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LongTomH

(8,636 posts)

36. I'm with you, Friend

Sun Dec 15, 2013, 10:23 PM

Dec 2013

I've been hoping and fighting to get the US back into space for decades. Starting in the late '70s, I was a member of [link:The L-5 Society|The L-5 Society] until it was merged / engulfed and devoured by the National Space Institute.

I've been a member of the National Space Society, gone to Washington for the March Storm Citizens Lobbying sessions sponsored by the ProSpace Foundation, and a participant in Senior Associate Get-togethers by the Foresight Institute (K. Eric Drexler's institute for discussion of molecular nanotechnology.)

A few months ago, I was an online participant in the Starship Congress put on by Icarus Interstellar. The whole 4 days of the Congress are available on The Icarus Interstellar YouTube channel. It was exciting to let myself hope again!

It's difficult to hold out any hope these days. We've got a Congress that seems divided by people uncaring about science and space exploration, and those, mostly on the right, who are actively hostile.

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China's Jade Rabbit Moon rover sends back first photos [View all] LongTomH Dec 2013 OP

so are they gonna build a walmart? nt msongs Dec 2013 #1

No. Bernardo de La Paz Dec 2013 #3

A Starbucks? sakabatou Dec 2013 #20

That's pretty offensive. eggplant Dec 2013 #13

Is it anymore offensive than when people make comments about finding/stealing oil on penultimate Dec 2013 #49

Um, nice strawman there. eggplant Dec 2013 #63

I am impressed with it, but just 'cause they aren't the US penultimate Dec 2013 #64

You are welcome to make such jokes. eggplant Dec 2013 #66

What's being joked about is the space program, not the race or ethnicity of the people behind it penultimate Dec 2013 #73

Walmart is a Person NobodyHere Dec 2013 #72

Build a Walmart? SoapBox Dec 2013 #16

Is that usual after a non-manned lunar landing? LanternWaste Dec 2013 #48

Naaah.... maybe a low-g sweat shop to make it more difficult for employees to jump to their deaths penultimate Dec 2013 #50

walmart is an american company JI7 Dec 2013 #58

These are the voyages... postulater Dec 2013 #2

+1 Bernardo de La Paz Dec 2013 #4

It sent back a selfie? nt valerief Dec 2013 #5

No, the lander took a picture of the rover bhikkhu Dec 2013 #15

I know. It's another place for countries to war over. nt valerief Dec 2013 #24

It's a soundstage in Beijing... Archae Dec 2013 #6

Not so Duer 157099 Dec 2013 #7

The flag... SoapBox Dec 2013 #17

Oh, that's the moon? I thought it was Beijing with all the pollution. R. Daneel Olivaw Dec 2013 #27

MAN has transmission quality improved! I hope we find a way to work together. nolabear Dec 2013 #8

Dark Side billhicks76 Dec 2013 #19

The sun rotates Paulie Dec 2013 #23

It rotates. But that period is the same as its revolution. immoderate Dec 2013 #26

Mercury is tidally locked to the Sun but not the same way the Moon is to the Earth Fumesucker Dec 2013 #41

The moon rotates too. Deep13 Dec 2013 #30

I believe the moon always faces earth from the same side because... mallard Dec 2013 #62

Possibly. Most of the lava plains are on the near side. The moon is tidally locked. Deep13 Dec 2013 #69

The Earth may never be tidally locked to the moon. Xithras Dec 2013 #78

First, it's the far side, not the dark side. The Moon rotates once every 28 days, meaning........ LongTomH Dec 2013 #39

First thing it does is send back a Selfie SkatmanRoth Dec 2013 #9

Um, it didn't take a picture of itself. AtheistCrusader Dec 2013 #40

I'm pretty sure that's a joke... penultimate Dec 2013 #51

Ok, I see it now. AtheistCrusader Dec 2013 #67

This is awesome! Mojo Electro Dec 2013 #10

If they wanted Moon rocks we could have sold them some.. Historic NY Dec 2013 #11

Most excellent. Congrats to the design team. eggplant Dec 2013 #12

Good for them n2doc Dec 2013 #14

An early step. The Chinese have a reported 1,000,000 people working on their space program ... Scuba Dec 2013 #18

and our government is working on bailing out, protecting from prosecution, and stacking the deck for yurbud Dec 2013 #68

I figured we would have a base up there by now Garion_55 Dec 2013 #21

I'm with you, Friend LongTomH Dec 2013 #36

Wow. Imagine when the first man walks on that alien terrain NoOneMan Dec 2013 #22

In other news, China has now declared the moon as part of their air-space... icymist Dec 2013 #25

Go team China! defacto7 Dec 2013 #28

Isn't that how the ISS works? penultimate Dec 2013 #54

Theoretically yes. defacto7 Dec 2013 #55

But we have forbidden China's participation in ISS mainer Dec 2013 #76

Just to put this into perspective... Deep13 Dec 2013 #29

what have we done lately? olddad56 Dec 2013 #31

Curiosity for one sarin Dec 2013 #33

Cassini at Saturn, New Horizons en route to Pluto... Deep13 Dec 2013 #57

Haha, the US has DOMINATED at solar system probes since the 90s: joshcryer Dec 2013 #59

I wonder how many of the scientists and engineers were educated in the US? olddad56 Dec 2013 #32

I wonder how much of OUR technology they stole to make this happen. n/t JeffHead Dec 2013 #34

I share all my technology under Open Source or Creative Commons licenses. hunter Dec 2013 #47

while the chinese are rapidly catching up to us in technology Dustin DeWinde Dec 2013 #35

Catching up? ramapo Dec 2013 #38

they wont pass us this year or next Dustin DeWinde Dec 2013 #42

We should be ashamed and embarressed ramapo Dec 2013 #37

we have a much healthier, much more inclusive society than we did in 1969 Dustin DeWinde Dec 2013 #43

What about all the recent missions that JPL sent to Mars and Jupiter? penultimate Dec 2013 #52

The manned space program is not the end all. joshcryer Dec 2013 #60

Mars Curiosity rover finds life-supporting chemicals jtuck004 Dec 2013 #44

Oh, and everything NASA produces is public domain... joshcryer Dec 2013 #61

"everything NASA produces is public domain" < Very likely not, but most of it, probably. jtuck004 Dec 2013 #71

Fair enough, I should've said "publicly releases." joshcryer Dec 2013 #74

wonder where the studio iamthebandfanman Dec 2013 #45

It's on Mars. penultimate Dec 2013 #53

It's on Titan. kentauros Dec 2013 #56

Moonies? Martak Sarno Dec 2013 #46

Is that snow on the wheels?? jessie04 Dec 2013 #65

No, it's light. Ash_F Dec 2013 #70

uh-oh - don't like the looks of this one Adenoid_Hynkel Dec 2013 #75

GOP Congress has kept us from working with China mainer Dec 2013 #77