Space exploration

That's right, there is no word, "conflictions!"  I have hatched it from the root word conflict to apply to my own deep and troubling reactions to what is happening to our space programs.They are lumped into three broad areas. Space exploration, private sector development, and international cooperation.  In my mind, and heart, things are quite jumbled and intense. They are jumbled because of the lack of clear national objectives, they are intense because of the strong feelings of the exploration advocates and the private sector advocates. Additionally these two conditions are further aggravated by calls for international cooperation that appear more as lip service than serious action. Let's look at all three individually.

Space Exploration: In my humble opinion space exploration is a government investment on behalf of the advancement of all civilization. Making it inclusive of all civilization mandates that these exploration efforts should be internationally conceived and supported.

What? Moon base now? Don't you follow the news? Constellation has been cancelled! Yes, and I understand the confusion and consternation, but the most logical first step in getting ready to reach out into our solar system will be to develop a full-scale assembly and launch facility within a low-gravity environment. I nominate the Moon.

In his briefing before the National Press Club, Administrator Bolden implied that we will be going to the Moon despite the acknowledged demise of Constellation.  When we go, and under what arrangement will depend on three important bodies; the White House, The Congress, and a NASA-Private Sector-International partnership. Partnerships are a sharing arrangement in both benefits and costs.  This is the key to a renewed and expanded Moon mission that is completely designed as a stepping stone from which humankind will leap out into the solar system.

If you noticed that my blog title is a line from 2001: A Space Odyssey, chances are you're probably a sci-fi fan, movie trivia buff, or a space fan. Or maybe you just have a really good memory. Anyhoo, it doesn't really matter since I'm not talking about movies or 2001 or if you can recall what you had for lunch on Tuesday six weeks ago.

I'm talking about outer space today. After a few weeks of following @flyingjenny on Twitter, I've become reacquainted with that bigger-than-life world that is outer space and the magic that was "maybe one day I can go to space" that all children seem to have at one point in life.

Writes Science Fiction (and other genres) for the screen. Astrophotography as well as general astronomy as an amateur. Generally geeky in matters of space and time (and too many Sci-Fi shows).

Identity

First Name: 

James

Education: 

Degree (Film and French)

Occupation: 

Writer, film-maker, Pilates instructor

Recently, a highly respected and much read science fiction and horror story writer stated that starships will never be more than science fiction. I respectfully disagree. Well yes, I did write that Starship Paradigm blog here, and yes right now you could say it is more fiction than fact, but that will change.

We will confirm that life exists in other solar systems,  We will continue to also admit that reaching any of those possible Earth twins is a big dream.  It is a dream because of the immense distances and the current dangers, as we know them, that could hamper any exploration. So what is new?  Relatively speaking, every exploration humankind has undertaken in its history has presented us with extreme distances and possible dangers. We responded by following the dream regardless of either distances or dangers.

So, now after centuries of exploratory successes and rewards, we are going to stop because of distances and dangers?  I do not think so, and those vessels that carried early explorers to the "edges of Earth" and beyond will become our starship vessels.

Bonjour, my name is Christopher. I am 17 years old, an amateur astronomer and a space enthusiast. Welcome to my universe ;)

I was born November 30, 1991 in Cauayan City, Isabela, Philippines. I came here to the USA February 09, 2007 at about 8:00am. My dreams are to be an astronomer and an astronaut.

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Last Name: 

Calubaquib jr.

First Name: 

Christopher Adan

Education: 

High school Graduate and now in College majoring in Astronomy and Aerospace Engineering

Occupation: 

Student

Californian by birth, Texan by choice, NASA nerd by accident.
Tech Geek, Traveler, Writer, Hockey-head.
Unmarried, independent and unapologetic.

Identity

Last Name: 

Archuletta

First Name: 

Heather

Education: 

University of London, England - and - Mills College, California

Occupation: 

NASA Contractor : https://bedreststudy.jsc.nasa.gov/

Website: 

Pillownaut Space Simulations Blog

We can get nostalgic and name it the Enterprise and we can also talk about going where no human has gone before, but at some point we need to settle down and think. What we will think about is the design, development and deployment of a starship-based space exploration system.  Again, I stress, this is not a Star Trek reality program.  I am talking about something far bigger and more versatile. It is a major, space-age concept of human space exploration.

