Japan Outlines Plan to Put People on Moon

[Rose Siding]

snip>
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, is asking that its budget be increased from $2 billion a year to roughly $2.6 billion. By comparison, NASA's annual budget is about $16 billion. Over the next decade, JAXA's plan calls for scientists to develop robots and nanotechnology for surveys of the moon and to design a rocket and space vessel capable of carrying cargo and passengers. By 2015, JAXA will review whether it's ready for human space travel and possibly building a base on the moon.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-briefs9.1apr09,1,2137678.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

[Art_from_Ark]

1. Wow! JAXA is really reaching for the stars

They're also gung ho about the ISS (International Space Station) and resuming shuttle flights. They're also developing their own ISS lab, called "Kibo", or "Hope"

[geomon666]

2. Now you see, the Japanese can do this...

because they're not bogged down with corrupt slime running the government and starting wars all over the world. They can actually afford to actually.....further the betterment of mankind. Not like we deserve it.

[Deja Q]

3. If we put the chains on our greedy and inhuman, then we would deserve it.

[underthedome]

4. HUH? NASA's budget is much larger

I don't get your post.

[geomon666]

8. I'm saying...

that for all the money and wealth we have in this country, what do we do with it? We kill people. NASA has all that money but they go cheap so people die. The shuttle was a disaster waiting to happen.

[Art_from_Ark]

10. I think NASA itself is really interested in exploring space

but its hands are tied because of the wacky agendas of its controllers. On the other hand, JAXA (which is within an easy drive of me!) seems to be given freer rein with its money. JAXA (which used to be called NASDA) is staffed by dedicated people who want to give Japan a world-class space program.

[MisterP]

13. quite right: they git no respeck'! Why do we hear of De Soto

(until the Native Americans mostly put paid to that) and Henry the Navigator!

[megatherium]

5. Why, for goodness sakes? We've already done these things

and proved they're incredibly expensive and not really worth doing.

Our unmanned space program has been much more scientifically productive than our manned program; I believe we should shut down our manned program entirely and spend some of that money on advanced propulsion research (to create genuine space planes, something that has proved much harder to engineer than people thought it would be, circa 1970). Perhaps in 15-20 years, we'll be ready for a worthwhile manned program.

[kevsand]

6. Can we volunteer Dubya?

We wouldn't have to wait for the actual manned flights. He could do some of the early tests...

[lovuian]

7. Eu wants Mars and Japan wants the Moon!!! Wheres NASA?

America better get its act together!!!

[LiberalFighter]

9. Send an application to gw*dipshit for him to join

[HEyHEY]

11. Well, they always send a chimp first!

[AuntiBush]

12. And I know Just the Folks They Can Send!

Bu$H & Company!

[jpgray]

14. If it even peripherally could involve a walking robot, they'll do it

:D

[Bill_Henebrie]

15. Wow!, Finally A Man on the Moon?

Since we never went the first time.
Japan would be the real Explorer's.

The USA is hoping that by the time Japan takes pictures of the empty craters were all our space junk left behind is supposed to be, everyone from 1969 will be dead or to old to make any political problems out of the scandal...

Way to go Japan........

[darkism]

21. Oh no.

:eyes:

[CoffeeCat]

16. What about Mars? I thought Bush said the US would go to Mars...

...or did Junior say he was from Mars?

[TeeYiYi]

19. To Mars and beyond . . .

TYY

[VegasWolf]

17. Bush and the other conservatives don't care about science, it's the

devil's work you know.

[Robeson]

18. I think thats great.

[confludemocrat]

20. With them, there never woulda been an Apollo 13

and there won't be an equivalent now. They learn better and do better work. Meanwhile, we will still be in Iraq, making for more freedom! I wish them the best. And I wish us to be saved from disaster.