R
rdean
Guest
Republicans howled when Obama shifted NASA direction from the "Bush" plan of landing on the moon, again, to research and development.
Senator David Vitter (R-Louisiana) called the proposal a "radical departure".
Is it ever a surprise when Republcians use the "radical" to describe anything this president does?
"It cancels all major existing human spaceflight programs ... and replaces all that with little more than a hope and a prayer that commercial providers will eventually pick up the slack," Vitter said.
IN FACT:
There was a six year gap between the last rocket based spaceflight and the first flight of the "winged" reusable space shuttle. (Space shuttle program started under Republican President Richard M. Nixon - much maligned and underrated president) So a "radical" shift at NASA is nothing new.
The 'new' NASA will look back at Earth - LiveScience- msnbc.com
WHAT IS OBAMA'S GOAL:
Shift space flight to the commercial sector. This has actually been a dream of Republcians in the past. Republican does it - good. Democrat does it - bad.
So how can space make money? Two obvious ways.
1. Tourism.
2. Development - a good example are "alloys".
Zero gravity crystal growth
TEXUS 47 carried a total of four experiments. An experiment by scientists from the University of Freiburg examined the growth of silicon crystals, a technologically important semiconductor. In normal Earth gravity, convection currents develop in the fluid in which the crystals grow. These currents are not present in zero gravity. This makes it possible to investigate the effects of other currents that do not depend on gravity. The researchers were therefore able to test new technical measures to influence these currents and the tests yielded information that will be of value in growing crystals on Earth.
The TRACE (Transparent Alloys for Columnar Equiaxed Solidification) materials science experiment, performed by the Aachen ACCESS research centre, investigated the processes and structures involved in the solidification of metallic alloys. This was done by investigating the behaviour of a mixture of organic substances that solidifies in a manner that is analogous to a liquid metal. The transparency of the organic alloy made it possible to observe the solidification process directly. The experiment will yield data for improving industrial casting processes.
Zero gravity materials science and biology experiments | International Space Fellowship
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And finally, NASA is pointing more of it's resources to understanding "Global Warming". Now Republcians call it a myth. Wouldn't they want to know once and for all?
Plus, the new Carbon Satellite could verify if other countries are "sticking to the treaty". If, say, China signs a deal for less emissions and then doesn't follow it, that becomes an unfair business advantage. Let's keep them honest.
********
Now, the White House has given the green light for a carbon copy to be flown, providing $170 million towards the effort in its proposed 2011 budget (pdf). "The good news in this budget is the president has decided that this is an important mission for both science and understanding our climate," NASA science chief Edward Weiler said in a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. The replacement, called OCO-2, could fly as early as February 2013.
NASA satellite could pave way for policing CO2 emissions - space - 02 February 2010 - New Scientist
Senator David Vitter (R-Louisiana) called the proposal a "radical departure".
Is it ever a surprise when Republcians use the "radical" to describe anything this president does?
"It cancels all major existing human spaceflight programs ... and replaces all that with little more than a hope and a prayer that commercial providers will eventually pick up the slack," Vitter said.
IN FACT:
There was a six year gap between the last rocket based spaceflight and the first flight of the "winged" reusable space shuttle. (Space shuttle program started under Republican President Richard M. Nixon - much maligned and underrated president) So a "radical" shift at NASA is nothing new.
The 'new' NASA will look back at Earth - LiveScience- msnbc.com
WHAT IS OBAMA'S GOAL:
Shift space flight to the commercial sector. This has actually been a dream of Republcians in the past. Republican does it - good. Democrat does it - bad.
So how can space make money? Two obvious ways.
1. Tourism.
2. Development - a good example are "alloys".
Zero gravity crystal growth
TEXUS 47 carried a total of four experiments. An experiment by scientists from the University of Freiburg examined the growth of silicon crystals, a technologically important semiconductor. In normal Earth gravity, convection currents develop in the fluid in which the crystals grow. These currents are not present in zero gravity. This makes it possible to investigate the effects of other currents that do not depend on gravity. The researchers were therefore able to test new technical measures to influence these currents and the tests yielded information that will be of value in growing crystals on Earth.
The TRACE (Transparent Alloys for Columnar Equiaxed Solidification) materials science experiment, performed by the Aachen ACCESS research centre, investigated the processes and structures involved in the solidification of metallic alloys. This was done by investigating the behaviour of a mixture of organic substances that solidifies in a manner that is analogous to a liquid metal. The transparency of the organic alloy made it possible to observe the solidification process directly. The experiment will yield data for improving industrial casting processes.
Zero gravity materials science and biology experiments | International Space Fellowship
--------------------------------------
And finally, NASA is pointing more of it's resources to understanding "Global Warming". Now Republcians call it a myth. Wouldn't they want to know once and for all?
Plus, the new Carbon Satellite could verify if other countries are "sticking to the treaty". If, say, China signs a deal for less emissions and then doesn't follow it, that becomes an unfair business advantage. Let's keep them honest.
********
Now, the White House has given the green light for a carbon copy to be flown, providing $170 million towards the effort in its proposed 2011 budget (pdf). "The good news in this budget is the president has decided that this is an important mission for both science and understanding our climate," NASA science chief Edward Weiler said in a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. The replacement, called OCO-2, could fly as early as February 2013.
NASA satellite could pave way for policing CO2 emissions - space - 02 February 2010 - New Scientist