Gateway's Gone, Now to the Moon for Real!

NASA is cancelling the "Gateway," which mandated that journeys to the Moon would have to make a complex rendezvous to the gateway, then use a three-stage lander to do a complex landing. Returns would have to adhere to a seven-day return window, making emergency returns impossible.

Thank God it's cancelled, or at least postponed!

The gateway was initiated as an Obama boondoggle to pretend we were returning to the moon while never landing, and I always called it "spectator seating to watch China colonize the moon," and recommended to White House officials in early 2017 that they must scrap or delay it, and to return to the Moon by 2024.

At last, it's off the books for the 2024 landing. This increases the chances of actually landing the first woman and next man on the moon by '24, and using far safer and simpler rendezvous. Go Artemis!

The contract awards for landers had been delayed before this announcement, and now bidders can design far simpler, cheaper and safer systems that can be built more quickly. Because the gateway is off the books for the 2024 landing, it is essentially dead, as the landers will now be designed for more direct Apollo-like missions.

This is one more bold step that NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is taking to assure that we can return American astronauts to the Moon by 2024, and to establish a permanent base by 2028. Thank you.

The Stakes for Space Exploration - NASA Authorization Bill

The stakes couldn't be higher for America's future in space as Congress debates the House of Representative's version of the NASA authorization bill, H.R. 5666.

Americans fully support a bold return to space exploration, and NASA is partnering with commercial partners to return to the moon by 2024--and build a permanent base using "in-situ resources" by 2028. Then, with lessons learned on the Moon, we will safely go to Mars by about 2033.

Regrettably, the House bill would push the return to the Moon to 2028--effectively ceding control of the most valuable region on the Moon to China, and losing, perhaps for another decade, the momentum and public enthusiasm that was sparked by setting 2024 as the exciting landing date.

Additionally, the bill would forbid NASA-commercial partnerships for lunar landers, eliminate plans to build a base on the Moon and prohibit developing "in-situ resource utilization," or mining water and minerals to 'live off the land' in a sustainable way.

Each of these prohibitions alone would delay the ability to conduct safe missions to Mars by a decade or more--to the 2040s or even 2050s, which would be a tragic loss of American leadership in space. Each effectively cedes the critical south pole region to China, where the water ice will support humanity for centuries, and cripples commercial space ventures.

China intends to be on the Moon in the mid-2020s, specifically to build a permanent base on the south pole, mine minerals and water, and deny access to all others, as in the South China Sea, where they violate the Law of the Sea Treaty every day.

Would China really claim the south lunar pole?

Consider this. The head of China's lunar program, Ye Peijian, compared the Moon and Mars to islands they are trying to illegally seize in the South and East China Seas in an ominous 2017 interview:

“The universe is like the ocean, the moon is like the Diaoyu Islands, and Mars is like Huangyan Island.”

The "Diaoyu Islands" are in fact Japan's sovereign Senkaku Islands.

"Huangyan Island" is in fact the Philippines’ sovereign Scarborough Shoal, which China seized and completely militarized in violation of the Law of the Sea Treaty.

China sometimes openly telegraphs its intentions to scare adversaries, and the "universe" quote is designed to scare nations to cede without effort the lunar south pole or more to Chinese control.

Indeed, if China expects us to believe they wouldn't seize the south pole, they are setting a poor example in the South China Sea. 

Yes, there is a space race with China--whether or not we join their race, and the stakes in this century are not just 'bragging rights' but control of the strategically-important south pole. By denying commercial enterprises and other countries from having access to the vital water-ice in south lunar pole craters, development of the moon will only be by China.

To recap, the House NASA Authorization bill would force a delay to returning to the Moon until 2028 or later, which would be after China lands their astronauts on the south pole--ceding control to Beijing.

What should Congress do? Already many Democratic and Republican members are hearing from all sectors of the space economy with the demand that they amend the bill to remove these dangerous prohibitions. A committee markup is planned for mid-March, which may address many of these concerns.

Failing to remove these restrictions, there might be no authorization bill for the year, or perhaps some compromise as late as December.

It is better to pass no authorization than to pass one that will cripple our return to the Moon and pathway to Mars, and cede the Moon to China.

