Posted on 01/23/2012 2:41:38 PM PST by JerseyanExile
According to the Space Politics blog, Newt Gingrich plans to make a space policy speech on Florida's space coast probably Wednesday. He said it would be "in the John F. Kennedy tradition rather than the current bureaucracy."
Gingrich has been a fierce critic of what he calls the NASA bureaucracy, according to Fox News, and an advocate for outside-the-box thinking like using prize competitions, according to Space Politics. It has been rare for candidates running for president to make speeches wholly devoted to space issues. Considering that Gingrich is now the front runner for the Republic nomination, this could be a history changer.
It will be interesting to see if Gingrich can lay out a compelling vision for America in space that not only incorporates some of the more interesting ideas such as space prizes and leveraging the commercial sector (in the right way) but which can be bought in by the various political players that control space policy. As a former speaker of the House, Gingrich has to be keenly aware of what it will take to propose and execute a change of direction and get Congress to go along.
(Excerpt) Read more at old.news.yahoo.com ...
Very smart move on Newt’s part IMO. I’m thrilled someone is seriously talking about this.
He’s trying to reach out to the Nerds for Cain. I’d like to see someone talking about a means of enabling regular inter-continental space travel.
Newt is very wise to familiarize himself with local issues that primary voters care about. The others better catch on soon...
We've always been No. 1. No. 2 is unbecoming. We've worked too hard.
Throw out the outer space and moon treaties and let the private sector lay a legal claim on any natural body in space a man can put feet on.
Me too! That’s what I like about Newt - he has ideas, something we haven’t seen here in the US since about forever. Not retreads but real, serious new ideas.
His plan is going to be very important to Florida, too, since we have (well, had) the space industry for the East Coast here.
One average sized, Platinum-rich metal bearing asteroid (and there exist a great many) equal the annual Global Product. In other words, these asteroids are worth trillions of dollars apiece.
It is possible to mine asteroids and, with our present technology, smelt, process the metal and manufacure in the zero gravity vacuum of space.
We can do it.
It will spur a whole new industrial revolution, one that isn’t just global but that will eventually spread out solar system wide.
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Conservatia
with apologies to Sir Isaac
Agreed, NASA needs to pick up the banner of Louis and Clark. Be pathfinders, explorers, and prospectors blazing a trail for industry to follow.
As far as liberals are concerned. If they really cared about the planet they should demand an explosive expansion of space exploration. Once full scale mining of mineral wealth in space starts, mining here on earth will all but end. A lot of manufacturing could go to space as well.
Interesting!
to all a
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Conservatia
with apologies to Sir Isaac
Yeehah!
It worked for Kennedy...
Big ideas, big vision for America. A future of opportunity.
Meanwhile, Willard whines about teivial things that happened in the previous century.
How fantastic it would be to witness this kind of thing happening. Talk about a ‘if they can do that, I can do anything moment’. It would lift America to a whole new level and should be our destiny.
Wow, just started reading about this. So cool!
Boldly go Newt!
The nations that lead on the frontiers, end up dictating the course of human history.
A robust space program for America is critical in what ever form it comes. It’s time America gets back to the moon and beyond.
A number of years ago the only place to make near perfect ball bearings was in space to overcome the role gravity plays in the manufacturing process. Not sure if that’s still true.
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