This Christmas marks the 50th anniversary of the spectacular Apollo 8 mission around the moon. We still are awed by the famous 'Earthrise' photo and the incredible progress in going to the moon less than eight years from President Kennedy's challenge to go "in this decade."
Apollo 8 was the mission that validated our ability to go to the moon and return safely, which set the stage for further validating flights of Apollo 9 and 10. Only then were we ready to safely land Americans on the Moon.
A half century later, we haven't been back to the moon or gone on from there to Mars, a fact that would have outraged anyone living in the Apollo era. "Of course we will have lunar and martian bases by the year 2000," they might have exclaimed.
In spite of learning how to successfully go to the Moon 50 years ago, NASA's current plans might only return Americans to the surface of the moon by the late 2020s--perhaps in time for the 60th anniversary of Apollo 8 or Apollo 11.
Yet the surface of the Moon is where we will learn how to live on Mars, and where cities and commerce will one day arise. But there's a serious race for the only parts of the Moon where humans can live: the poles where there is water ice in the craters. America might not be participating in this race, unlike in the original race to the Moon, however China has set their plans to conquer the poles. The danger is they will claim the strategic poles as theirs, following the example they are setting to try to seize the international waters and sovereign territories of the South China Sea.
It's time to get our priorities correct for the 2020s, with a determined program to land Americans back on the moon in the early 2020s followed by constructing a permanent lunar base with our partners from the International Space Station, and then, with lessons learned, go to Mars in the 2030s!
Watch the Apollo 8 astronaut's Christmas Eve broadcast from the Moon, including reading from Genesis:
April 20, 2018
The Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration congratulates the Honorable Jim Bridenstine on the occasion of his Senate confirmation as NASA Administrator.
Administrator Bridenstine can now roll up his sleeves and change policies from the previous administration to accelerate our journeys to the Moon and Mars.
These are exciting times for the space program! The president and vice president are great supporters of reinvigorating our space program, and the National Space Council is reviewing our entire space program to focus more on human space exploration and better utilize commercial space ventures.
Commercial space is booming and set to launch American astronauts on American rockets within a year or two, and companies like Bigelow are building habitats that can be used in orbit or on the Moon and Mars. Students are getting hands-on experience building cubesats and Mars rovers, and new small and large rockets are cutting launch costs.
Congress has provided additional funds, though even more is needed to avoid delays that cost far more over additional years.
We are at the beginning of a new golden era in space, and Administrator Bridenstine can harness the best of commercial space to return to the surface of the Moon, learn how to live on another world and then go to Mars--far sooner than in plans from the past administration.
America salutes Bridenstine's experience, dedication and passion to restore our space program and lead us to new frontiers.
A private company, on their own dime, built the most powerful rocket operational in the world--and launched it on a test mission towards and beyond Mars!
SpaceX spent years developing the rocket, which will be capable of carrying larger satellites to orbit, larger rovers and probes to Mars and other planets, and astronauts beyond earth orbit. With refueling, the FH could even send astronauts to land on the moon and perhaps Mars.
Elon Musk, president of SpaceX had predicted a high chance of failure with this new design, but it performed flawlessly.
Oh, the payload was Elon Musk's Tesla roadster, the first car in space, which is on course to pass Mars and orbit in space for perhaps a billion years.
Car in Space!
The Falcon Heavy and successors could be major players in reaching beyond low earth orbit to build a base on the Moon in the 2020s and then, with lessons learned, go to Mars in the 2030s.
LATEST: NASA's acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot is retiring on April 30, which will leave NASA truly leaderless. It's time to confirm the president's choice to lead NASA back to bold exploration. McCain and Rubio should drop their destructive 'holds' and join other Republican Senators in confirming Bridenstine.
It is critical that the Senate vote to confirm the Honorable Jim Bridenstine's nomination as NASA Administrator as soon as possible. Bridenstine has a passion for refocusing NASA on deep space human exploration, to actually take us back to the Moon and on to Mars, and he is willing to give up a Congressional seat he could have held for twenty years so he can help restore our space program.
