Bush Plans Major Space Announcement

[arcos]

Bush Plans Major Space Announcement

Buoyed by a successful landing on Mars by a robot explorer, President Bush plans a major announcement on space policy next week that may lead to sending Americans back to the moon, congressional aides said on Thursday.

<snip>

He is expected to propose a new lunar initiative that could lead to a mission to Mars in the long term, said the sources, who asked to remain unidentified.

<snip>

Congressional sources said the administration was also considering setting up a more streamlined hierarchy for guiding the government's wide-ranging space programs and coordinating its research and development.

Under this scenario, there could be more exchanges of technology between NASA and the Defense Department.

<snip>

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=570&ncid=753&e=1&u=/nm/20040109/sc_nm/bush_space_dc

[a_random_joel]

1. He can start by explaining the space between his ears.

eom

[CO Liberal]

2. You Beat Me To It

Actually, there's no explanation for that space.....

[Norbert]

75. There is an explanation for that space between his ears.

Bu$h is out of his fucking mind.

[truthisfreedom]

80. it's the effect cocaine hydrochloride has on human tissue.

eats through the septum, and eventually, erodes all brain tissue except for a miniscule piece of the most lizard-llike portion of the human mind.

[madaboutharry]

21. good one

n/t

[wryter2000]

3. Found a few billion lying around?

What a moran.

[leesa]

51. They have that trillion they stole from the DOD prior to 9-11

Remember? They "misplaced" it. It was about to surface in the news when 9-11 happened. Bush intends to put weapons there that he can use to control the world. He needs a straight-jacket now!

[Kellanved]

76. 1989 NASA estimate: $400 billion.

So one trillion seems like a very low estimate to me.

[latebloomer]

4. Wonderful!

How about spending some money on people in this country who need help, for a change?

[shance]

18. Gosh, I am so excited to hear we are putting money and time in space

when the Administration and Congress are allowing greed and destructive interests to wreak havoc on America and all over the good ole Mother earth.

Who knows? Maybe well be drilling on Mars pretty soon.

Sounds like a plan to me.

[progressivebydesign]

65. Hey.. don't knock space! It's where they'll be sending all of us! N/T

[goobergunch]

5. I'm all for going to the moon and Mars

However, this article makes it sound like there are BFEE military overtones to it.

Space exploration should be undertaken by humanity on behalf of Earth, not our petty, squabbling national conflicts. *sigh* :(

[gorgan]

20. Militarism in space

was a prime objective of Rumsfeld et al. from day one--they've been sidetracked by the war on terror, but now they've figured out how to sell it to the public, that's all.

[renegade000]

26. turning the final frontier into lucrative business

for military contractors....*sigh*

[iam]

41. Right gorgan,

It's just another lie.

[eileen from OH]

6. hopefully he's planning on going there

someone oughtta tell him the moon has a LOT of brush that needs clearing.

eileen from OH

[asjr]

10. Took the

words right out of my mind. I was hoping someone would tell me Shrub was planning a trip to the moon. We know how his road maps read.

[LiberalFighter]

14. Tell him that there is oil there

[LiberalFighter]

16. Tell him that there are WMD there.

[leesa]

52. Not yet. I think that's the point of the trip though.

[stevedeshazer]

7. There must be oil there

Follow the money. :grr:

[Sagan]

8. Just like his "bold" AIDS initiatives for Africa

All talk, no action.

All hat, no cattle. That's Chimpy!

[jpgray]

9. No thank you--not when we have a 500 billion dollar deficit (nt)

[MuseRider]

11. Hey! They are not done

ruining this planet yet. Oh yes, it must be like war, we can two at a time.

[arcane1]

12. that one sentence says it ALL

"Under this scenario, there could be more exchanges of technology between NASA and the Defense Department. "

[aquart]

23. Ugh.

Armed nukes circling overhead, bumping into each other. Can't wait.

[arcane1]

25. it seems that their plan...

is to basically fully militarize NASA

I don't wanna know what kind of "research" they will come up with...

[Occulus]

71. but it implies something else

that maybe, juuuust maybe, those UFO nuts really are seeing something in the skies.

Namely, our black budget projects in action. In fact, that's been done before; the SR-71 'Blackbird' and the B-2 stealth bomber are two examples. I've felt for a long, long time that such seemingly science-fiction aircraft could actually exist, given the motivation and the research money to figure out how.

