doable plan to
get our space program back on track, was a breath of fresh air on a bleak
and dreary January day.

Hell, maybe we'll set foot on Mars before I die after all?

I often tell my children how the U.S. once led the world in space travel,
and of how my generation grew up with the excitement and national pride of
putting a man on the moon. Until today, I would also sadly explain to them
how we had squandered our future, and abandoned the dream...

Well, President Bush has today put us back on track. As pilots (I like to
call what we do "extremely low earth orbit... :-) let's get the phone calls
and emails rolling to our elected representatives, and tell 'em to get on
board this new initiative!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote:

I caught most of it -- and it was fantastic! To hear a president actually
promoting manned space travel, and laying out a plausible, doable plan to
get our space program back on track, was a breath of fresh air on a bleak
and dreary January day.

My wife and I actually researched the space policy of
presidential candidates before the last election. There
wasn't much there. I hope we'll hear from the opposition
candidates, too and perhaps get something rolling regardless
of the politics. I know I won't see Mars before I die, but
I'd like some human make it there before then. As the
"leaders of the free world" and the "only remaining
superpower" we're always going to have enemies, but
spending some money on the advancement of man in space will
draw approval, admiration and respect even if it comes in a
grudging form.
Todd Pattist
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)
___
Make a commitment to learn something from every flight.
Share what you learn.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:hPiNb.67808$na.39439@attbi_s04...
I caught most of it -- and it was fantastic!

Really, I head it and thought most of it was absolute drivel. Not only is the
planned direction change stupid in my mind, it was delivered with all the
incomprehension inherent in most of W's speeches. Space buses to
nowhere is stupid. Finishing the ISS is a good idea however. To paraphrase
his father's terminology, the trickle down theory of technology development
is voodoo science.

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
m...

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:hPiNb.67808$na.39439@attbi_s04...
I caught most of it -- and it was fantastic!

Really, I head it and thought most of it was absolute drivel. Not only
is the
planned direction change stupid in my mind, it was delivered with all the
incomprehension inherent in most of W's speeches. Space buses to
nowhere is stupid. Finishing the ISS is a good idea however. To
paraphrase
his father's terminology, the trickle down theory of technology
development
is voodoo science.


Agreed. Unmanned space programs accomplish much more at a fraction of the
cost.

Mike
MU-2

Unmanned space programs accomplish much more at a fraction of the
cost.

Everyone seems to think of this as a zero-sum game, that we can EITHER spend
it on manned exploration, OR on un-manned exploration.

Trouble is, NASA's budget is controlled by politicians who respond to their
constituents. Unmanned exploration is about as exciting as studying for the
instrument written, and excites precisely ZERO enthusiasm (the current,
rare -- and extraordinary -- Mars lander notwithstanding.).

Witness the failed "faster, cheaper, better" strategy that was forced upon
NASA by continual budget cut-backs -- cut-backs that were forced upon them
because their programs were lifeless, computerized, and boring. Without
"man" in the equation, NASA is just another yawn.

I submit that if we don't give NASA the mission of manned space exploration,
their budget will continue to be whittled away, and even LESS will be
accomplished in the long run. Man belongs in space.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:HMmNb.69238$xy6.127599@attbi_s02...

Trouble is, NASA's budget is controlled by politicians who respond to
their
constituents. Unmanned exploration is about as exciting as studying for
the

I agree. It is a major screwup when politicians respond to the wishes of
their constituents. The George Bush "****-you" budget policy where he runs
up our credit card by giving handouts to special interests and major
contributors is the way to go. It costs alot more in the long run and I like
that.

Besides, it is the honorable thing to do and results in "small and
temporary" deficits. Where "small" is a few trillion dollars and "temporary"
is a few generations.

In article SAnNb.69490$xy6.129217@attbi_s02, "plumb bob"
wrote:

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:HMmNb.69238$xy6.127599@attbi_s02...

Trouble is, NASA's budget is controlled by politicians who respond to
their
constituents. Unmanned exploration is about as exciting as studying
for
the

I agree. It is a major screwup when politicians respond to the wishes of
their constituents. The George Bush "****-you" budget policy where he
runs
up our credit card by giving handouts to special interests and major
contributors is the way to go. It costs alot more in the long run and I
like
that.

Besides, it is the honorable thing to do and results in "small and
temporary" deficits. Where "small" is a few trillion dollars and
"temporary"
is a few generations.



and while we are at it, let's all remember that the executive
branch is responsible for budget appropriations.

--
Bob Noel

Jay, you have to weigh the cost and the benefits. It doesn't make any sense
to go now, the technology is not ready. The whole idea is election year
politics, its pathetic.

Mike
MU-2


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:HMmNb.69238$xy6.127599@attbi_s02...
Unmanned space programs accomplish much more at a fraction of the
cost.

Everyone seems to think of this as a zero-sum game, that we can EITHER
spend
it on manned exploration, OR on un-manned exploration.

Trouble is, NASA's budget is controlled by politicians who respond to
their
constituents. Unmanned exploration is about as exciting as studying for
the
instrument written, and excites precisely ZERO enthusiasm (the current,
rare -- and extraordinary -- Mars lander notwithstanding.).

Witness the failed "faster, cheaper, better" strategy that was forced upon
NASA by continual budget cut-backs -- cut-backs that were forced upon them
because their programs were lifeless, computerized, and boring. Without
"man" in the equation, NASA is just another yawn.

I submit that if we don't give NASA the mission of manned space
exploration,
their budget will continue to be whittled away, and even LESS will be
accomplished in the long run. Man belongs in space.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
ink.net...
Jay, you have to weigh the cost and the benefits. It doesn't make any
sense
to go now, the technology is not ready. The whole idea is election year
politics, its pathetic.

Mike

Perhaps it is election year politics, but I think not. More people are
against it than for it, I think. Not too good for politics, then.

Of coarse the technology is not ready. That is exactly the point. Tec is
born in the space program. Look at your MU-2. Start counting the Apollo
born tec. Look around you at home, and work. Look at all the space program
tec.

I wonder if we can afford NOT to go.
--
Jim in NC

"Mike Rapoport" wrote:

Jay, you have to weigh the cost and the benefits. It doesn't make any sense
to go now, the technology is not ready.

The goal drives the technology.

The whole idea is election year politics, its pathetic.

And going to the moon was cold war politics. Would America
or the world be better off if we hadn't gone to the moon and
the Soviets had?

Politicians are driven by .... politics.... (surprise) and
they control the purse. If Bush thinks he gets a political
advantage by appealing to those who support the space
program, then it's a good sign, as far as I'm concerned.
His opponents need to decide whether he's right or wrong.
Personally, I think he's right and hope his opponents do
too. I spend a percentage of my money on my current needs,
a percentage investing for my future needs and a percentage
on my dreams. I think the country should do the same. When
you give up the dreams and frontiers, you stagnate.


Todd Pattist
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)
___
Make a commitment to learn something from every flight.
Share what you learn.