Past NASA administrators were confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote. Never before have partisan battles been used against the leadership at NASA.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Bridenstine's nomination on January 18, and the full Senate must now vote to confirm him. Call members of the committee in support of the nomination, because they should help gain votes for the nomination -- 202-224-3121 https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/committeemembers
A leaderless NASA will give China and other nations more of a head start, and harm our economy and our space leadership and global competitiveness. President Trump has outlined great plans to restore our space program to return to the Moon, and with lessons learned, go to Mars.
Hopefully NASA will not detour from landing on the Moon to building the "Deep Space Gateway" that would delay going back to the Moon until the 2030s and thus move Mars to sometime in the 2040s or beyond. Without a permanent Administrator, the task will be much more difficult and result in delays.
Here's how you can help:
Call Senator Mitch McConnell's Majority Leader office -- 202-224-3135
Ask that he secure the necessary votes, get the Senators who placed "holds" on the nomination to remove them. Then file 'cloture' to hold a vote and schedule the floor vote on the nomination.
Call Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) -- 202-224-5922
Senator Cruz is chairman of the Space, Science, and Competitiveness Subcommittee, and supports Bridenstine. Ask him to work with Majority Leader McConnell to secure the votes and schedule the vote, and to appeal to those who placed holds.
Call Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) -- 202-224-3954
Senator Manchin represents a very 'Red' state, and may be the Democratic Senator most likely to support Bridenstine.
Call Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) 202-224-4124
Senator Jones was elected by a very small margin in a very GOP and very pro-space state--the Marshall NASA center is a serious space tech hub in Alabama. Voting against the president's NASA nominee on partisan grounds would harm our space program and offend the Republican voters he needs to be re-elected. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) -- 202-224-2235
Senator McCain placed a "hold" on the nomination--he should remove the hold to allow a fair vote. Remind McCain that American leadership in space and by extension America's standing in world affairs are weakened without a NASA Administrator to the benefit of our enemies and foreign countries. The Senator's absence this year from the Senate might preclude his vote, however, he should respect the tradition of the Senate and allow a fair vote in his absence.
Call Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) -- 202-224-5274 Call Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) -- 202-224-3041
Please remind the two Senators from Florida that the future of the space coast economy and America's space competitiveness are at risk if NASA remains effectively leaderless. Both Senators Rubio and Nelson placed a "hold" on the nomination--they should remove the holds to allow a fair vote. Rubio's hold reportedly dates to disagreements during the 2016 campaign, but it is believed he would vote to confirm if a vote is held.
Call Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), the Senator appointed to replace Thad Cochran -- 202-224-5054 Sen. Hyde-Smith has the opportunity to take a lead in the Senate to line up votes for Bridenstine, and persuade her colleagues to drop their holds and opposition. Sen. Cochran had placed a "hold" on the nomination, and his retirement reduced the active holds to three. Mississippi has the Stennis NASA center that tests rocket engines, and continued delays in confirming the president's NASA nominee would harm our space program--and Mississippi's economy.
Regardless of the partisan battles in Congress, everyone should agree that Bridenstine deserves a simple up-or-down vote.
Forward this to your friends and on social media--especially to people in the above states. Call radio talk shows to alert more people. Write letters to the editor urging rapid confirmation. These quick actions can make a difference!
Photo credit: Tom Kimmell This is the Bridenstine "whip list."
Are you ready to go back to the Moon and on to Mars?
President Trump signed an Executive Memorandum today, directing NASA to work with commercial space and our international partners to actually go to the Moon and Mars.
From the order: "The paragraph beginning "Set far-reaching exploration milestones" is deleted and replaced with the following: "Lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities. Beginning with missions beyond low-Earth orbit, the United States will lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations;"."