Someday, we might even exceed the spped of light, or even make that barrier irrelevant. If that's the result of a DOD project, well, I don't really see how or why we should say no. On the other hand, DOD projects are inherently weaponized from the start; it may be only later- years, even- that the people see constructive fruits of that labor.

Here's a hint: I saw a show once on the Discovery channel about electromagnets and some neat things they're used for. The bullet train was one, and a gyroscope (a big one) was involved in another, but the real cool segment was when researchers used focused electromagnetic fields to effectively negate the gravitational field of the Earth.

As it turns out, any substance can become magnetized when subjected to a strong enough electromagnetic field. This field can become strong enough to overcome the force of gravity and lift the affected object into the air. I remember they did it with jacks, water, a frog, and I think a spider as well. The animals didn't appear to be adversely affected in any way.

It was done in a cylinder, though, and I'm wondering now whether it has to be in a cylinder, surrounded by those fields. Can it operate focusing in one direction, say, from the object one intends to lift?

Projected down, maybe, so it lifts off the ground. Hmmm.

It's just an illustration; it doesn't really mean anything. But when that idea is coupled with the thought that information may be exchanged between NASA and the DOD, it implies the DOD is going to be letting some useful tidbits fall. The DOD's R&D budget is enormous. That's something NASA would love to be able to have, but can't.

NASA can get things into space. In order for society to enjoy the fruits of the DOD's research projects, NASA is being armtwisted into militarizing Sol local space. Yeah, I think I do mean solar system here; they're just that damnably brazen.

The question is, why? Isn't this overkill?

[peterh]

13. With the courts seriously questioning the legality of Gitmo....

Detainees may be in for a new home….

[JPace]

15. The little twit in the WH is being told

by rove that he cannot go into
the election campaign with nothing
to show but wars and deficits.
This is their effort to say they
are bringing the people together
with a vision for the future.

[leesa]

53. No, it's about militarization of space.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

17. I was waiting for this to happen

I wondered how long it would take for them to fold NASA into the military. I predict that ten years from now NASA, as a scientific exploration organization, will cease to exist, and the ONLY purpose for space research will be for military uses.

Heil, the High Frontier!

[Jazzgirl]

19. I swear * has followed through on everything in the PNAC doc.

One of the main things the PNAC document outlines is controlling space exploration and developing the capability to defend the US and it's interests using advanced space technology. I wish I had a dollar for every initiative in that dayum agreement he's followed through on. I'd be rich!

Jazzgirl x( :mad: :wtf:

[aquart]

22. A lunar initiative? When we're on MARS????????

Is this what NASA wants? Is this what the Jet Propulsion Laboratory thinks is a good idea?

Oh, god, now he's blundering into the space program. Idiot! It was working!

[Demonaut]

24. we need this bold vision and leadership to show those russians

we're made of the right stuff.....

[DoYouEverWonder]

27. They'll never give up on this Star Wars crap

Militarizing NASA is a very bad thing.

[salinen]

28. I remember, even before

the Mercury program, they sent chimps into space. Can we revive that program?

[The Sushi Bandit]

29. Which way between NASA and the Defense Department?

NASA does not need the Defense Department in their shorts!

[mobuto]

79. The DoD already is in NASA's shorts

the problem of course is that whatever "inspirational" benefit the American people who realize from sending a guy to the moon, it wouldn't be worth anywhere near a trillion bucks.

But NASA and the DoD have cooperated very closeley on a whole bunch of things for years. The Space Shuttle, when it flies, flies secret national security missions not infrequently.

[weave]

30. another photo-op

for bush lightyear. the first prez to land on the moon.

[notadmblnd]

39. I just had a visual

of Bush donning his cod piece/flight suit and straddling a rocket straight to the moon.

[FloridaPat]

31. The Kennedy Script. This guy just keeps replaying history.

[David Zephyr]

32. GWB Chose JFK's Desk of the Many Available to Have in the Oval Office

GWB did not even choose GHB's desk, but wanted "Kennedy's".

The Bushes so want to be like the Kennedy's that it is pathetic.

GWB named the Dept. of Justice building after Bobby Kennedy.

