11 Oct Obama has better space plan, Aldrin
US President Barack Obama’s new space program embraces technological advances and is an improvement on the former administration’s plan to return to the moon, US moonwalker Buzz Aldrin said.
Dr Aldrin was speaking in Sydney on Tuesday after coming out in April in support of President Obama’s program, which controversially scrapped former President George W Bush’s plan to return US astronauts to the moon by 2020.
“Do you know how long it takes to build a rocket? A long time and it’s expensive and there are a lot of people working on it,” the second man to walk on the moon in 1969 told reporters.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Since 2005, the US government has spent $US9 billion ($A9.3 billion) on the program.
“The manner in which it was implemented turned out to be so over-budget, over-scheduled and going back to the moon just did not satisfy the advances in technology and the opportunities that we had.”
Dr Aldrin, who will be guest of honour at the Australian Geographic Society Awards on Wednesday in Sydney, said he was disappointed there wasn’t more support for President Obama’s space policy.
The policy includes funding for radically new space technologies and a manned spacecraft orbit around Mars within the next three decades.
Those opposed to the cancellation of the program included the first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong.
“I feel like a great future does await us or does await the society that decides to take advantage of the technology that has advanced,” Dr Aldrin said.
“There are major shiftings of economies throughout the world because of the lower cost of labour and the increases of technology and communications.”
Dr Aldrin said he was pleased to be be attending the award ceremony in Sydney, where never-before-seen video footage of the Apollo 11 moonwalk discovered in Australia will be shown.
The footage of mission commander Neil Armstrong descending the ladder of the lunar module will be among highlights of the historic 1969 moonwalk to be shown at the awards.
Other footage to be shown includes digitally remastered images of man’s first step on the moon surface, Dr Aldrin’s descent of the ladder, the reading of the plaque and the raising of the US flag.
Read the Original Article at The Age.
Nilsa Klugh
Posted at 13:05h, 17 JanuaryVery superior post. I simply stopped by by your site and wanted to state that I have truly loved browsing your posts. Any manner, I’ll be subscribing to your RSS feed and also I hope you submit once more soon!
Rock Peterson
Posted at 16:26h, 13 OctoberDear Buzz:
I grew up watching the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo flights. I read two of your books.
I disagree with you. President Obama’s space plan is not a better plan than the Constellation program. We need more operational experience on a planetary surface if we ever hope to execute a 900 day conjuction class mission to Mars. As you know, such a mission would allow for a 500-600 day stay after landing. How would you prepare a crew for that length of stay?
We also need to improve our understanding of the harmful effects of cosmic radiation and solar flares. We can do that on the Moon, which is closer to home.
I don’t agree with you on this one, Buzz.
Take care now.
Sincerely,
Rock Peterson