Please share this, and call or email your members of Congress at 202-224-3121, asking that the House bill, H.R. 5666 be corrected--or defeated. www.House.gov www.Senate.gov 

How to Lobby Congress and Candidates for the Moon and Mars

Promoting the Space Program to Decision Makers:

In this election year, there’s two valuable actions you can take to build support in Congress and the White House for America’s future in space, including returning to the moon in 2024 and landing on Mars by 2033.

TALK TO CANDIDATES AND CAMPAIGNS:

The first is to take advantage of the easy access to candidates and incumbents for Congress and President during the campaign season.

Ignore politics and let’s use this year to engage all the candidates to out-compete each other in their support for a bold space program.

Presidential candidates are travelling the country and speaking at events—some large and some small. The small events can be an excellent opportunity to actually talk to the candidates and their senior advisors.

At a huge event, you won’t meet the candidate or staff unless you know someone, but you can make them know you are there in a friendly and positive way. One way is to wear your pro-space shirts and caps. Maybe you’ll want to bring a sign or banner with “Moon by 2024” or Mars 2033!” on it, though many large events will have security rules forbidding banners and sign poles.

You can hold up signs on public property outside the campaign event with signs asking the candidate to support plans for the Moon and Mars. That may be photographed by the media.

Note that protesting in any way will just get you ousted and will result in the opposite effect from what you want.

For House and Senate campaigns, go to campaign events for both parties and you’ll have a good chance to talk to the incumbents and new candidates as well as their senior staff about your space priorities.

Call, email and message all presidential and congressional candidates in support of Moon 2024 and Mars 2033. Visit their local campaign headquarters and talk to their staff. Ask for the candidate’s statements and positions on the space program and commercial space. If they don’t have one, suggest they create a statement—or even offer to write one.

Every campaign has Facebook, Twitter and other social media. The candidate might not read it or personally send messages, but staff will certainly relay your message if it sounds useful and is constructive, or at least a summary of it if many people send similar messages. You can also retweet useful information to candidates.

Then get all your friends and contacts to do the same.

Everything seems political today, but space must not be so if we are to realize our dreams. Both Democratic and Republican presidents and Congresses have all inspired and funded our greatest space accomplishments, from JFK’s “we will go to the Moon in this decade” to building the space shuttles and the International Space Station, and now Artemis to the Moon and Mars.

Together we will reach the Moon and Mars. Together we will build colonies. Together we will build an interstellar spacecraft – and one day humanity will reach the stars. But not if we squabble and refuse to be part of this or that way of getting there, or refuse to support a plan from the “other party” because it’s not exactly your plan or you don’t want any particular person to get the credit.

Together, and only together can we reach the moon by 2024 and Mars in the 2030s.

LOBBYING CONGRESS:

Here’s a primer on how to meet or talk with your members of Congress and their top staff.

Why would you want to meet with your legislators? Perhaps to support specific legislation, goals or budgets. Or perhaps you want to judge or inspire their support for returning to the Moon and landing on Mars.

Here’s how to make your visits, calls and letters more effective, as well as the efforts of the advocacy organizations you support. What a Member or staffer is hoping or needs to hear from you might be very different from what you expect or think are vital points.

For example, early in the year is “appropriations season,” where you can request a greater budget for NASA than requested by the president, and you can present a letter in support of the same. That’s also the time to talk to the committee staff who write the NASA authorization bills about your priorities.  --CONTINUED --

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.savemannedspace.com/p/how-to-lobby-congress-and-campaigns-for.html

To the Moon by 2024 - You can help

This spring, Vice President Mike Pence directed NASA to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024 and to go to Mars in the 2030s. NASA's Artemis project will partner with commercial space to make this a reality.

Almost sixty years ago, our highest technology was being stretched and invented for the near-impossible task of, as President Kennedy said, "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth." Today, we have the technology--that's not the issue. It's not really even an issue of money; the total budget for NASA is less than one half of one percent of the Federal budget, yet at its peak, NASA's budget during Apollo was four percent of the budget.

So, just an extra billion or two a year buys America a bright, bold and inspiring future leading the world into a new space age. This time to stay. Together with new commercial partners like SpaceX, Bigelow Aerospace, Blue Origin and many more ventures, we will build bases on the Moon, and with lessons learned go to Mars in this generation.