GHB just "honored" Ted Kennedy in Texas.

How jealous they must really be.

There are parks and streets all around the world named after John Kennedy.

Do they actually believe that this will ever happen with them.

The entire planet hates the Bushes.

Perhaps there will be landfills and septic treatment facilities named in their "honor", but parks and streets and schools...never.

[piece sine]

77. ever fly into Houston?

Bush International? Just wondering...

[CO Liberal]

33. He'll Announce a Trip To The Sun

And to aviod the heat, they'll go at night.

:-)

[kitkatrose]

38. Oh, God that's funny. Probably true too. :) nt

[saigon68]

73. Trip to Sun too funny

LOL

[Gman]

34. Last night, Darth Vader came down from the planet Vulcan

to Bush's bedroom and told Bush he would melt Bush's "brain" (and I use the term loosely) if he didn't make plans to travel to Mars.

[Pax Argent]

44. It was his density! n/t

[tridim]

35. Sounds like a great time for Halliburton to get in the space biz

Maybe they could manufacture $1000 screws or something.

[frogfromthenorth2]

36. He's GOING to mars!!!!! Yippeeeeeee

But only have enough money to pay fuel for one way trip!

[Manix]

37. Maybe Bush should first explore the empty space between his ears!

nt

[Beetwasher]

40. I'm All For Supporting NASA, But This Is Suspect

Did the little monkey boy finally realize that he and his goons are fucking up the earth so badly that in all actuality it will probably be uninhabitable for his obnoxious and spoiled progeny?

Why do I get the feeling that this initiative is either A. just lip service like so many others, because it sounds good or B. Cover for something sinister?

[45th Med]

42. WOOHOO! Now, we can nuke rogue countries from the moon!

Wooohooo!

[bluestateguy]

43. Mars

I'm all for a trip to Mars, but why must it be an exclusive US mission? It will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, which we need here at home.Instead, why not a single international mission to Mars on behalf of planet Earth. The costs would be shared, and it would more acculrately represent an achievement for humankind, not just one nation.

[Beetwasher]

46. ChaChing! Exactly!

That would be the proper, mature, intelligent way to do it...

[osaMABUSh]

45. 1st the immigration stuff, now the moon! Anything to distract us

It's like Shrub is pulling out all the stops to make 2004 a glorious year for himself. Of course, the orange alerts and any 'major policy' statements are just a way to distract us from his record as the worst president in recent memory.

His he just teeing all this up now so he has something 'good' to say during the SOTU? It's all marketing with this admin.

There are a few things bubbling up now he'd rather we forget: Iraq, dead soldiers, no WMD, Enron criminals coming to light (perhaps, Kenny Boy too), the CIA outing scandal.

[jburton]

47. bump n/t

[Cronus Protagonist]

48. This is about the militarization of space

For sure.

"Lick Bush" Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[hatrack]

49. I'll just write this innocuous header to comply with board rules . . .

And then I will say that this stupid little pile of Texas cowshit, this smirking little frat-boy prick prince, this whiny thin-skinned coprophile, this sorry waste of DNA and oxygen is the most pathetic, inarticulate, ignorant jackal I have ever seen in public office.

Excuse me, Chimpy, but WHAT IN THE BLUE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? It's not like we have giant wheelbarrows of $100,000 bills lying around to pay for the little jaunt you're proposing.

Excuse me, Numbnuts, but is it the fact that $500 billion in deficits isn't enough, and you need to dump a few hundred billion more into the fiscal abyss, like throwing fruit on a grave?

Excuse me, Shit-For-Brains, but did it ever occur to you that no human being has left low Earth orbit since 1972, and there is no vehicle now in existence, Russian or American, which is capable of enabling anyone of doing so now?

Excuse me, Mr. Unfit-To-Be-Towel-Boy-At-The-Mustang-Ranch, but has it not occurred to you that, uh, how can I put this, WE'VE FUCKING DONE THIS ALREADY? As someone pointed out, using Jack Kennedy's desk and stealing Jack Kennedy's ideas aren't going to magically morph you into Jack Kennedy.

