To the Moon or a NEO?

[Ron]

It's hard to keep  up with everything that is going on in our quest for space exploration, and I found this Blog to be rather interesting.

I think I have to agree with this quote, what do you think?

“As I have often stated, human missions to NEOs have no stronger advocate than I, and I hope that a future Congress will add such authorization to future guidance for NASA, without altering other goals. But in other respects, I believe that the 2005 Authorization Act for NASA remains the finest policy framework for U.S. civil space activities that I have seen in forty years. In particular, I believe that to venture into deep space beyond the Moon with what will be our first step beyond LEO in more than fifty years, whether to an asteroid or to Mars, is riskier than it needs to be. Returning to the Moon and consolidating the gains to be made thereby is properly on the path toward NEOs and Mars. We should stay the present course as laid out in the Act,” Griffin said.

The entire Blog: NASA’s Chief Reacts to Human Asteroid Mission
January 22nd, 2008
Author Leonard David http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/01/

Ron

[lindendave]

Space exploration holds a good deal of challenges and a number of hazards that need to be overcome. Personally I think establishing an inhabited base on the moon would be the most prudent course man could take. There is no other place as close where earth-based help would have any chance of reaching space pioneers and even then it's not like the response could be quick.

I would love to see man set foot on Mars in my lifetime but certainly not at the cost of skipping any of the learning curve we need to climb before walking on other planets that are many months away.

Of course this is all just my personal opinion! 

[rkbrook]

It's totally amazing. We put men on the moon back in the, what? 70's. But that was just for bragging rights. It all seemed so easy back then. You would think that by now, having gotten man there then, that we would be based there. But what with limited funding we put our money into the Shuttle and ISS. I have no quarrel with this. To have a base on the moon would only serve bragging rights. There are not adequate propulsion systems to exploit what is on the Moon, not to mention Mars. Great scientific things continue to come out of the ISS and Shuttle missions. But we have issues at home Earth that require out immediate attention. Heck, we know almost nothing about the oceans. I've alway had the opinion: follow the energy. You only need to get slapped down by a small wave at the beach to realize the raw energy of the sea. Yet it's entirely unexploited. But look at the leaps and bounds that information and computing technology is taking. But we're still not applying it to it's full advantage. To wax philosophical: "faster, faster. The lights are tuning red".

[Rockhound]

Gentlemen!

Personally, I think we should first take care to defend our home planet. Although I have joined the Mars Society and fully support the project's ideals. . .I think it would give focus and solidarity to all nations on earth.  Much like Egypt was unified through building the pyramids. . . I just don't think it should take precedence over Earth's defense where funding is concerned.  While waiting for my scope to get supercharged, I ran into the B612 Foundation on the internet.  B612 has the goal of significantly altering the orbit of an asteroid, in a controlled manner, by 2015.  They want to build then send a "gravity tractor" to Apophis and let it hang out there for a year or so using the tractor's own gravity to alter, minutely, Apophis' orbit.  The military trained part of my mind says we must do this first.  Frankly, the idea of an asteroid mashing Earth, in my lifetime, scares the heck out me. If we could fund landing on the Moon, going to Mars, and the B612 project all at once, then fine. But if we have to choose, I would choose security over exploration.  Then the Moon.  Then Mars.

I also think we are having great success with our robotic space missions and would hate to see the funding for them be siphoned away to anything but B612.  Who in their right minds can not feel an affinity for Spirit and Opportunity? Those little guys are up there right now, one with a sore foot, working away faithfully, diligently,
far longer than expected.  They are like my dachshunds: pleased to please their master.  I know they're just machines, but everytime I visit their wabpage I can't help but apply personalities to them and even to love them. and to care for their well-being.

Anyways, that's my view and I'm sticking to it . . .

[rkbrook]

if I were you I would stay away from groups such as the B612. The odds of a NEO striking Earth are pretty slim. And if it's going to happen there's not much we can do about it. We don't even know if we can shoot down our own wayward spy satellite.  I think we need to worry about our quality of life until such an undeniable event occurs. After that, sorry, all bets are pretty much off.