The challenge today is all about the politics.

Politics can sink our future leading humanity to the Moon and Mars. Politics can crush the dreams of kids hoping to go to space one day. Politics can ignore the threat from China to the free world and commercial space having access to the Moon, orbital space and even Mars. 

But politics can also make it happen if members of Congress understand the stakes and the opportunities--and the incredible payoffs to our economy and scientific progress. Sure there's budget pressures, but a small increase to the NASA budget can make it all happen--and everyone can take the credit.

That's where you and the Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration can play a role.  Your phone calls, letters and visits to your members of Congress can make a difference. You can also call members on the Science and Appropriations committees, because they write the bills and budgets.

Save Manned Space advised all 2016 candidates, the Trump transition and President Trump's administration to return to the moon by 2024--the end of a possible second term. In 2020, we will increase our efforts to persuade Congress to provide the budget necessary to return to the Moon in 2024.

That's the lesson from President Bush's ill-fated plan to return to the Moon: it was stretched out and never accomplished anything inspirational during his presidency, allowing the Obama administration to kill it and replace it with nothing.

Let's make 2020 the year we get the return to the Moon on a solid track that can't be killed by anti-space politicians. This is about realizing President John F. Kennedy's legacy, and all the dreams and hopes of both children and entrepreneurs.

Your help with a generous donation can assist our efforts in 2020. 

$25, $50, $100 or more. Any amount can help our activities for the 2020 push to get Americans back to the moon in 2024. 

Thank you very much for your support this year and for next year.

Buzz Aldrin’s thoughts on the Apollo 11 Mission and the 50th anniversary

What was it like going to the moon for the first time? We know the technical details of the rockets and the mission, and we can listen to the mostly-technical communications between the astronauts and mission control in Houston, but what about their thoughts during this greatest accomplishment in human history?

Buzz Aldrin's office shared Buzz’s recent thoughts with the Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration on the Apollo 11 mission and the 50^th anniversary of the moon landing. Enjoy!

Can you offer a few insights into the launch of that Saturn 5 as you headed for the moon?

Buzz said:  “Well, getting into space always starts with the launch … As we headed for the moon, a lot had gone into this … We had all seen preparations for a launch go down to seconds, then have to  start over – and so I think we were relieved when the launch went ahead.  It went smoothly, and at last we were on our way!  Launch was almost imperceptibly smooth through the early abort modes, and nothing unexpected happened. 

We knew we were accelerating, but the launch was so smooth compared to Gemini launches that we did not know the instant of leaving the ground.  We only knew it from the instruments and voice communications which confirmed lift-off.  We saw our rate of climb, altitude changing, but were comfortable in our seats.  We sort of looked at each other and thought, ‘We must be on our way …what’s next?’ 

How about thoughts on being on the moon, once you got there? 

Buzz said:  “As for being on the moon, well, getting down was interesting. As we approached the moon, we leveled off and kept moving down and forward to land.  We knew we were continuing to burn fuel.  We knew what we had, then we heard 30 seconds left.  If we ran out of fuel, we knew it would be a hard landing!  We saw the shadow cast in front of us.  That was new, not something we saw in the simulator.   I saw dust creating a haze, not particles but a haze that went out, dust the engine was picking up.  

The light turns on, I said ‘contact light,’ ‘engine stop’ and recorded ‘413’ in, so mission control knew abort guidance shut-down conditions were satisfied.   Neil remembers we shook hands, and I recall putting my hand on his shoulder and we smiled.” 

How about once the engine was off, what happened next?

Buzz said:  “Once down, we climbed down the ladder and out.  As Neil descended, we heard mission control saying ‘getting an image, but upside down.’  They could see he was on the ladder.  I could see the top of his head from where I stood, then he said he was going to step off the LEM, and announced ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for Mankind,’ and he said ‘for man,’ not ‘for a man.’  Neil thought of that.  It wasn’t on the checklist.”  

How about when you climbed down? 

Buzz said:  “I then got in position to come down … came down the ladder, and jumped off, being careful not to lock the door behind me.   When I got off and looked around, and it was easy to balance, I said ‘magnificent desolation.’  I guess I said that because it was magnificent … we had gotten there, and it looked pretty desolate.  But it was magnificent desolation.  I think Neil remarked on the beauty too.”

