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From: szabo@crg5.UUCP (Nick Szabo)
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: space news from Oct 6 AW&ST
Message-ID: <20657@crg5.UUCP>
Date: 9 Dec 90 04:41:10 GMT
References: <1990Dec4.025945.15482@zoo.toronto.edu> <20634@crg5.UUCP> <1990Dec6.174515.2343@zoo.toronto.edu> <1990Dec07.153442.14503@chinet.chi.il.us>
Reply-To: szabo@crg5.UUCP (Nick Szabo)
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc
Lines: 23

In article <1990Dec07.153442.14503@chinet.chi.il.us> price@chinet.chi.il.us (Doug Price) writes:
>
>I do not dispute that a lot of good science can be done for a lot cheaper
>for a few more years using robots.  This zero-sum, "zap his budget so I can
>get my budget" stuff has got to go.

The planetary explorers got a good lesson in this from the tin-can folks
when our exploration funding was nearly destroyed by the Shuttle in the
early 80's.  I'm glad to see the discoverers are finally fighting
back.  What goes around comes around, astronaut fans.  We are entering
a new era where the funding proportions for "manned" stunts and real
exploration and industry will be reversed, leading to a new Space Age, 
with an immense gain in knowledge of the solar system's every corner, and 
the blossoming of space industry.  I eagerly await the death of Fred, 
Colombus, Hermes, and the other punch-card era throwbacks so that we can 
move forward more quickly into this new age of knowledge and commerce. 


-- 
Nick Szabo			szabo@sequent.com
"We live and we learn, or we don't live long" -- Robert A. Heinlein
The above opinions are my own and not related to those of any
organization I may be affiliated with.