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Puck
The Texan
Joined: 05 Jan 2004
Posts: 5596
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 Tue May 31, 2005 11:04 pm NASA Administrator: 'We Can Go to Mars' |
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NASA Administrator: 'We Can Go to Mars'
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
SPACE CENTER, Houston � NASA's new administrator and Texas Republican Rep. Tom DeLay (search) said Tuesday the space agency will have the necessary funding to implement President Bush's vision to send astronauts back to the moon and to Mars.
"We have the money to do good things," said Michael Griffin, who has visited at least seven of NASA's (search) centers since he was appointed in April. During a two-day visit at the home of human spaceflight, he spoke with astronauts, flight directors and other top administrators.
Griffin said the agency has received a steady flow of funding that when adjusted for inflation is comparable to the funding the agency had when it first sent astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program (search) of the 1960s and early 1970s.
"You will find that NASA received as much in the last 16 years of its existence as in the first 16," he said. "In my judgment, we can go to the moon. We can go to Mars. We can't do them quite as quickly as we did during Apollo, but we can do it."
DeLay said NASA is a priority � even in a time of war and tightening budgets.
"We will provide the funding necessary to get us where we want to go," the House majority leader said. "And hopefully we can do it in an expedited manner."
NASA's shuttle fleet has been grounded since 2003 when a large chunk of foam insulation broke off Columbia's fuel tank during launch and gashed the left wing, dooming the spacecraft and its crew during re-entry. All seven astronauts were killed.
The agency hopes to return space shuttle Discovery to orbit in mid-July. Discovery was slated to return to space in late May, but the danger of ice and sensor-and-valve problems prompted NASA to postpone the launch.
The new administrator said he foresees no reason why Johnson Space Center's mission would be significantly altered and hopes to maintain the balance that has been reached between robotic and human space missions.
"If you ask anyone in this country, 'Do you believe that the United States should cede the moon to say the Chinese, Europeans, Russians, whoever?' I bet you the answer would be, 'No,"' he said.
Griffin said he believes a majority of people "want to make sure that as humankind expands into space the United States is there in the forefront."
"That is why this is important," he said. "It's about where human beings go and what they do when they get there and what that means to the future of the human race."
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 pm |
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Awesome! One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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madlilnerd
Duchess of Dancemat
Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 5885
Location: Slough, England
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| Wed Jun 01, 2005 5:59 am |
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I wanna be the first woman on Mars!!!!!! I should so get the oppourtunity to do that because they make Mars bars in my town...
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Jeff Miller
Fleet Admiral
Joined: 22 Nov 2001
Posts: 23947
Location: Mental Ward for the Mentaly Unstable 6th floor, Saint John's 1615 Delaware Longview Washington 98632
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| Wed Jun 01, 2005 10:59 am |
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it'll probably be acouple hundred years than we'll be living up there.
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webtaz99
Commodore
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Posts: 1229
Location: The Other Side
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| Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:35 am |
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NASA doesn't talk about it much, but the biggest thing standing in the way of human exploration of Mars is the publics' irrational opposition to nuclear power in space. Abundant power solves or reduces many of the problems of living in space.
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"History is made at night! Character is who you are in the dark." (Lord John Whorfin)
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madlilnerd
Duchess of Dancemat
Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 5885
Location: Slough, England
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| Wed Jun 01, 2005 1:58 pm |
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When will people learn that nuclear power is a GOOD thing? As long as you don't build the power stations on fault lines and you make sure you staff them with competant workers and you don't do any risky tests (like they did at Chenoble) then nuclear power is very very GOOD.
One tiny part of my brain does oppose space travel because it led to the extinction of a sparrow species... oh, and because there's so much poverty here on earth that needs sorting out before we take to the skies... but that's all blocked out by my dreams to be an astronaught. And why shouldn't I have those dreams? After all, I did get an A* on my physics test  .
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Lord Borg
Fleet Admiral
Joined: 27 May 2003
Posts: 11214
Location: Vulcan Capital City, Vulcan
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| Wed Jun 01, 2005 4:31 pm |
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Awsome. Going to mars is a great idea
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Starbuck
faster...
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 8715
Location: between chaos and melody
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| Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:29 pm |
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This sounds like an adventure.
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