An article caught my eye this morning while perusing the headlines and enjoying my first cup of coffee. The space shuttle programs are coming to an end. The space shuttle Atlantis is set for lift off tomorrow at 11:26 am. However the weather situation is not looking good. Forecasters are predicting rain and thunderstorms. A rain free and storm free zone is needed 23 miles around in order for the shuttle to take off as planned. They are predicting a record number of people to attend this final lift off.
The article told about President Obama in one of his town hall meetings at the White House telling participants on Twitter than he is encouraging NASA to rethink their next explorations. He suggested seriously setting our goals for Mars and an asteroid. Just a couple of weeks ago I was poking some fun at the chances of landing on an asteroid. If we get this up and going I wonder if Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis have some free time to share their experience.
Since we are coming to an end of the space shuttle era, my concern is jobs. My hometown of Huntsville Alabama is a large defense and aerospace city. Huntsville is home to the Redstone Arsenal, NASA, The Space and Rocket Center Museum, Space Camp and numerous companies in the business. I worked on defense and aerospace programs for 10 years myself.
If you are ever near the area the Space and Rocket Center Museum it is an awesome way to spend a day. So, back to my point; jobs. The majority of my friends back home, work in the industry. Any time the government turns to a new endeavor in this field it means job security for a lot of people, and that is not just in Huntsville. Across this country these programs take care of a large number of individuals and families.
I find myself once again torn concerning my opinion on the Mars and possible asteroid programs. One side of me feels we need to focus our money and our great minds towards something more useful. Useful may not be the best word in this example but it is what comes to mind. I believe in our defense programs and continuously pushing the boundaries on technology that keeps this country safe and secure. I also believe those endeavors should never stop.
In the beginning the space program created so many inventions, ideas, methods and lifestyle improvements that it was like a gold mine. Three decades later we can look back and be extremely proud of our accomplishments and our people who made all of it possible.
Now, here we are today. Do we need to get to Mars? The chances are high I could be missing something here, but I just don’t see a real need for it. The asteroid program might be something we could benefit from, but Mars? President Obama joked that on our way to Mars an asteroid would make a good pit stop. I think science and research is extremely valuable. Without our drive to research and learn we wouldn’t be the awesome country we are today. It is also very near a time when visiting space will be a retail market for the private sector. I also feel that the quest for Mars is more of a “We got there first” kind of ploy. The president also made a good point concerning our actual forms of space travel. It needs updating and I am sure he also meant it needs new life breathed into the program.
I just think the money would be better spent on our defense programs. You can never be “too” safe. I see it as a win-win situation. We continue to improve our defense systems and people keep their jobs. I just realized I might be coming at you like Rebecca of Sunny Brook Farm wearing rose colored glasses. Where does that saying come from? Who is Rebecca and where is Sunny Brook Farm? We know she is oblivious, continuously positive and always happy, but what is the real story?
The article ended with President Obama’s words that “We are still the leader in space exploration”. I am proud of that legacy, but at this point and time, we have pride at what unnecessary cost?
In the words of Mr. Spock; live long and prosper. Also, take care and stay safe,
KJ
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