tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32487323.post6893072575860113696..comments2023-12-25T03:15:00.044-08:00Comments on Rants From The Rookery: We can still build some things to work wellellroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11335409429673647381noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32487323.post-29551904118405455462009-01-05T09:51:00.000-08:002009-01-05T09:51:00.000-08:00I, too, hope for a revival of human space flight i...<I>I, too, hope for a revival of human space flight in America, and I think it will happen, though perhaps not in Obama's presidency because of the depr... um, the recession.</I><BR/><BR/>I hear you. We can at least look forward to an appreciation of science and education which will help jump start space exploration again. That will create jobs and stop the brain drain to other countries. Eight years of a C student in charge is enough.ellroonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11335409429673647381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32487323.post-42528968621211235922009-01-04T21:56:00.000-08:002009-01-04T21:56:00.000-08:00ellroon, do not be dismayed by my rant. I, too, ho...ellroon, do not be dismayed by my rant. I, too, hope for a revival of human space flight in America, and I think it will happen, though perhaps not in Obama's presidency because of the depr... um, the recession. This is not out of national or even local pride on my part, nor from self-interest... I've done only one very tiny subcontract for NASA some years back, an application to track operator training and certification status on the myriad consoles at Mission Control... but from a sense that exploration is a large part of what makes us human, and space exploration is of long-term intrinsic significance.<BR/><BR/>Obama has announced his desire to combine efforts of the Pentagon and NASA in some aspects of space missions. I thought that had long since been done; maybe the Bushists screwed it up in their eight years. But count me as a real enthusiast for space exploration for its own sake and for the sake of science. If Obama fosters that sort of effort, I'll be an even bigger supporter than I already am.<BR/><BR/>BTW, lest there be any mistaken assumptions, I know a lot of Democrats who work for NASA; one mustn't stereotype those people.Steve Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07587223243120009776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32487323.post-73346720011751576662009-01-04T21:05:00.000-08:002009-01-04T21:05:00.000-08:00*sigh* No, Steve, I know you're right, but I am k...*sigh* No, Steve, I know you're right, but I am keeping hope alive by looking forward to the Obama administration. When he tells us we are able to achieve great things, I'm going try my damnedest to support them. <BR/><BR/>Yes, I can.ellroonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11335409429673647381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32487323.post-72507369424580323822009-01-04T19:32:00.000-08:002009-01-04T19:32:00.000-08:00"We can still build things..."??? Try &q..."We can still build things..."??? Try "we used to be able to build things..." instead.<BR/><BR/>Spirit was launched June 10, 2003; Opportunity was launched July 7 of the same year. I don't have dates in front of me, but the NASA R&D that created these rovers extended at least back to December 1996, when Sojourner was launched, or rather, at least two years before that. In other words, NASA <B>had</B> the ability to build and deploy successful Mars rovers... back in the Clinton era. Ask anybody who knows the internal workings of NASA in recent years whether they still have that capability. Or the ability to send humans to the Moon. Or... you get the idea.<BR/><BR/>The last administration to do as much damage to the human space flight program as the Bushies was Reagan's, and for some of the same reasons. Do not think for a moment that the success of Spirit and Opportunity is rooted in the fundamental(ist) hostility to science and technology endemic to the Bush administration.<BR/><BR/>(CAPTCHA text: "anglo". Hmmm...)Steve Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07587223243120009776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32487323.post-29384244826538713352009-01-03T23:55:00.000-08:002009-01-03T23:55:00.000-08:00Mars' cats have those cool headlight eyes....Mars' cats have those cool headlight eyes....ellroonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11335409429673647381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32487323.post-59394909808926871292009-01-03T23:41:00.000-08:002009-01-03T23:41:00.000-08:00they must've been surprised to see the cat.they must've been surprised to see the cat.Alihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09219813744221264425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32487323.post-74787912616454056452009-01-03T20:06:00.000-08:002009-01-03T20:06:00.000-08:00We're going need every bit of inspiration from any...We're going need every bit of inspiration from any place we can get it to get out of the Bush Hole. Maybe Spirit and Opportunity can help....ellroonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11335409429673647381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32487323.post-6777981661292878242009-01-03T20:04:00.000-08:002009-01-03T20:04:00.000-08:00Wild and thuderous applause. "Yes we can" indeed, ...Wild and thuderous applause. "Yes we can" indeed, and those little machines (much as I originally hated their names) are shining examples.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com