The driver, as China's decision makers have realized, is the "completion of astrophysical surveys" - CAPS (the Comet and Asteroid Protection System) in other words, finding the next impactor as early as possible. An absolutely essential service on a global basis which can best be provided from the Moon. By investing their manned space flight resources in an extremely focusd manner, China will be giving NASA a real run for "leadership role" by 2018, if not by carrying foriegn astronauts to either their experimental laboratory (2008-2010, 2 years from now) or space station (with slip for CZ5 - say 2013-2015), then with CAPS after that.
It will be another fine mess the neocons have led us into - the effects of neocon attack politics on our space sector. After November, I think it likely that the Dem-left will remember that $10 million per year that Anderson gave to Tumlinson, and Sensebrenner's "oversight", among other things too numerous to mention. All they need is a really hostile member on the space subcommittee - it depends on the votes right now - say Barney Frank, or one of his colleagues (member to be named).
The kicker on all of this is that it is not likely that high latitude countries are going to sit quietly by as the US blows holes in the ozone layer over them with SRBs, if that is the case.
It's a mess like Iraq. One can only hope that the Dem-center and Rep-center will realize the way out of it.
Space/Science » in reply to re: Weak article
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- The problems with lunar ISRU
- Was wondering how long it would take for them to notice.
- re: Weak article
- The problem with Mars ISRU
- Was wondering how long it would take for them to notice.