Rocketship Galileo
I just want to introduce the idea of a privately funded, engineered, and manned expedition back to the moon. This is in regard to a comment I posted over on the Captain's Blog earlier today. I really believe that a few good people really could build a moon rocket in their basement. It's only a matter of creativity and determination. We have the skills. We have the money. All we need is the drive.
I know that this is kind of what is being done with Spaceship One and the X-Prize. I don't want to diminish the great work being done, but it just seems too slow, too patient, too "whatever". The whole X-Prize almost seems like it could be used to make the public think that private space travel is advancing, while simultaniously making the average citizen think they don't have to do anything to make it happen.
Well, I say we do it. All of us who longed to be beamed up and work in Scotty's engine room. All of us who stare up into the night sky and just say, "Wow!". Those of us who crave to not only know what's out there, but to experience it for ourselves.
The time is now. Who will answer the call?
I know that this is kind of what is being done with Spaceship One and the X-Prize. I don't want to diminish the great work being done, but it just seems too slow, too patient, too "whatever". The whole X-Prize almost seems like it could be used to make the public think that private space travel is advancing, while simultaniously making the average citizen think they don't have to do anything to make it happen.
Well, I say we do it. All of us who longed to be beamed up and work in Scotty's engine room. All of us who stare up into the night sky and just say, "Wow!". Those of us who crave to not only know what's out there, but to experience it for ourselves.
The time is now. Who will answer the call?
posted by Leif at 8:29 AM
1 Comments:
The cosmos easily captures our imaginations, but given the large capital expenditures required I think it is appropriate to ask whether space exploration is a better use of money than human development projects.
I think the answer is no. There is significant suffering in this world. The question isn't "what can we do about it?" but really "what are we doing about it?" If the answer is "spending time and money staring into space" I think we have had a moral failure.
I am glad to see you pushing for the privatization of space exploration. At least then it will be private citizens wasting their time and money, not the government.
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