Posted on 11/18/2016 8:34:47 AM PST by BenLurkin
In the spirit of promiscuous speculation, we will float this notion: The moon is back!
...
One of the people mentioned in news reports as a potential NASA administrator is Rep. James Bridenstine, Republican from Oklahoma, who earlier this year drafted legislation he calls the American Space Renaissance Act. He's called for a return to the moon as part of sweeping reforms at NASA. Bridenstine has also been mentioned as a potential secretary of the Air Force.
...
NASA's Apollo 11 mission in July 1969 succeeded in putting the first men on the moon. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and then 10 more American astronauts left boot prints in lunar regolith across six Apollo missions, the last in 1972. No human being has been beyond low Earth orbit since that final moonshot.
...
George W. Bush vowed to go back to the moon, and his administration put together a program, Constellation, that foresaw another moon landing in 2020. Obama killed Constellation, saying been there, done that. Congress, however, kept elements of the Constellation package — that big rocket, that new capsule — and so billions of dollars are being spent on hardware that should be ready for launch in the next couple of years.
...
Because Congress preserved elements of Constellation, it could be revived under a new administration. NASA has the SLS and the Orion, and to get to the surface of the moon it would just need a lunar lander, maybe paid for, at least partially, by international partners. And NASA has already been talking about missions in orbit around the moon in the 2020s. The veterans who run human spaceflight at NASA put themselves in a good position to re-pivot to the moon if that became politically mandated.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Will they take Cher with them?
I am not sure Gingrich is calling any shots. He suddenly got kind of sidelined once the 5 year ban on lobbyists was announced.
Newt has huge connections to the industry and in my mind should be considered a lobbyist.
As much as I’d like to “Make the Moon Great Again”, Trump’s team needs to cut out NASA’s politically correct silliness first, then start focusing on programs that benefit Americans here on earth.
No, she has to go to Jupiter.
“It’s full of stars.”
But now Muslims will feel left out, especially after so many unheralded contributions to science and space exploration. What to do????!!!
No more Muslim outreach?
To the moon, Alice!
No news today.....so the Wapo makes it up....again.
I thought she was headed to Uranus.
Hell ya!!!
No more NASA focusing on climate change?
I wish they could send Mitt Romney to the moon.
How will this affect NASA’s muslim outreach program?
It sure would be a shame to lose their eight years of progress on that front...
I don’t know about that, but she sure has spent a lot of time in Heranus...
Great minds think alike - see #18.
NASA should be re-directed to updating the nations airports. Installing state of the art equipment and improving safety.
They should totally dump the “Muslim outreach” crap, and stick to their specialties.
The National Areonautics and Space Administration needs to work within their title, and leave the socialism stuff by the wayside.
This would greatly fulfill the airport infrastructure promises Trump made in his campaign. Two birds with one stone...and, MORE JOBS!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.