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| Science Forum Index » Miscelaneous » TNB: [BOBPARKS-WHATSNEW] What's New Robert L. Park... |
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| Bob Park... |
 Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:01 pm |
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WHAT
1. WATER: IS H2O A FORMULA FOR ROCKET FUEL?
Even as I write this, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing
Satellite is
getting itself aligned in a lunar polar orbit. Its job is to look
into
deep lunar craters for any sign of the frozen water that some are
certain
is hidden in the shadows. It would be very expensive water. I told
NASA
that I would be happy to leave my garden hose out and they could come
by
and take all the water they want. They werenwanted
water on the Moon, where they could use it to refuel rockets. "Is
water
rocket fuel," I asked? "Hydrogen is a component of rocket fuel," I
was
told. "You have to split the water." "Doesn't that take energy," I
asked? "Excuse me," he said, "my cell phone is ringing."
2. LUNACY: A PLAN IS NOT A PLAN UNTIL IT HAS A BUDGET.
While most of the media must have been at the tedious Sotomayor
confirmation, Andrew Lawler of Science was covering the smooth Senate
confirmation of Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden as NASA Administrator. "We
will
go on to the Moon," Bolden declared. He is a former astronaut who
piloted
the Shuttle that took Hubble into orbit, for which we must thank him.
Six
months ago, president Obama also talked about returning to the Moon.
But
when the budget came out, there was no money for the Moon, nor should
there
be until the report of the Augustine panel is out in Audust. Besides,
plans change: Apollo 18, 19 and 20 were abruptly canceled to make
money
available for the Vietnam War. A return to the Moon could be
canceled to
make money available for the Energy War.
3. MARS: ASTRONAUTS REMAIN STUCK IN 1969.
This is the 21st century. Telerobots have been invented. Our two
Mars
rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, are merely robust extensions of our
fragile
human bodies. They don't break for lunch or complain about the cold
nights, and they live on sunshine. They do suffer the afflictions of
age.
Their teeth are worn down from scraping rocks, and one has an
arthritic
foot that he drags behind him. But their brains are still sharp since
they
are the brains of their PhD handlers. No need to bring them home when
they
are no longer able to explore, they will just be turned off. Bolden
also
said he wants to go to Mars. How incredibly old-fashioned! We are on
Mars
now. This is the 21st century. We have discovered robotics. More
than
that, we have telerobots. Spirit and Opportunity are merely robust
extensions of our fragile human bodies. They don't break for lunch, or
complain about the cold nights, and they live on sunshine. We have
been on
Mars for more than five years, looking for evidence of water and life.
A
human on Mars would be locked in a spacesuit with only the sense of
sight.
Our rovers have better eyes than any human, and we don't have to take
their
word it; everyone can see what they see. How wonderfully democratic!
Moreover, they have the IQ of their PhD operators back on Earth.
4. SURGEON GENERAL: OBAMA CHOOSES REGINA BENJAMIN.
A family health physician from Alabama, she became famous for her
public
efforts to rebuild her rural health clinic after it was devastated by
hurricane Katrina. She is expected to play a key role in preparing for
a
surge of the H1N1 flu this fall.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
---
Archives of What's New can be found at http://www.bobpark.org |
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