The order replaced the current meaningless direction to "set far reaching exploration milestones," with direction to go to the Moon and Mars. This is a major change--from talk and excuses to action.
However, the president can't do it alone.
Now it is up to us to supply the public support the president needs to get Congress onboard with the appropriations and authorizations to get away from flat or declining budgets and get us on the pathway that will take us to the Moon in the 2020s and Mars in the 2030s.
Please call your Senators and Representatives in support of real increases for NASA's budget, and for Congressional support to get us back o the Moon and on the road to Mars. 202-224-3121. www.House.govwww.Senate.gov
Please also call your Senators and ask that they vote to confirm the nomination of the Honorable Jim Bridenstine as NASA Administrator. 202-224-3121. www.Senate.gov
To the Moon and Mars! Real plans in 2018 if we act now. Your Donation will be Greatly Appreciated.
Dear Space Advocate,
Thank you so much for your support in 2017!
America's space program is at a historic turning point. Decades of started but cancelled plans, and decades of always pushing the Moon and Mars decades into the future CAN end now. If we act now. And the failed plans CAN be replaced with real plans and a real budget to build a Lunar base in the 2020s, and go to Mars in the 2030s. If we act now.
The president's nominee for NASA Administrator has been approved in committee, but awaits final Senate approval. Your help is needed to get the votes necessary--call your Senators. Once in office, the Honorable Jim Bridenstine can roll up his sleeves, bypass the bureaucrats and bean counters, and free the engineers and commercial space to get us to the future we have hoped and dreamed for all these years.
The Vice President is the chairman of the National Space Council. In coming months, the Council will report on the specifics of how we can return to the Moon and go to Mars--for real. The Council will bring together NASA, commercial space, industry and other stakeholders to unite and accomplish our objectives in human space exploration, and to free commercial space to reach new frontiers.
As an indicator of the president's and vice president's determination to restore our space program, consider one of their first actions was to ask NASA engineers if the first SLS rocket launch could be manned. While the engineers decided that wouldn't be safe, this shows a serious desire by the administration to think outside the box, and to accelerate long-dormant and slow-rolled plans.
But it all starts with your support.
Please donate nowto help make our long-postponed dreams finally become a reality.
Save Manned Space remains your advocate in Washington. The Director helped write space policy for the president's campaign. He met with the president's and vice president's space advisors offering a detailed series of recommendations that would restore our space program. Save Manned Space is often in Congress meeting with members and key staff.
We have helped lead the confirmation battle for Hon. Bridenstine as NASA Administrator with visits, working with pro-space groups, and even advocating to over 140 Washington-based political and grassroots organizations the importance of a solid confirmation vote by the Senate. The Director gave four speeches at the Mars Society's International Convention, reaching those who's voices are essential in uniting support for real missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Continued outreach this year to the media netted many radio interviews.
Few if any others in the space advocacy field warn of the threats from China and other regimes that will use control of space as a weapon to block commercial space and NASA exploration alike. Some might say in this budget environment that Mars can wait. Or that we must settle for baby steps like missions around the Moon, but never land again on the Moon. This would surrender outer space to those who intend to deny our access. Time is indeed of the essence.
That's why your donation nowmeans so much. The upcoming battles in Congress to approve the changes that could put us on track to send Americans to the Moon and Mars after the NASA Administrator is confirmed will be incredibly difficult.
There are real threats to a new space program that will take us to the Moon and Mars. One is entrenched bureaucrats loyal to the bureaucracy and not to a bold new space program. Another is a diversionary plan to build the 'Deep Space Gateway," which would be a lunar orbital base like a mini-ISS that would just orbit the Moon, allowing 'spectator seating to watch China build bases ON the surface of the Moon.' Yet another threat is perpetually-flat NASA budgets in spite of the space program yielding far greater returns to the economy than its budget (almost unheard of for any other program!).
