A National Disgrace

Keith Reed cuts through all the phony excuses to reveal the truth. We CAN go to the Moon, Mars and beyond but our leaders just don't want to and just don't care if China and others take over leadership in space and technology. The problem is NOT technological or even budgetary (we could go to Mars for a fraction of bailout or Iraq/Afghanistan costs); the problem IS willpower--Americans can do anything we set our minds to; yet as it stands currently, Americans will never leave Earth orbit absent a dramatic reversal in leadership.

Read and share the article and you'll see Mr. Reed is spot on in his analysis:
Startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/124108644.html

"The time between when an American flew the first heavier-than-air flying machine until an American flew solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean: 24 years.
The time between when an American flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean until an American first broke the sound barrier: 20 years.
The time between when an American first broke the sound barrier until an American first flew into space: 14 years.
The time between when an American first flew into space and an American walked on the moon: Eight years.
The estimated time between when an American last walked on the moon and a man may be ready to return to the moon: 60 years.
In all likelihood, as well, the next person to walk on the moon will not be an American; rather, he or she will most likely be Chinese, Russian or Indian.

This is a national disgrace."

Please read and forward to others his entire article, it's worth it if you are concerned about our nation's future.In other words, it took us 66 years to go from the dunes of Kitty Hawk to the plains of Mare Tranquillitatis, yet almost the same time will elapse between Apollo 17, the United States' last manned lunar mission, and when the next person might continue with this exploration.

The author also correctly identifies the Augustine Commission as a turning point from ""We can." to "We can; we just don't want to." Indeed, the entire purpose of the Augustine Commission from the start was was to lay the case for "we just don't want to." Absent a complete reversal in leadership, Americans will never leave Earth orbit again in spite of apparent (but half-baked) plans, and will only watch as the rest of the world leaves us in their dust both in space and economically.

This is why the Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration was founded (www.SaveMannedSpace.com) to create and implement a workable strategy to build grassroots support for a bold, JFK-like space program which will then force the politicians to take real action; to once again follow in JFK's footsteps by following his prescription for success: We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, and The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space. (JFK at Rice University, 1962)

Poll: Americans Want Space Program to Continue

Americans do not want our space program to be cancelled, and many polls support this. Below is the latest poll. Please send this to your Senators and Representative, as well as to the President.

"In a dramatic new Sachs/Mason-Dixon poll, an overwhelming majority of Americans say they don’t want America’s manned space program to end and they believe the United States should continue to be a global leader in space. The results of the poll follow the recent return of the Space Shuttle Endeavour – the penultimate NASA Space shuttle mission."


QUESTION: NASA is close to launching its final manned Space Shuttle and our nation's space program faces an uncertain future with no plans to continue sending men and women into space after 2011. Do you believe the United States should or should not continue to be a world leader in manned space exploration?

	NATION	DEM	REP	IND
SHOULD	57%	54%	59%	57%
SHOULD NOT	26%	31%	24%	22%
NOT SURE	17%	15%	17%	21%

Full Survey and story:
www.wctv.tv/APNews/headlines/Poll_Americans_Want_Space_Program_to_Continue_123358308.html 

Historic Photographs of the Shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station

Absolutely stunning photography! On May 23, 2011, when space shuttle Endeavour was docked to the International Space Station, astronaut Paolo Nespoli took a series of historic photos of the shuttle at the station as the Soyuz spacecraft departed. This sight has never before been photographed together from a distance, and due to the shuttles' premature retirement, will never again be possible. Together, they represent perhaps the greatest technological feat of mankind, and perhaps the most complex machinery ever built. As Soyuz moved away from ISS, the entire station was turned to allow a variety of views to be forever recorded. The station itself was rotated rather than the more nimble Soyuz maneuvered so as to keep the views out of the sun. (click each photo for full size).
 



You can see Endeavour's Canadian robotic arm extended around to her underside, perhaps inspecting tiles for damage. The arm was transplanted before her departure to serve continued duty on ISS.

Here's the link for the complete set of photographs. Save them to your computer and you can make them your desktop image. Credit NASA/Paolo Nespoli.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/multimedia/e27depart.html

Last Chance to Assure ISS Survival - Call Congress Today, Pass the Word

Endeavour STS-134 on the pad
Photo credit Art Harman

The final shuttle launches have been primarily used to stock up the space station with critical supplies which can't be delivered on small Progress or other launches.

Yet these supplies will not last forever, and any delays in new rocket launch systems could endanger the ability to support a crew of six.

A far greater threat to ISS exists in the event of a single accident or failure of a critical component for which there is no replacement onboard.

It is unlikely but possible that meteoroid or space junk could damage a cooling or solar panel or other large critical system. If there is no replacement, what happens? Post-shuttle, it could take far too long to custom-engineer a rocket to deliver such a replacement.

Congress must demand and get the honest facts on what--if any--contingency plans NASA has for delivering such large and critical components in a timely manner. Simply, no plan could result in the potential loss of ISS.

If there are not specific, detailed plans for each possible scenario which actually can be implemented in a reasonable length of time, then we must put on immediate hold the irreversible decommissioning of the shuttles and their workforce and infrastructure. This includes plans with funding to use a particular rocket and how to fit such components into a fairing, and how to dock the payload with ISS. Just stating it is no problem to launch such components, and that plans can be made if or when needed is a prescription for disaster.

If the shuttles could be saved at this late date, it is not just a matter of preventing Endeavour and Atlantis from being irreparably gutted for display, it is preserving the workforce which can actually launch an emergency mission and having the launch pad and other critical items themselves not be dismantled. It means producing or locating several more external tanks (there is one on display at Kennedy Visitors Center, for example). But agenda item number one is to postpone Endeavour and then Atlantis from being carved up internally for safe display until contingency plans have been confirmed.

