“I think Obama’s civil space legacy will be his embrace of commercial partnerships, not humans to Mars,” she says. Yet whether Mars will truly be part of the president’s space legacy remains to be seen, says Marcia Smith, founder and editor of. “As his administration draws to a close, it is his summing up of what he believes his record has been.” He hasn’t changed his mind,” says John Logsdon, professor emeritus of political science and international affairs at George Washington University. So why the announcement now? “It is a reminder that six years ago he set NASA on the journey to Mars…and that they are still going. And I expect to be around to see it,” he said in a 2010 speech at the Kennedy Space Center. In 2010 he called on NASA to head for the Red Planet, have astronauts orbit that world by the mid-2030s and return them safely to Earth. “The next administration and Congress will need to make a lot of important decisions,” Carberry says, “with regards to mission architecture options, precursor missions and budget in the next couple of years,” if landing humans on Mars is to become reality anytime soon. He sees Obama’s initiative as a way to assure the public that Red Planet exploration is firmly in NASA’s sights-there is a caveat, however. The president’s reiterated interest in Earth’s planetary neighbor is marvelous rocket rumble to the ears of Chris Carberry, CEO of Explore Mars, a humans-on-Mars advocacy group. Up for discussion: How will American investments in science and technology help us settle “the final frontier”-space? ![]() Among the science and technology themes on the agenda were interplanetary space exploration and the thriving U.S. “But what really grabbed me about the film is that it shows how humans-through our ingenuity, our commitment to fact and reason, and ultimately our faith in each other-can science the heck out of just about any problem,” Obama wrote in an introduction to the issue.Īnd on October 13 Obama signed an executive order-“Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events”-to make sure power grids, satellites and other vital national interests are equipped to withstand an influx of charged particles sent our way by periodic flare-ups on the sun.Īll of this was prelude to Obama’s own voyage that same day to Carnegie Mellon University for The White House Frontiers Conference. He added that he is “predisposed” to admire any movie where Americans dare the odds and motivate the world. ![]() Then there was Obama’s guest editing of Wired magazine’s November issue, in which he said his favorite movie last year was The Martian. The other new plan would begin to allow companies to add their own modules and other capabilities to the International Space Station. One has several select companies developing habitation systems able to sustain and transport astronauts on long-duration, deep-space missions such as a trip to Mars. It announced two new NASA initiatives that build on the president’s vision to enable humans to sustainably live and work in space. The CNN editorial popped up the same day as a White House space update, “Making Human Settlement of Space a Reality,” came out from John Holdren, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, along with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. But the opinion piece suggests the president is thinking about his legacy in space-particularly at a time when private companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX are pursuing Mars exploration plans of their own. ![]() The plan was not new-Obama first announced his intention to explore the Red Planet in 2010, and NASA has been pursuing the necessary technology ever since. “We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America’s story in space,” Obama wrote, “sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth, with the ultimate ambition to one day remain there for an extended time.” Barack Obama underscored his belief that the U.S. In an October 11 CNN opinion piece, Pres. Space has been back on the radar lately for the White House-an uncharacteristic situation in an administration that has not been known for any full-throttle interest in the realm beyond Earth.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |