Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.clinton,tx.politics
Subject: (new) US Space Program
From: judy@technology.com (Judy McMillin)
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 17:21:43 GMT
Organization: Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas

Thanks, Jay D., M. Best, S. Fennell, J. Shirreffs, K. Small, Dr. Norm, and
anyone else I missed, for participating in this discussion.  Since I work
in "space physics", this has been quite interesting.  I've been out of the
office a couple weeks, but I'm going to give this a shot. . .

	Mike Schwarts - First, I live in Texas and I don't want to
	have the whole world living here; we're already crammed onto
	this island Earth closely enough, thank you.

	Having said that, I had to laugh at your FIRST suggestion
	for improving the infrastructure:  high speed data networks.
	(I work with computer folks, so that should not have been
	a surprise to me!) When I think of infrastructure, soft
	brained creature that I am, I first think of sewers, clean
	water supplies, public transport, etc.  But I agree with
	you -- we need our infrastructure beefed up, and other
	countries are far behind us.

	I work with "scientists" involved in the space program;
	most think space travel and the ilk are laughable. Remember,
	the impetus behind "The Space Program" has been military
	from day one; this so-called "dream" is something the
	military-industrial complex and Washington created in
	order for the taxpayers to fund it; most of us think we
	already spend enough for "Defense."

	Mark, please read the above about that so-called "dream
	that captured the entire nation."  Don't get me wrong,
	dreams are nice, but is it MORAL for the US taxman to
 	hold the population at gunpoint to pay for it!

	Some of you felt that the spinoff technology was worth
	the cost of the space program -- and some of you argued
	that justification.  I think there's merit to both sides
	of that one.

	Jim Shierreffs, what is wrong with exploring space?
	I agree with you -- nothing.  So it costs a few bucks,
	big deal -- YES BIG DEAL.  What am I getting for my
	money?  I don't know, but I like to know what I spend
	my money on.

	Norman, you contend that space exploration and development
	are the next industrial revolution.  Well, the potential
	is certainly there, but I don't believe we've learned
	yet how to deal with the more recent industrial revolution
	-- the one that is destroying this planet faster than we
	know how (are willing?) to stop it.

	I have a vision of the future with Earth as a sort of
	combination resort and retirement community.  Even though
	scientists cite all the reasons a spacefaring future is
	not possible, I contend that someone, somewhere may be
	discovering some little insignificant piece of knowledge
	that will lead to other more significants pieces, and
	voila -- eventually, a breakthrough once "known to be
	impossible."  

	My problem with the present space program is that there 
	does not seem to be any goal or direction so why are we
	being held at gunpoint to pay for NASA to keep doing
	more and more of the same old things?  

I could continue this ad nauseum, but well maybe later.  Bye, thanks!

	Judy.

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