Quite a complex subject. It touches on science, society, politics, and religion.

In the science debate is whether more science can be achieved much more cheaply
from the use of robotic craft rather than manned flights. While manned flights
are clearly more exciting, I tend to favor the unmanned probes -- for now.

As to the social issues, I think the question is well beyond most of society,
especially when all countries are considered. I have now idea when this will be
overcome, but with countries like India, China, and Brazil trying to get into
the space game, maybe their respective education systems will help catch people
up.

At some point in our future (man's future), we definitely need to move out onto
other planets and even solar systems. But for now, our societal and financial
limitations I think force us to emphasize more and more sophisticated robotic
probes.

--- On Fri, 10/31/08, eflaspo@... <eflaspo@...> wrote:
From: eflaspo@... <eflaspo@...>
Subject: [Quad-A] STARGAZER #491 for Nov. 1, 2008 When Will Humans Return to
the Moon, and Beyond
To: EFLASPO@...
Date: Friday, October 31, 2008, 10:53 PM











STARGAZER #491 for Nov. 1, 2008





When Will Humans Return to the Moon, and Beyond?



Each year I present dozens of astronomy programs and classes, and I'm often

asked--by adults and youngsters alike--about the future of humans in space..

Many know we maintain a small crew in the Earth-orbiting International Space

Station, but most (including myself) find that less than satisfying.



What they really want to know is: When will humans return to the Moon, and

when will we send humans to Mars and beyond? Here's the official answer. In

2004, the Bush administration set a goal of having humans on the Moon by as

early as 2015 and no later than 2020. Unfortunately, it's easy to set goals

others will have to achieve. NASA chief Michael Griffin said in 2007, "Space

travel is going to be expensive, difficult, and dangerous."



So the question of space exploration really involves at least three more

fundamental questions relating to science and technology, affordability, and

priorities. Without pretending to be an expert, I'll offer some ideas, and I

welcome hearing yours. If we can get a dialogue going, I'll create a page on my

Website and post your responses.



First, do we have the science and technology? Probably. In 1957, when Russia

launched Sputnik 1 and 2, U.S. rockets were still blowing up on the

launchpad. Yet in 1969, a mere 12 years later, U.S. Astronauts Neil Armstrong
and

Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon. So surely we could be back on the Moon by 2015.



However, I doubt we will, and maybe not even by 2020--but not for lack of

science and technology. Space travel is expensive. Even assuming our current

national and world economic crisis won't be prolonged, can we afford to send

humans to the Moon and beyond? When we went to the Moon in the 1960s we were

also financing the Viet Nam war and the social programs of the Great Society.

So can we afford it? Probably--if we have the resolve.



Which, I think, brings us to the fundamental issue: Where does human space

exploration rank among our priorities? Many say such an effort will be too

expensive for any one nation, and will have to be multinational. Yet the
demands

on our finite resources are myriad--poverty, disease, famine, energy, wars,

deteriorating infrastructures, to name but some on an overwhelming list.



Few would put space exploration as a top priority, yet I wonder if we can

afford NOT to keep it prominently on the list. I welcome your ideas.



Next Two Weeks. Avg. sunrise: 6:50 a.m.; avg. sunset: 5:34 p.m. (both CST,

exact for Waco, TX). Tonight a crescent Moon is to the upper left of Venus..

Wed. morning, the Southern Taurid meteor shower peaks with best viewing after

the Moon sets at midnight. The Nov. 13 full Moon is called the Frosty Moon and

Beaver Moon.



Naked-eye Planets. (The Sun, Moon and planets rise in the east and set in

the west due to Earth's west-to-east rotation.) Evening: Venus is the brilliant

"evening star" in the west with Jupiter the bright object higher in the

southwest. Morning: As dawn breaks Saturn is well up in the east as Mercury

hovers near the eastern horizon.



Time Change. Before retiring tonight, set your clocks back 1 hour ("fall

back") to Standard Time. [Remember the old Stargazer adage: When you set your

clocks back, you repeat that hour. Thus whatever you thought you did during the

previous hour really didn't happen. So you can relive it...and get it right

this time, OK?]



============ ========= ========= ========= ========= =======



Stargazer appears every other week in the Waco Tribune-Herald and other

Texas newspapers. Paul Derrick is an amateur astronomer who lives in Waco..

Write him at 918 N. 30th St., Waco, TX 76707, call or fax at (254) 753-6920, or

e-mail at paulderrickwaco@ aol.com.



Copyright 2008 by Paul Derrick. Permission is granted for free electronic

distribution as long as these paragraphs are included. Please obtain

permission from the author for publication in any other form. To be added to
(or

removed from) the free e-mail distribution list, send your e-mail address (and

name) to _paulderrickwaco@ aol.com_ (mailto:paulderrickwaco@ aol.com) .



* * See the Stargazer Web site at http://www.stargaze rpaul.com. * *



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