Excuse me, you festering mound of mandrill dung, but I seem to remember that there are a few problems back here that could use some work. Let's see if any of these ring a bell: AIDS, crumbling public schools and cracking highways, acid rain, ozone depletion, a collapsing dollar, a political system hag-ridden with money and shot through with corruption, childhood poverty and hunger right here at home (to say nothing of the rest of the world), soaring levels of greenhouse gases, melting glaciers, Social Security and Medicare systems collapsing under their own demogrphic weight, collapsing ice shelves, pissed-off former allies, Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, Ken Lay, the anthrax killer, Bernie Ebbers and - oh yeah, almost forgot, 500 dead Americans, thousands of dead Iraqi civilians and tens of thousands of dead Iraqi soldiers in a certain war waged for (all together now!) WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION that never FUCKING EXISTED.

It's obvious you don't believe any of this horseshit, and no one out there believes any of it, so why don't you just SHUT THE FUCK UP with the "big ideas" and "visionary projects", and go the FUCK back to Crawford where you can cut brush, lob cow patties and talk to Jay-zus all the live long day.

Oh, and one last thing - the American people are, on balance, not stupid. Do not continue to embarass the office you occupy by insulting their intelligence with phony puffed-up BULLSHIT like this.

[leesa]

54. THEY have lots of money. WE don't. They have completely

drained the treasury...they have all of it. All the corporatists have sucked all the money out of this country. They have plenty of money to militarize space.

[54anickel]

55. Shouldn't hold back like that hatrack. Bad for the blood pressure.

:evilgrin:

[bubblesby2002]

60. Wow

Best concise portrait of * I've ever read. Thanks.:wow:

[mouse7]

66. hatrack, tell us how you REALLY think?

hatrack, you know how it annoys us when you won't take a position on an issue. Get off the fence, man. Stop being so wishy-washy. ;-)

As far as the money goes... he's got all the money he needs. He just has someone print some more for him whenever he needs it.

[The White Rose]

81. Now if we could just get Rather to say that...

Good rant. :-)

[Dudley_DUright]

83. Hatrack, it may surprise you to learn that as a scientist

I completely agree with your sentiments (nice rant BTW). The meager science we will get out of this "investment" is not worth the astronomical cost. We would do much better sticking with cheap expendable robotic missions and investing the balance in social programs closer to earth. My big fear is that this boondoggle will starve funds for real science projects of far more benefit to humanity here on earth. Bush truly is Shit-for-Brains.

[hatrack]

84. Yeah, I have to agree

Look at the Voyager probes - we learned more for a few hundred million (unadjusted 1970s) dollars from those two shots than we could learn in a hundred years from planting the flag on the moon or sending a crew at astronomical expense to fly around Mars. And they're still sending back valuable science as they approach the heliopause!

Science is no more than an ideological tool to this cartload of nanny goats - to be used when politically profitable, to be ignored when not so.

And, on reflection, it's probably a good thing that I didn't have that beer last night before coming up with the preceding rant. But when you're as pissed off as I was, who needs beer?

[DerekG]

50. The Death Star awaits us, folks...

Ten dollars says they're building the damn Death Star up there!

One of us is gonna have to shoot some proton torpedos into that exhaust port!

[54anickel]

56. Been there, done that. Always wanting to relive the past. Raygun

supply-side and Kennedy's space initiative. And what great new technologies might we have missed developing the first time around? Hey, I'm the first to admit that the space program brought on a lot of initiative and progress, but come on, I think we'd do much better in exploring the idea of renewals. An alternative to fossil fuel could really launch is here. But alas, his cronies don't want to actually work and invest! There's too much pure profit too be made using ancient technology pumping out the black stuff.
Sheesh :eyes:

[daleo]

57. Empty grandstanding

Although the Chinese orbital flight probably bothers them. This is cover for further militarization of space. Any moon or Mars mission worth doing would require international cooperation, especially with the U.S. running the current large deficits. And Bushco doesn't play nice with others, so we can rule that out.

On the plus side, they might find weapons of mass destruction, left by Saddam's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, about the time that the Grand Canyon was formed during the intergalactic war.

[tom_paine]

85. Exactly. nother empty promise from the Imperial Lying Liar

Yes, just a pathetic cover for the militarization of space. Further a means to bankrupt and loot the nations as Imperila Cronies just LOOT LOOT LOOT at will.

And our great-grandchildren will probably get a sound-stage mockup of "Mars" for the manned mission, sometime during the reign of Emperor Arnold.

