Post #27…The Million $ Space Program Question
by tjb | Dec 14, 2022 | Author's Posts |
The history of NASA’s Space Program is tainted with suspicion regarding project management, decision making, safety standards, quality standards, and false reports of success. Dealing with all of these issues in one Post is beyond the scope of this website. While all of these issues reek of No Common Sense, I will focus on the most puzzling for now.
* On Otober 4,1957 the Soviet Union put the first satellite into Earth orbit.
* The United States prided itself on being at the forefront of technology, and embarrased, immediately began developing a response; signaling the start of the United States/Soviet Union space race.
* The start of NASA’s space program took place on July 29, 1958.
* On May 25, 1961 the President indicated our commitment to a lunar landing. ” I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.”. At that point in time occupation of the Moon was considered to be a tremendous military advantage, a natural jumping-point for future space exploration, and of the highest priority.
* On July 20. 1969 NASA claims that Neil Armstrong became the first human to step on the Moon; winning the race to the Moon.
* NASA claims that twelve astronaughts walked on the Moon during the period from 1969 to1972.
* The normal common sense reaction to that progress would be to fast-track the development of the Moon as a United States possession (i.e., a military base, typical American community…village…town…city…schools…Space Academy…etc.).
* Why is it that over 50 years after the first Astronaught walked on the Moon, nothing has been done!
* After we won the space race to the Moon, space exploration lost political support and NASA’s budget was cut significantly. Since the 1970s NASA’s budget hovered between 1% and 0.5% of all federal government spending.
* As of 2019 eleven countries have had the capability to send objects into earth orbit using their own launch vehicles. Have they also stopped trying to land on the Moon?
THE MILLION DOLLAR SPACE PROGRAM QUESTION
What did the government learn from the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Mission (7/16-24/1969) that made them start defunding NASA’s space program in the early 1970s?
