doubleplusundead

February 03, 2010

Hope you can't believe in!

Hot on the heels of Big O deciding to turn NASA from a space agency to a global-warming tracker, Iran is announcing that Kavoshgar-3 (translated as Explorer-3) has been successfully launched into space with a mouse, a couple of turtles, and some worms on it.

Why, do you ask, does this matter, when many other countries have done the same thing with more advanced species?

Well, aside from the implications of Iran having a fully functioning space program on national defense and security (if you can send a ship to space, you can send a rocket just about anywhere), there is our own standing in the world as a strong power in technology and space to consider. While Iran continues to push forward with nuclear technology that we definitely don't like, they also plan on having a man in orbit within the next ten years. Meanwhile, we've decided to stop working on spacecraft that have the potential to take a man beyond orbit.

Space travel is about the first half of Obama's campaign platform - hope. About the hope and desire of mankind, and Americans, to make an impact, not just on our earth, but on the universe. To know what's out there and what it's like, to learn new things about the marvels around us, and, to get a little Trekkie on you, "to seek out new life and explore strange new worlds."

But, I guess, that's just not the kind of hope that Obama was talking about.

As usual.

Posted by: Ember at 09:40 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 256 words, total size 2 kb.

1 What pisses me off the most about Obama's cancellation of the Constellation project is that it is so unnecessary. If he were to announce a real budget clampdown, cutting out hundreds of billions of wasteful spending - hundreds of billions, like, 7, or so - and Constellation was one of them, I would accept it as a project that is not truly necessary and fairly expensive.

As it is, the fucker is still increasing spending like a drunken Keynes. He gave 8 billion to Florida to start construction on that stupid Obamarail that will end up costing the Feds three times that. That paltry 8 billion is more than double the cost of the whole Constellation program!

The cost of the Constellation program is a little more than $12 per person in the US - about $25 per worker. Of all of the stupid shit we pay for - including thousands I have already given to old people that I will never see again - I would be glad to pay $25 to put another American on the moon.

And they say conservatives are anti-science.

Posted by: Jeff M at February 03, 2010 10:42 PM (8P3+x)

2 "...if you can send a ship to space, you can send a rocket just about anywhere."

And they will.

The pulse can easily span continent-sized areas, and this radiation can affect systems on land, sea, and air. The first recorded EMP incident accompanied a high-altitude nuclear test over the South Pacific and resulted in power system failures as far away as Hawaii. A large device detonated at 400–500 km (250 to 312 miles) over Kansas would affect all of the continental U.S. The signal from such an event extends to the visual horizon as seen from the burst point.

Repent, infidels!

Posted by: the botnet at February 03, 2010 11:06 PM (kZzmb)

I've kind of been a commie-symp' since the Chinese started their plan to put men back on the moon.

I'm a space-whore when it comes to unequivocally approving space programs. I don't care. Get.Us.Moved.Off.Planet.

And fuck all: if Iran wants to send earthworms to space, I'm okay with that too.

...especially if it would scare some short-sighted DC politicians to get their heads out of their asses.

Posted by: davis,br at February 04, 2010 12:18 AM (uCShA)

4
I wrote a post a few months ago (at Uncommon Misconceptions, not IB), which tried to make the argument that one of the fundamental differences between conservatives and liberals is the notion of destiny. Conservatives believe that mankind is on a course to something better, while liberals believe that this is pretty much it. So conservatives aren't as concerned with the environment, social justice, and other such causes - we have our eye on the future. For liberals, if there's no ultimate point to our existence, then issues like the environment and social justice are critical.

I once likened it to driving a car. Conservatives don't mind the car getting dirty or falling into some disrepair as long as the car is still getting to its destination. Liberals don't believe there's any point to actually driving the car, so they spend their time repairing and cleaning it . . . and hoping it's never used.

Posted by: geoff at February 04, 2010 10:12 AM (G/5Za)

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