From the mouths of babes, or, how a two year old out-thinks NASA
Alert readers will have noted in me from time to time a mild disdain for our nation's space policy. I wonder now whether there is a genetic component to this feeling, as a result of a conversation last night with my son. Yesterday evening was mild, mostly clear with clouds swiftly scudding across the night sky. It was the full moon, and the light was nearly bright enough to read by.
My son and I accompanied our dog into the backyard, and John pointed up to the moon and said, "We need a rocketship." I was surprised by this – I had not intended to begin space policy indoctrination for several years. I don't even know for certain if I have ever even mentioned the word "rocketship" in little John's presence.
I replied, "Yes, we do need a rocketship. But there aren't any rocketships that can take us to the moon."
Aware, apparently, that he is in the 21st century, John cut right to the heart of the problem: "Where'd the rocketships go?"
I was forced to tell him, "We had rocketships once, but we threw them away." John wrinkled his forehead and grimaced at this information. Unsure if 'ol Dad was telling true, he asked again, "Where'd the rocketships go?"
I said again that yes, we had once had them but we threw them away.
"We need a rocketship."
Truer words have never been spoken. To do things in space, you need rocketships. Not plans for rocketships, or budgetary allocations for rocketship development, or a roadmap to space development. Rocketships. To get rocketships, you need to build them. NASA has not built a rocketship in twenty years. Kind of a pisspoor track record for a rocketship building agency, non? And even that last, solitary rocketship was based on a ten-year-old design.
So I told him, "Someday, someone will build rocketships again. And when they do, you and I will ride a rocketship to the moon."
I have little faith that NASA will do it, but there's always Burt Rutan.
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Contrive to get him
Contrive to get him introduced to the President and I bet you could get lil' John a job at NASA within the week!
I've never noticed this "mild
I've never noticed this "mild disdain for our nation’s space policy" of which you speak, but it's primarily because I always notice your severe disdain instead. Well deserved by NASA, but hardly mild.
Perhaps I should head down to the southern suburbs of town and let them know they're no longer universally thought ingenious.
This Saturday at the Air &
This Saturday at the Air & Space they're doing "SpaceShipOne" day or some such. Lots of activities for the kids (of all ages). I've seen the schedule, it looks an awful lot like a celebration of commercial space.
I may have to check that out.
I may have to check that out. The wife is doing band stuff, but maybe John and I can go look at the rocketship.
NASA will no more settle the
NASA will no more settle the next frontier than Lewis and Clark settled the west. But the current program will do a lot of sta... er trailblazing and should be a nice complement to the civilian sector programs that will inevitably overtake it.
Also, National programes count for more in international arbitration where ownership is decided. US and Russian private endeavors had explored and even set up outposts in Brittish Colombia but Cook was a direct representive of the UK government and so was given more weight in the claim just as the exploration of L&C helped the US keep the Oregon Territory. Space Treaty notwithstanding, tis sort of thing is going to be important in the coming years.
Additionally, NASA is funding reasearch into the Atomic Pogostick for the first time since the early sixties. :)
http://brickmuppet.blogspot.com/2005/11/speaking-of-spaceshipsorion-no-…
Boo-Yah! :)
Finally: In the interest of making this divergence of opinion umm...interesting...we are going to have to agree on a few things.
There is a good Greek Resturaunt in Dupont Circle. If a privately funded and designed manned orbital spaceflight occurs before the CEV then consider yourself FED!
Ken, if NASA actually went
Ken, if NASA actually went ahead and built the CEV, sure, they'd stand a good chance of getting there first. NASA is, sadly, locked into a near-permanent design and redesign mode. It is more than likely that we'll see at least two redesigns (as a result of shifting political winds, or the need to provide pr0k to influential congressmen. Did you know that the shuttle build effort had suppliers in every single congressional district?) before we ever see cut tin.
Rutan is in a build, fly, build mode. The $50 million dollar orbital prize runs out in 2010. I I would be willing to wager that we'll see a Rutan-designed rocketship in orbit before NASA even starts building a prototype.
Of course, you could buy me dinner before then. I'm always up for Greek food. Mmnnmm, lamb.
Prok...
Prok...
I guess that's kind of like pr0n.