Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!decwrl!labrea!agate!web@garnet.berkeley.edu
From: web@garnet.berkeley.edu (William Baxter)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: NSS Space Policy Platform
Message-ID: <22319@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 30 Mar 89 05:50:24 GMT
References: <246900013@cdp>
Sender: usenet@agate.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: web@garnet.berkeley.edu (William Baxter)
Organization: UCB Math Dept
Lines: 61
In-reply-to: jordankatz@cdp.UUCP

In article <246900013@cdp>, jordankatz@cdp writes:
>
>THE 1989 SPACE POLICY PLATFORM OF THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY

Do they want to:

>     1. Establish a national policy goal of radically lowering the
>cost of manned and unmanned access to space.
>     2. Provide assured access to space with a robust mixed fleet ...
>     3. Promote the international competitiveness of the U.S.
>commercial launch vehicle industry.
>     5. Initiate development efforts to improve the capabiity and
>efficiency of in-space transportation systems ...
>     2. Develop capabilities for the routine performance of space
>construction, servicing, and in-space repair tasks.
>     3. Explore the Solar System ...

(For the purposes of this statement, please forget momentarily there has
been no progress toward these goals under NASA oversight during the past
two decades.)

Or do would they rather:

>     4. Pursue the development of advanced air-breathing launch
>vehicles with the National Aerospace Plane Program.
>     1. Build the Space Station Freedom ...
>     3. Establish a permanent manned return to the Moon ...
>     l. Establish scientific and resource extraction facilities on
>the Moon.
>     1. Provide the resources and management focus for NASA to
>perform leading edge research and development in space. 
>     2. Provide limited exemptions from Federal civil service
>regulations to enable NASA centers to attract the vital talent it
>needs ...

In any case, the bottom line is:

>     3. Increase NASA's budget commensurate with its mission.  A
>minimum of $14 billion is required for fiscal year l990.

It's a shame that the National Space Society leaders have not seen fit
to take input on questions of policy from members.  Since joining, I
have seen no attempt on their part to encourage debate of policy issues
on any level of the organization.  Instead, they send out questionnaires
asking whether we should (a) Build the Space Station, (b) Go to the
Moon, or (c) Go to Mars.

Some NSS chapters are discussing issues of policy.  If you want to join
us, send me email.

William Baxter

ARPA: web@{garnet,brahms,math}.Berkeley.EDU   
UUCP: {sun,dual,decwrl,decvax,hplabs,...}!ucbvax!garnet!web

San Diego L5, pronoun,  1. An organization working to foster the 
creation of a spacefaring civilization through public outreach,
occasional political action, and establishing an appropriate
philosophical basis for informed policy decisions.  2. A disease that
infects NSS chapters causing them to refuse orders from headquarters to
engage in NASA boosting and other anti-space activities.