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From: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia
Subject: Re: Scuttle the Space Program?
Message-ID: <1015@psivax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 16-Feb-86 16:55:12 EST
Article-I.D.: psivax.1015
Posted: Sun Feb 16 16:55:12 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 20-Feb-86 07:33:08 EST
References: <661@tekigm.UUCP> <158@axiom.UUCP> <932@nmtvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
Organization: Pacesetter Systems Inc., Sylmar, CA
Lines: 118
Xref: watmath net.space:5895 net.columbia:2406

In article <932@nmtvax.UUCP> fine@nmtvax.UUCP (Andrew J Fine) writes:
>Let's ask ourselves a few questions:
>
>******************************************************************************
>Does humanity (men and women) really *need* to populate space?  Do we really
>need to explore, in person or otherwise, other planets?

        Yes, we do. The resources of the Earth are finite and limited.
The resources of the Solar System, though finite, are orders of
magnitude larger than those of the Earth. As hard as it is to
imiagine, we will eventually burn the last drop of oil and the last
speck of coal. We will one day mine the last gram of iron ore.
Eventually every spare corner of this planet, including our last
remaining wildernesses, will be turned over to farming, and people
will still be starving. Outer Space is the only frontier left to us.

>  It also increased the likelyhood of the lawless being
>able to escape justice, for example Botany Bay and the HMS Bounty.
>
        Poor examples. The Botany Bay was a *deliberate* action, and
Australia was exile. And the crew of the Bounty *was* caught and most
were punished.

>So what do we buy with $2 billion dollars? One shuttle, good for 100 missions
>(best case) with 7 people each. Or enough food, clean water, and other
>necesssities to feed Ethiopia for the next ten decades, easily.
>
        And where are we going to get that food? and how are we going
to get it to Ethiopia. Are we going to make Ethipoia permanently
dependent on outside charity? Something must be done about the famine,
and it *is* being done. There are people in that area now, spending
thier time and effort to *teach* the Ethiopians how to better use the
resources thay have. There are groups working to import new types of
crops into the area which wil grow with little water. These are much
better, more lasting solutions than buying them train loads of food
and giving it to them(even if the government didn't commandeer the
gift).

>So what do space-faring nations prove when they invoke national prestige and
>the desire of humanity to expand, by consuming all that money and
>men-centuries? "I'm rich enough to do this and you're not, so there!".
>"My rocket is bigger than yours!". "We are leaving you behind to scratch the
>dust while we inherit the universe!"

        Or, how about, "We are taking the risks to pave the way so you
may follow later in greater safety." Remember, the US has been a haven
for oppressed and exiled peoples throughout most of its history, and
it exists because Spain saw fit to finance a crazy project to sail to
China by going west!
>
>Why have satellites and information systems at all, except to invade the
>privacy and keep records on a captive populace? Why have land and weather
>satellites at all, except to take advantage of another nation's resources
>and vulnerabilities?
>
        Well, actually, I think it is so that I, living in southern
California, can talk to my parents in Kansas once a week or more! A
century ago living that far apart meant we could only communicate by
letters a few times a year, and could only visit each other every few
years! Then, of course, there my ability to find out what the
President is saying without having to wait several months, so that I
can make a more intelligent decision when election time comes around.
Need I go on. I would not trade away our modern communication for
anything, I get too much personnal benefit from it.

>Why explore the planets, interesting though they are, except to find
>more virgin landscape to despoil and riches to plunder?

        How about so that we will not have to plunder every square
inch of our own planet, but leave *some* of it in its pristine beauty
for others to enjoy. Partial exploitation of many planets is
preferable to total exploitation of one.

> Why put a man, or a
>women for that matter, in space?  What is so special about anyone that we
>must exhalt that person above all others in such an eletist fashion?

        Matybe because we would would like to be in the same position,
but lack the courage, or the determination, or the necessary skills.
It is for the same reason we laud the great musician, or the first
rate painter, they are doing something we cannot.

> Why
>shouldn't that person be put to a task that serves the world rather than that
>person's ego?
>
        Actuall, I think it *is* a task serving mankind. Besides,
risking ones life for pure ego sounds mighty silly, and if that is the
main reason they are in the program, they belong in an asylum.
>
>Earth is enough for us, if we have the will to cooperate, to transcend the
>bigotries that confound us, the borders that seperate us, to dare to have
>peace instead of waging war, to share what we have as far as we can give it
>without anyone having to pay for it ( the concept of having to work for one's
>bread is deadly when there is not enough work to go around ), to recognize
>that the most humble peasant in Mexico or India is worth more to us than
>the President of the US or the Queen of England.

        If there is not enough to go around, then even sharing will
not help, we must find a way to produce more, and Outer Space is
*part* of the answer to that.
>
>If humanity can simply change from mere descendants of carnivorous apes to
>something totally gentle, altrustic, and noble, then Earth will be enough.
>We only try to escape the Earth because we try to escape our own natures.

        I think exploring and conquering space will help us do just
that. If it becomes obvious that there *is* enough of everything to go
around then there will be one less reason to fight, and all the more
reson to cooperate. And in Space, as immense as it is, there is amply
enough to go around, and to spare.

--

                                Sarima (Stanley Friesen)

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