 

The tweetup concept and philosophy is one of the most promising methods for getting us in touch with those who are making space exploration history and also with those who are planning its future.  That future, by the way, is THE future not just for this nation but globally. When we talk about space exploration, we must think about it in the context of we-citizens-of-planet-Earth.

So what about this National Space Tweetup?  Simple, we initiate through NASA and the White House a tweetup at NASA HQ with Administrator Bolden and President Obama. What?  Yes, Bolden needs to know the kind of support he really has from the public, and President Obama needs to know how important our space plans are for the future of the entire world.  Letters and phone calls help, but a tweetup lays it on the line.  Eye to eye, heart to heart, both leaders get to know where we stand.

The Summary of the Augustine Committee report on Human Space Flight has been published and includes a set of options for what program NASA should follow in roughly the next 10 years.  On the surface it appears there is little NASA can do, and yet that is not the case.  Please read the summary then come back here and share your comments and ideas on what NASA should try to do and what SpaceTweeps should do to convince the WH and Congress to support NASA's choice.

Thank you,

I agree that sadly today the general public knows very little about NASA. When I was a kid in the 1960s there was much more interest for many reasons. First of all, President John F. Kennedy said we would land a man on the moon before 1970 and that was exciting to all. (He had no idea how of course), and although his life was cut short, the COLD WAR was very much alive. Let's not forget that we were also involved in a war in Vietnam and yet we did land two men on the moon before 1970.

Registered Nurse, Entrepreneur and Web Site Developer. Loves to garden, create jewelry and bird watch.

Currently resides on the Gulf Coast side of Florida on marsh land - translation = swamp.

Identity

First Name: 

Amy

Education: 

Bachelor of Science in Biology from Northeastern Univ. in Boston, 1981 Bachelor of Science in Nursing - BSN from Fairfield Univ. in Fairfield Connecticut. Candidate for Master's of Science in Nursing (Family Medicine Practitioner) from Yale Univ. New Haven CT. Had to leave when health declined. Hoping to one day buy the interferon I need for my M.S. so I can complete my MSN. Professional student if my health allowed it.

Occupation: 

Registered nurse. Published author and writer. Painter and photographer. My other web site is "Being Woman" www.beingwoman.net Worked in women's health for years and also with AIDS patients. Has volunteered in numerous homeless shelters and for the American Red Cross. Politically active.

Website: 

Sex Ed 101

I a mixed bag of experience: engineering, technical and scientific writing, and health and human services professional.  Became delightfully lost in space at the age of 4 while lying back and looking up into the brilliant Arizona night skies.  Brilliant because of the dominant MilkyWay that was so bright it even cast faint shadows.

I am more a cosmologist than a dedicated amateur astronomer.  I love to scope things out, but have even more fun thinking about the universe and all that it represents.  Above all else, I am a space exploration advocate.  It is, in my opinion, an evolutionary mandate that humankind reach out and explore, first our solar system and then out, out, out into deep space.  Yes, I also believe we are not alone and perhaps not in my lifetime, but within the next generation or two we will make 'Contact."

I will try to write and delight you about all of the above interests.  I hope you will join me on my voyages into the deep beyond.

Identity

First Name: 

Waddell

Education: 

Advance degrees in health systems management

Occupation: 

Independent researcher and science writer

Website: 

My Celestia

AstroSpaceNow.com aims to provide a quick, real-time view of relevant and interesting resources from the astronomy and space exploration online communities.

http://www.astrospacenow.com

How has Twitter affected my enthusiasm for space?

As a science fiction writer, I’ve been appalled at the number of genre works in which the science disappeared after the first chapter, or the world-building defied my ability to suspend disbelief. While I’m not an astronomer, it stands to reason that there are some things that just wouldn’t be the same on, say, a high or low gravity world.