But there is hope. Real hope that for the first time in too many years, America can harness the American spirit and the and make real and fast progress. It's not the technology that's keeping us trapped in low earth orbit. After all, your phone has far more computing power than the Apollo lander did. It's political will. That's all. That's why advocacy organizations like Save Manned Space are essential in building support.
Please donate nowto help Save Manned Space offer the necessary public support. Donations are not tax deductible because we lobby Congress on your behalf.
Please add your support now for a bold new space program. $5, $25, $50 or even $5,000--it all adds up and makes a great difference.
The Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration endorses the nomination of Rep. Jim Bridenstine to be the next NASA Administrator.
Hon. Bridenstine was approved by the Senate Commerce, Transportation and Science Committee. The full Senate confirmation vote is expected soon.
Please support Rep. Jim Bridenstine's nomination. It is important for all space advocates that he be confirmed by the Senate by unanimous consent or a strong bi-partisan vote.
The Coalition has been helping to lead the way by working with pro-space groups to urge their support, contacting Senators, speaking at the Mars Society Convention, as well as addressing a meeting of 140 political leaders.
Congressman Bridenstine is a strong supporter of the space program, commercial and new-space, crewed Moon and Mars missions, and an overall restoration of American leadership in space exploration. Under his leadership, combined with the strong support by President Trump, and Vice President Pence's leadership in the new National Space Council, we have the opportunity to reform NASA and set a serious roadmap to return to the Moon in the 2020s and land on Mars in the 2030s.
While politics in Congress has unfortunately become more combative in recent years, space and NASA policy has always remained overwhelmingly non-partisan. Some may disagree with
Democrats and Republicans united to send Americans to the moon, and to build the space shuttles and the International Space Station. United, we will indeed return to the Moon and go to Mars sooner than many believe possible. Divided, we will never make it.
NASA is effectively paralyzed until a permanent administrator is confirmed. That means no shift to real plans to go to Mars or the Moon.
Historically, the Senate confirms NASA administrators with unanimous votes:
In 2009, both Maj. Gen.(Ret.) Charles F. Bolden, and Lori
Garver were confirmed by unanimous consent.
In 2005, Dr. Michael D. Griffin was confirmed by voice vote.
In 2001, Sean O'Keefe was unanimously confirmed.
In 1992, Daniel S. Goldin was confirmed by unanimous consent.
Etc.
Let's give Rep. Bridenstine the unanimous bi-partisan and non-partisan support he needs to lead NASA to actually put us on the path to Mars. A contentious, party-line vote will harm NASA and our space program by making it difficult to get support in Congress for budgets, authorizations and real roadmaps to Mars, the Moon and beyond.
We do not live in a vacuum, and absent American leadership in space, China and other dictatorships and adversaries will seize the strategic advantage. If China wishes us to believe they would not claim the Moon and orbital space as their own, they are setting a poor example in the South China Sea. Commercial space will not be welcome in space dominated by dictatorships.
TAKE ACTION! Here's how:
Please call your Senators at 202-224-3121. Do not just leave a comment with the receptionist or intern, but ask to speak with the Senator's NASA advisor or the Legislative Director. That will assure your support is communicated to the Senator in the best possible way. Leave a voicemail with the staffer if they can't take your call, and you can ask for their email addresses and send a friendly email in support of the nomination.
Write an email to the Senator's NASA advisor/legislative assistant. Ask the receptionist for their email address.
If you run a space-related business or organization, request a meeting with your Senators or their senior staff, as well as those on the Space Subcommittee. Write a letter on your letterhead--but email a PDF to the Senator's NASA advisor rather than mail it. Post office mail can take weeks to be delivered due to security.
Visit your Senators' offices, either in your state or at the U.S. Capitol.
Post supporting messages on social media. Encourage others to join together for a united, strong space program.
Write a letter to the editor or op-ed to a major newspaper and/or space industry publication.
Call talk shows.
If you are a member of any space advocacy and related organizations, please request that they endorse Bridenstine's nomination.