Did you pause to think about the enormity of it all, all the people watching you? 

Buzz said:  “As for … those watching, we really did not think much about that.  We were focused on mission control … they were the people we had to think about most.  Transmissions did not occupy us much beyond mission control.  Neil decided where to put the camera, and I got out the two experiments and carried them.  We were focused on the experiments, making sure they were level, pointed toward the sun. 

Funny story about the level, it was the sort with a cone and small ‘BB’ that has to settle in the center.  It just kept going around and around in one-sixth gravity.  I stepped away, did other work, and then came back – and found the BB centered and experiment level.  On the moon, a leveling device does not give level right away!”

How about on return and splashdown, any special thoughts?

Buzz said:  “Well, we would later relax in confinement, but at the time I focused on a procedure associated with splashdown … Coming down, we had to wait until we hit the water, and you are not quite sure what altitude you were at … On splashdown, we had to throw a switch to release the parachutes, only it was a bit bumpy, so we tipped over before we could release the parachutes, then the balloons tipped us right side up again. 

It was good to be back, eventually to see and talk with family …When we arrived on the carrier deck, we were placed in a containment trailer, and it had a window.  When they played the national anthem, we wanted to stand.  But the window was very low, and we realized that if we stood by the window, at full height, they would only see our lower half, so we decided better to bend and kneel by the window.”

How did you feel about the mission once back, reflecting on it, and what is next?

Buzz said: “It was a privilege to have been able to undertake the first manned mission to the lunar surface, an honor to have worked with so many good and dedicated people, and to have left our footprints there.  Even now, sometimes, I marvel that we went to the moon.  But now, I think, it is time for the next generation to buckle up, get back to the moon, and get on to a permanent presence on Mars.”

As you look to the 50^th anniversary, at what happened in 1969 and now, what thoughts?

Buzz said:  “The Apollo 11 mission was many things to many people.  To me, it was the dream we had all signed up to chase, what we had imagined, worked and trained for, the apex of national service to a country we unabashedly loved, the height of aviation and exploration.  To my colleagues, as to me, Apollo was a mission of enormous national security importance – a way to prove America’s exceptional nature, pointing the way forward for Mankind in space and forward to peace here on Earth… 

I sometimes think the three of us missed “the big event.”  You smile, but while we were out there on the moon, the world was growing closer together right here.  Hundreds of millions saw their own reflection in our visors, efforts, risk with purpose, doing what had not been done before.  Even now, we say to ourselves:  If America put men on the moon, what can’t we do?  And that sentiment is right.  We did then – and we can do now – whatever we put our combined minds to. 

So, Apollo 11 was a dream-come-true, for all of us.  A launch so smooth we had to look at dials to confirm we were off; extraordinary journey made possible by tens of thousands of extraordinary patriots; a bit of excitement on descent, then a wonderful walk in “magnificent desolation,” making footprints in moon-dust. 

On return, it was knowing that we had done our job.  The Eagle had landed.  We had walked, set out experiments, taken it all in, and left that plaque. ‘We Came in Peace for All Mankind.’  We lit the ascent engine, and came safely home.  It all felt like, that is what America is, what we can do, when we are united in purpose.  Apollo showed that this nation, this America, can do whatever is required, when destiny calls on us to unify, and step up.  It was an honor to be a part of Apollo.

That was how I felt in 1969, how I still feel … This is a blessed nation, truly blessed, and we are all lucky to be part of it.  I hope we never forget how lucky we are to be Americans.” 

Now it it time for America to return to the moon--this time for good. President Trump has directed NASA to return by 2024, and will partner with commercial space to make it happen.  Together, as Americans, let's make the dreams of Buzz Aldrin and everyone come true for today's generation and for our future.

Apollo 11 - The Landing - 50th Anniversary

The culmination of all the events set in motion by President John F. Kennedy's stirring speech to send American astronauts to the moon "in this decade," started with the breathtaking launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969. Riding atop the mightiest rocket ever built, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins soared to the heavens in a flawless and spectacular launch, with millions of spectators lining the Florida space coast.

Arriving into lunar orbit on July 20, they prepared for the momentous landing, and on July 20, Neil and Buzz climbed into the lunar lander and began their descent to the moon. Neil saw the autopilot was leading the lander to a dangerous area with craters and boulders, and he took over the controls and flew it to a safe and flat area.

For all time, Armstrong's words will be remembered and revered. "The Eagle has landed." "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

Words still cannot convey the full magnitude of the achievement, nor the efforts of 400,000 NASA and contractor employees who got the astronauts, as well as the eyes and imaginations of every American and everyone on earth.

During Neil Armstrong's last testimony to Congress, where I was present, he narrated the decent and landing on the moon. He describes his thoughts at the time. Watch this remarkable first-person account:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZj2VFmpeSY&t=19m09s

The landing on the moon shall always be remembered as the greatest feat of mankind. Now it is time to recommit our great nation to return to the moon by 2024, an usher in a new renaissance of space exploration and industry.

President Trump's commandment to NASA to achieve this within five year deserves full support by Congress--you can help by urging your members of Congress to support this, the next "great leap" in human history.

Read my account of the first day--the launch!

The Moon from Apollo 11 Lunar Transit

The second day of Apollo 11 was a true journey into outer space.

Having left behind the earth, gotten a ‘night’s’ sleep, and with the moon more than a day in the future, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were occupied with checklists and a great many adjustments and procedure, many of which were manually performed, as well as a mid-course correction burn of the engine. They exercised and ate meals, and periodically rolled the spacecraft to distribute heat from the sun.

Their communications reveal few expressions of the beauty of space, and were mostly business-like in performing a multitude of vital tasks. This is ‘the right stuff.’ Laser-focused.

Samplings of communications between the crew and Houston show the relaxed attitude of the crew as they worked:

024:45:35 Collins: It’s really a fantastic sight through that sextant. A minute ago, during that Auto maneuver, the reticle swept across the Mediterranean. You could see all of North Africa, absolutely clear; all of Portugal, Spain, southern France; all of Italy, absolutely clear. Just a beautiful sight.

024:45:54 McCandless: Roger. We all envy you the view up there.
027:27:47 Lovell: How does it feel to be airborne again, Buzz?
027:27:51 Aldrin: Well, I’ll tell you, I’ve been having a ball floating around inside here, back and forth, up to one place and back to another. It’s like being outside, except more comfortable.
027:28:04 Lovell: It’s a lot bigger than our last vehicle.
027:28:11 Aldrin: Yes. It sure is nice in here.
027:28:13 Lovell: I said it’s a lot bigger than the last vehicle that Buzz and I were in.
Jim Lovell is referring to his and Buzz’s flight in Gemini 12.
027:28:17 Collins: Oh, yeah. It’s been nice. I’ve been very busy so far. I’m looking forward to taking the afternoon off. I’ve been cooking, and sweeping, and almost sewing, and you know, the usual little housekeeping things.
027:28:30 Lovell: It was very convenient the way they put the food preparation system right next to the nav station.
027:28:43 Armstrong: Everything’s right next to everything in this vehicle.
027:28:48 Aldrin: Not where the waste management’s concerned.

Each of the three had done an orbital mission in the Gemini program, but there might have been something entirely different in leaving the somewhat familiar orbit of earth; to leave behind our world. Outside the windows it was either the black of space, the sun, or a diminishing earth and a growing moon. Here’s Buzz Aldrin describing one view:

034:18:28 Aldrin: We see out our side windows the Sun going by and, of course, out one of our windows right now we’ve got the Earth. Right behind my window, of course, we have the Sun, because the Sun is illuminating the star charts that we see. This line represents the ecliptic plane and these lines, vertical lines, represent our reference system that the spacecraft is using at this time. As we approach the Moon, the Moon will gradually grow larger and larger in size and eventually it will be in eclipse. It will be eclipsing the Sun as we go behind it, as we approach the Lunar Orbit Insertion maneuver.

In this video you can see views in the command module and watch the crew exercising.

While day two was relatively relaxed, the tasks in preparation for the landing would increase on day three.

More tomorrow.


Photo credit: NASA. Communications transcripts credit: Apollo Flight Journal