(yes, I believe we really went to the moon; yes I believe the Imperial Family will be forced to fake it like Soviets when they realize they have stole too much and misappropiated too much for the militarization of space.

Either way, this is an empty lie and a leeching off the dreams of Free Men by Totalitarian Scum.

[Moderator]

58. Kick!

:dem:

[Frangible]

59. Yes, Bush sucks

But space exploration is a GOOD THING. I'm all about science and progress. Damn, you guys sound so... conservative. :eek:

[Chovexani]

74. Do you *really* think this is about space exploration though?

Come on now. There's tons of space geeks on DU, I'm one of them. I would love NASA to get more funding but do you honestly think that this is any more than a cheap grab for attention by an administration that is desperate for good PR in an election year? And that's at best--at worst this stinks of a PNAC plot to revive Star Wars and take it to the next level.

Peaceful scientific exploration of space = Good
Using NASA to find ways to vaporize oil-producing third world Earth countries from space = Bad

I think it's safe to say that's the consensus around here, and I see nothing conservative about it.

--C.

[mrdmk]

61. I do not if anybody has noticed, But

we will be lucky if we do not bump into something on the way there, I am not talking about meteorites, asteroids, another planet, or the sun. No, I am talking about all of the space junk we have already have floating in space.

Go look for yourself (go to Jtrack 3d at the bottom of the page)
http://science.nasa.gov/RealTime/JTrack/

For real, it will be to the benefit of mankind to explore space. Of course that would be under the leadership of another administration. Mr. Bush Jr. is not somebody this country can trust to take up this kind of responsibility. Besides, believe it of not the Military is involved in the space program. If you click on satellites (on the above link)the program will tell you what satellite you are clicking on and what it is doing there. To explore space is one thing, lip service and military missiles are another.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

62. considering Junior IS OUT of the WH in Nov., when is he going to do this?

Doesn't leave much time for him to spend all our $ on a Space Cadet Program...

Guess he's not planning on leaving
(even if he's voted out)****

Expect another big 911 style explosive killing event***
Those idiots actually think they can get away with it and the people will believe it's a foreign terra attack !!
then they git ta have martial law !!!!
Anyone who mentions it was a staged event is locked up and given a tribunal!!

[Cocoa]

63. Bush never visited NASA

even though he lived in Houston for years, and was governor of Texas.

That came out after the shuttle crash last year.

[mrdmk]

64. You have to be kidding?

[Cocoa]

67. I remember them lying about it too

or something like a lie, something about him not remembering if he had been there.

edit: this is not a major scandal to me, just something to keep in mind as people listen to him wax eloquent during the SOTU about space.

[mrdmk]

68. No Problem

:nuke:

[gold_bug]

69. I'm all for space exploration

but I wish they'd also announce bold plans to:

(1) explore and develop renewable energy technology that will get the US off its oil addiction,
(2) a plan to help create more good jobs in this country.

But we know that's not gonna happen.

[Bhaisahab]

70. bush has a thing for judy jetson

that's why he's so keen to explore space.

[The_Casual_Observer]

72. Bush Sr. babbled about doing this too

Nothing came of it, except that we got stuck with one of the most stupid politico-jargon casters of all time, Mr Dan Golden.

[mobuto]

78. A trillion here, a trillion there...

pretty soon you're talking real money.

Now I'm all for the space program, but it seems to me that one trillion bucks is a tad steep for a venture of no scientific value - just an ego fix. I don't think this is going to happen.

Bush's hoping to

1) change the topic of conversation away from Iraq;
2) convince voters he has that vision thing;
3) In the event that we ever land some clown on Mars, Bush's legacy people can claim that it was he who inspired the mission a la Jack Kennedy and the moon.

[BigBigBear]

82. I support

a robust and forward-looking space program.

I want the military to keep its distance from it. I want the effort to be cooperative with other nations. I want the data gathered to be open-source. I want good science to be the goal, not jingoistic me-first flag waving bravado. I would want it paid for by wise investments by the government, by private industry and by other nations, not by deep-sixing Social Security, Medicare or educational programs.

If this was what Bush is proposing, I would support it.

I rather doubt it is - sounds more like Mars Rover happy-talk piggybacking to me.