Newt Gingrich’s Moon Base Idea Is Bold And Correct
I must say if there was any reason to vote for Newt Gingrich–any reason at all–it would be due to the issues involving space travel.
I have always felt the best of America happens when we stand together for a dream yet to be realized. Landing a man on the moon was such a time in this country, and Lord knows, with all the divisions that plague us, we are in need of another unifying effort.
So when I heard about New Gingrich’s plans to have a base on the moon I did not laugh. I think it a splendid idea, and one that matches the American appetite for big, bold, brassy ‘can-do’ projects. Many have laughed or derided the idea presented by Gingrich, and that I find small-minded. Reaching up and out while exploring has always been mankind’s mission, and there is no reason to back-track today.
Yes, Newt Gingrich has many, many reasons he should never be elected president. But when it comes to thinking about space in the way it needs to be considered Gingrich is spot on.
I am only sad there are not more candidates willing or able to talk about science and space travel in the way it needs to be dealt with.
Absolutely New is right. In the long life of our nation, the personal follies of our leaders pass away in importance-but grand visions such as this set courses for greatness.
Reason enough to elect him. Space technology is probably America’s only hope of re-establishing some form of manufacturing and expanding it’s economy.
@Purplepenquin
Err, we should race to the moon because the Chinese “have plans”? And in the process we should also ditch the outer space treaty that forbids land-grab on the moon by nation states (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty )?
And we have absolutely no better ways to ensure we don’t miss out on anything worth having up there (should it exist) than to splash out on a moon base? Not e.g. joining a program with ESA and Russia just to stay in the game (like we’re doing already: http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-01-russia-nasa-esa-lunar-base.html ).
And not e.g. focusing on development of a truly cost-effective orbital vehicle first (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Rutan , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spaceship_Company ), which would cost us all of a few million bucks and some facilities?
Call me hidebound if you like, but this is what I’d do rather than daydreaming about building unprofitable moon bases.
Solly. Building on the moon is not a bad idea. It’s not a knew idea either. Solly has little idea of the thousands of things that the ‘exploration of space’ has given you and yours. Don’t be small minded. Includes the magnificient platitudes from Gern. Not all of humanity is stuck in quagmire. Just the ones that the media writes about. Be positive.
Russia is in talks with NASA and European Space Agency to establish a manned research colony on the moon, according to Russia’s Federal Space Agency, and is also consulting with NASA and ESA about the possibility of manned space stations to lunar orbit, Russia news agency RIA Novosti reported Thursday.
Increasingly, research supports the hypothesis that humanity can live for a long period of time at or around the moon, Russia Space Agency chief Vladimir Popovkin said.
“Today, we know enough about it, we know that there is water in the polar regions,” said Popovkin Vesti FM radio on Thursday, RIA Novosti reported. Popovkin added that “we are now discussing how to start [lunar] exploration with NASA and European Space Agency.”
Actually Goldy, one of the main reason Newt wants a moon base is because China already has plans to build their own. How are you going feel when you look up and see the moon, knowing they have a base while Americans can’t even get into Earth’s orbit without a ride from someone else?
I have two objections to mr Ginrich’s bout of daydreaming.
My first objection is that while we stand on the dreams of our predecessors, that doesn’t mean that dreaming is good just because it’s dreaming. As I recall, most dreams that underlie the current US had real-world economic incentives. Like the purchase of Louisiana and Alaska, the trek West, building the railroads and the telegraph.
Unfortunately a moon-base does not. What is there to be gained from it (except political capital in the next presidential elections)? Nothing that can’t be done more efficiently and cheaply in orbit or on the ground.
The cost on the other hand will be large, despite mr. Ginrich’s suggestion to put up ‘ prizes’ for technology development. Sooner or later (if the plan is to be put into effect) there will be a need for large amounts of people, material, and machinery. Absent any commercial application the federal budget is the only possible source of funding for it.
I’m not averse to investing, but I don’t like pouring public money into a wild ass idea. Especially not now. If there were commercial entities that want to pour their own private money into it, fine but there aren’t any. So don’t throw our tax dollars at it, ok?
My second objection is that it would set a dangerous precedent, in my view. It would mean that whoever establishes a base anywhere outside of Earth can claim that as part of its national territory. How would you like a land grab race and another arms race with e.g. China, Russia, India, and perhaps Brazil? Because that’s what you will be starting. Because every last one of them has just as good a claim on the territory on the moon as the US once they put a base up there.
Deke, the more I read ya the more I like you. I felt the same way as you did…Despite there being no way I’ll vote for Newt,, it made me take pause and smile when I first heard about him talking about a base on the moon.
Isn’t it kinda sad that the only nation who has actually put people on the moon’s surface are now having to beg rides from other countries just to get into Earth orbit?
We once dreamed of being better than we are. Now we can’t even dream of peaceful coexistence.
How can a man’s soul soar when it is stuck in the muck of vituperation?
A lot of time when we look back on events that occurred when we were children, we have that rosy glow of illusion. Even if we also acknowledge our childhoods were full of crap, illusions will remain.
I am sure there were many many folks back then who resented the space nonsense and I seem to recall some asking why the money and “unity” could not be better spent on THIS planet. Easing poverty, augmenting human rights, education, infrastructure, disease control, etc etc.
That view was omitted from the “official view” hence (in my opinion) the ILLUSION of what you call “unity”.
Unity, then as now, was the only flip-side of marginalization. Not unlike the Teas desire to “return” to a time when “everyone” was Christian and straight. Those times never existed.
In addition, i think that glory-view of space exploration was a manifestation of the belief in Better Living Thru Science. I think a lot of people genuinely believed in that idea to some degree. Big cars and gleaming supermarkets and modern schools with flat roofs were all just the start. We were all destined to a life in a sanitized Utopian bubble with all problems solved, and healthy examples of a wide mixture of Flora and Fauna flitting around us. The Mighty Men Of Science would take us there. Now we see how the Mighty Men Of Science have just brought us Monsanto-engineered seeds and Predator drones. So I think as a society we’re far less pre-disposed to “unite” as a result of space exploration again. I personally would hate it. I would be appalled. I would be enraged at the gross misappropriation of funds at a time like this.
As much as I would LOVE to see everyone get their heads outta their behinds and get started on building The United Federation of Planets (Star Trek reference) that’s not how it would be, we’re way not ready for that yet. As anyone who has played STO would know. Putting space garb on the humans of today doesn’t class-up their behavior or make them any less prone to base, horrible brain-stem driven and very very un-united behavior.
It’s just putting sparkly Space Lipstick on a very ugly pig.
Newt Gingrich pulled this idea out of his ass. Moon base? Maybe, but there has to be a more objective way to decide what exploration and scientific endeavors we pursue with billions and trillions of dollars than an ethically and morally challenged politician pandering to republican primary voters who hate government spending but it’s okay if it helps the depressed “space coast” where they live, then gubment spending is hunky dorry. Oh, and we have to do this all ourselves, no collaboration with other countries so that we can put our flag on the moon alone. The only regret I’d imagine Newt would have is that there’d be no indigenous people on the moon to exploit. How about exploring deep oceans on earth, or curing cancer. Should that have priority? I don’t know if that’s the best use for scarce dollars. Let’s make a scientific evaluation and decision. And ancillary inventions and applications from the space race were fine (Tang and recycling urine in space is so delicious), but that’s not to say they couldn’t have been discovered without it.