It is incredibly irresponsible to endanger the space station if there are not having specific plans for every major threat to ISS.

This week and maybe for a short time beyond, gutting of Endeavour will not have proceeded to the irreversible stage and the offer made by United Space Alliance to take over Endeavour and Atlantis for five years and offer services to NASA at lower cost than current.

Congress could make such a stink that NASA has no option but to accept the offer.

The space station is a $100 billion investment in our future in space, and must not be held hostage to political decisions and apparent penny-pinching.

Call Congress today at 202-224-3121  Facebook it, Twitter it, blog it--spread the word! Thank you.

Boeing Space Shuttle Workers Lose Their Jobs

In addition to endangering the space station, losing independent access to space and a host of other reasons; scrapping the space shuttle program costs jobs and irreplaceable institutional knowledge.

Many jobs have already been lost, and today, Boeing announced yet more layoffs.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2015227737_boeingshuttle04.html

Drive around the Space Coast area of Florida and you'll see the signs--the boarded up homes and businesses. It's just beginning and as the soaring jobless stats reveal, America can't afford to lose more jobs, especially highly skilled jobs.

Meanwhile, Russia, China, India and others are expanding their space programs. It should not take a rocket scientist to realize firing rocket scientists contributes to America's economic decline. We could learn something from China, Russia and the others who have set their nations on the road to the Moon, Mars and beyond--it is their economies which are growing, and ours contracting.

Coalition Director's Radio Interviews on the Future of the Space Program

Coalition Director Art Harman was interviewed on the radio on the occassion of the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's go to the moon speech regarding the future of human space exploration.

WBZ News Radio in Boston ran an interview on May 25

Listen to Art Harman's May 25th interview on the nationwide John Batchelor Show



CBS Radio Interview on Tampa Bay Stations:

New Space Program Essential to Resolve Crisis on the 50th Anniversary of President Kennedy’s Moon Speech

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Coalition To Save Manned Space Exploration
Contact: Art Harman 

info@SaveMannedSpace.com

New Space Program Essential to Resolve Crisis on the 50th Anniversary of President Kennedy’s Moon Speech

The Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration called today for NASA to launch a new space program following the legacy of JFK.

May 25 is the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's challenge to go to the Moon “in this decade." Yet on this historic anniversary our nation’s space program is in crisis and faces a future only of spending great sums of money on missions which will never launch. The space shuttles are being retired prematurely and without replacement, and the Constellation rockets to take us to the Moon, Mars and beyond were cancelled.

In an announcement by Art Harman, Director of the Coalition, he stated; “A bold and vibrant space program is essential to rebuilding America’s economy, restoring our lead in high technology and investments, and in creating—not losing—highly skilled jobs. This must become a national priority; today we are retreating; surrendering the field to other nations eager to reap the rewards from Lunar and Mars missions. It is time to return to the ‘can-do’ spirit by which President Kennedy launched America to not just the Moon, but to economic prosperity, national pride and world respect.”

“Let us again set JFK’s challenge to go “in this decade” to the Moon and to an asteroid, and with experience gained, launch a human Mars mission by or about 2025. I urge the President and Congress to launch a bold new space program to achieve these goals,” Harman continued.

“In building anew a space program worthy of JFK’s legacy, there are three essential elements it must have to succeed:

1. It must be bold and exciting to capture the imagination and support of Americans.  
2. It must have a specific timetable, just as did JFK’s historic challenge.
3. It must offer near-term exciting and valuable "payoffs"—that is, space missions to lift the hearts of Americans. Nobody will put up with billions in expenses for a mission they may not live to see or which may never happen. Students will not choose engineering for a career which will not exist for a decade.”

Harman described a general outline and timeline for a JFK-like space program--what we could do if we just decided to do follow in JFK's footsteps:

• “Build a true heavy lift rocket for delivery by 2016-2017. This must be of sufficient payload capacity for actual human Lunar and Martian missions. 
• Set the goal to return to the Moon by 2017.  
• Establish a continuously occupied base on the Moon by perhaps 2018 in order to develop and test habitats and technologies for a Mars mission; this is where we will learn how to live on Mars, yet is three days to home if needed.
• Go to an asteroid "in this decade" to gain more deep space experience. 
• Set a target to launch a manned Mars mission by 2025 or as soon as safe and technically feasible. 
• Begin immediately to develop advanced propulsion system to make Mars merely weeks away, such as Ad Astra's VASIMR or other nuclear and ion type propulsion systems.”

Harman read a quote from JFK’s historic speech: “...The facts of the matter are that we have never made the national decisions or marshaled the national resources required for such leadership. We have never specified long-range goals on an urgent time schedule, or managed our resources and our time so as to insure their fulfillment.” (JFK quote from his speech to Congress on May 25, 1961)

Harman then commented that “JFK’s words today ring true as to what’s wrong in our space program today—and he offers us the solution to fix it. It is time to repeat JFK’s recipe for success and specify our “long-range goals on an urgent time schedule,” that is, to return to the Moon and go to an asteroid "in this decade" and to go to Mars as soon beyond as is safe and practical; and to “manage our resources and our time so as to insure their fulfillment.”

Mr. Art Harman is the Director of the Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration, and is available for interviews or commentary. He has worked in the public policy arena for three decades in the Nation's Capital, and is a powerful advocate for launching a bold, JFK-like space program. The goal of the Coalition is to help rebuild public interest in the space program to result in greater support by Congress and the Administration.

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