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brooklynite

(93,878 posts)
Tue May 1, 2018, 09:55 AM May 2018

NASA cancels lunar rover after Trump vow to return astronauts to the moon

Source: The Hill

NASA has ceased work on its only lunar rover, the Resource Prospector, raising concern among some scientists about how "serious" the space organization is about fulfilling President Trump's recent vow to send astronauts to the moon.

The Resource Prospector was being constructed to operate the first mining expedition on the moon in the 2020s, but a scientists told The Washington Post that the team was instructed last week to shut down work on the project by the end of May.

NASA said it is still "planning a series of progressive robotic missions to the lunar surface," but will look to the commercial space industry to complete the mission. An update to the project’s page on the NASA website notes that “selected instruments” from the rover will be landed on the moon.

However, a group of lunar scientists, in a letter to newly confirmed NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, say that cancelling the project will derail the timeline for returning to the moon and shows that NASA is not “serious” about that goal.

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/technology/385617-nasa-cancels-lunar-rover-despite-trump-vow-to-return-astronauts-to-the-moon

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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NASA cancels lunar rover after Trump vow to return astronauts to the moon (Original Post) brooklynite May 2018 OP
No worries. Trump and republican Congress will provide the money... Right? keithbvadu2 May 2018 #1
Running joke in my family... Cracklin Charlie May 2018 #2
LOL...we are NOT going back to the moon. Bengus81 May 2018 #3
"will look to the commercial space industry to complete the mission" i.e. we're privatizing NASA groundloop May 2018 #4
There are some things that only government can do. longship May 2018 #6
Absolutely.... And I'm certain many right wingers would love to quell NASA's climate research groundloop May 2018 #7
Yup! You got that right! longship May 2018 #8
congress also just confirmed the new adminstrator of NASA - a guy with NO science experience ragemage May 2018 #5
Qualification #1... Trump loyalist? keithbvadu2 May 2018 #9
Let me get this straight.......a treaty was signed that the planets would not be exploited turbinetree May 2018 #10
"Moon Treaty" never ratified by US LunaSea May 2018 #11
Thanks..................... turbinetree May 2018 #13
Guess you don't like Science Fiction. MicaelS May 2018 #14
I love planets....................... turbinetree May 2018 #16
"human travel into space and to continue to exploit and pollute another celestial body" EX500rider May 2018 #15
I am worried about what this planet is going through turbinetree May 2018 #17
The point is there is no ecosystem to hurt on the moon. EX500rider May 2018 #18
Yeah so they shut it down to discourage rump Maxheader May 2018 #12

Bengus81

(6,907 posts)
3. LOL...we are NOT going back to the moon.
Tue May 1, 2018, 10:52 AM
May 2018

Pretty soon Trump will tell his WV base that the good ship Stormy will run on coal all the way to the moon. Anything to suck a vote out of some DUMB SHIT.

groundloop

(11,488 posts)
4. "will look to the commercial space industry to complete the mission" i.e. we're privatizing NASA
Tue May 1, 2018, 11:10 AM
May 2018

The stupid bastards are going to privatize as much of the good work that NASA does as they can, which of course will increase costs and coincidentally maybe enrich a few of Spanky's billionaire buddies.

longship

(40,416 posts)
6. There are some things that only government can do.
Tue May 1, 2018, 11:37 AM
May 2018

Primary research is one of those things. Building unique big things is another. The Saturn V was not a private enterprise project for a reason.

groundloop

(11,488 posts)
7. Absolutely.... And I'm certain many right wingers would love to quell NASA's climate research
Tue May 1, 2018, 12:42 PM
May 2018

Many of the things that NASA does are not something that a private company could make money on, yet they are vitally important to our country. Climate research is a big one that comes to mind, Spanky and friends would love to see that go away.

ragemage

(104 posts)
5. congress also just confirmed the new adminstrator of NASA - a guy with NO science experience
Tue May 1, 2018, 11:32 AM
May 2018

Let that sink in...the new head of NASA has zero science experience. He was a Navy pilot and is a republican congressman (of course...) He hedges on climate change and is against LGBTQ rights (again, of course he does...)

So the guy in charge of the agency with a pretty heavy science requirement is not a scientist or even has any background in scientific research

But he is a republican and is a congressman, is not a big fan of climate science and doesn't like LGBTQ - so he is a perfect fit!

turbinetree

(24,632 posts)
10. Let me get this straight.......a treaty was signed that the planets would not be exploited
Tue May 1, 2018, 01:15 PM
May 2018
http://www.unoosa.org/pdf/publications/ST_SPACE_061Rev01E.pdf


but a prospector was going to being sent........................just like going from east of this country into the west.................and looked what happened.

turbinetree

(24,632 posts)
13. Thanks.....................
Tue May 1, 2018, 02:30 PM
May 2018

human travel into space and to continue to exploit and pollute another celestial body, just like some manifest destiny decree..................just great, look in a telescope and see some robot mining for something to make a buck.....................


MicaelS

(8,747 posts)
14. Guess you don't like Science Fiction.
Tue May 1, 2018, 02:56 PM
May 2018

Since the topic of most SF is the colonization of the Moon and other planets in the Solar System and galaxy. Here's a clue. The Moon is DEAD, it will STAY dead.

Scientists like Hawking have stated we must colonize the Solar System and galaxy to survive. You don't want the human race to survive, too bad. You can take your Luddism and file it in 13.

BTW, it is SO ironic you use a smilie throwing a computer.

turbinetree

(24,632 posts)
16. I love planets.......................
Tue May 1, 2018, 07:04 PM
May 2018

without them we would be dead, especially the moon, I will be dead many times over after the moon loses the gravitational pull from the earth, I just don't want to look in my telescope and see some machine digging it up to make a buck, lets say for nickle.

And thanks for the compliment, I will keep your thoughts in mind, ..........mankind is fucked up...............

EX500rider

(10,532 posts)
15. "human travel into space and to continue to exploit and pollute another celestial body"
Tue May 1, 2018, 05:43 PM
May 2018

Are you worried lunar native inhabitants will be abused somehow?
Or that we will pollute the non-existent atmosphere?

Frankly if we have a choice of strip mining the earth or the airless dead rock called the moon I know what I pick.

"and see some robot mining for something to make a buck."
or to maybe keep modern civilization going?
I would choose not to return to a hunter-gatherer type society, and to do that we need lots of stuff that come out of the ground.

turbinetree

(24,632 posts)
17. I am worried about what this planet is going through
Tue May 1, 2018, 07:09 PM
May 2018

this one can be used as a example of how we treat everything...........no respect.

This planet can't even feed its self.......................with the ones that are in charge now...................

Maxheader

(4,366 posts)
12. Yeah so they shut it down to discourage rump
Tue May 1, 2018, 01:34 PM
May 2018

from lunar projects? The mining thing sounds like a cheetoz
brainfart...but is Nasa just giving lip service about working
lunar programs to keep the funding flowing? I thought MARS
was the direction things were developing?

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