Today is the 40th anniversary of the moon landing! I am married to a rocket scientist/ physicist who has trained astronauts and has worked on multiple shuttle missions - so this is a major holiday in in our home! One of the many reasons I love NPR is the breadth of topics covered. Below are a few of the many links out there regarding the moon landing.
Some argue that after the moon landing, NASA has lost its sense of purpose. Are there any scientists/ engineers/ future astronauts/ or big thinking academics out there who have an opinion on what NASA's mission should be?
http://wechoosethemoon.org/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106304009
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106742521
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I don't feel like NASA has lost its sense of purpose, but I do feel like the American people have lost their enthusiasm. In the article "A Small Step to the Moon, a giant leap to mars" the author points out that the moon landing in the 60s was a HUGE deal. The moon landing signified something gigantic. It symbolized technological growth and of course advancing more quickly than the Soviet Union. Today, the American people are so wrapped up in their own problems that we don't realize, that NASA is still doing great things! Now that the American people don't have the same adrenaline caused by competition, we don't take as much pride in what NASA is really doing. Currently NASA is planning on exploring more of mars, to me, this is awesome! The moon seems so close, so empty and so boring, while Mars actually feels like another planet, another world! I don't believe that the people at NASA have lost their enthusiasm or their sense of purpose. I just think that the American people, as a whole, don't inform themselves enough to recognize NASA's purpose.
ReplyDeleteWell put, Jordyn. :)
ReplyDeleteI myself admit to the fact that I don't have an abundant amount of enthusiasm towards NASA projects simply b/c I've had other aspects of my life to devote attention to. Nonetheless, I agree that the current procedures taking place by NASA are no less important today than they were fifty years ago. America - and the greater part of the world - have made huge technological advancements since the time Man first walked on the Moon, and our society has become so involved with our state of non-stop progression that it's become difficult to appreciate things that may not directly affect our lives. The fact that NASA is continuing its efforts to explore more of our galaxy and solar system to recover scientific data that will benefit us all is nothing short of awesome, whether some of us acknowledge it or not. They are pursuing one of the greatest virtues of human life: knowledge. That is and has been their purpose, and we should emplore them to keep up their great efforts.
I've read many books on the space programs in the late 50s and 60s that led to the moon landing. I agree with Melissa and Jordyn that Nasa has not entirely lost its sense of purpose but that it has lost the support of the American people. In the 50s and 60s, the space program was something everyone could unite and come together on. It was a way to show patriotism during the Cold War, a way to take a stand against Communism. The main reason we even have a space program and the advanced technology is because we were in a Space Race. We could not lose face to the Soviet Union and people were afraid of what else the Soviets might have been able to lauch into space. After Apollo and the moon landings, NASA began to focus on the Space Shuttle and eventually the Space Station. The ISS has been important in building relationships between the US and other countries. Science has always been a fairly successful type of diplomacy.
ReplyDeleteOne question many people have asked with the end of the Space Shuttle missions coming closer is if we should go back to the moon. It would be cool, and we could do even more experiments and build stronger relations with countries that are just now starting to look toward the moon and space. Going to Mars has been put out there as the next big mission that NASA wishes to undertake. That however would cost money that could be better put to other endeavours. I'm all for space exploration and testing the bounds of technology but we also need to focus on the problems here on Earth. Buzz Aldrin said in an article in the Seattle Times that it was great going to the moon, and from there, the astronauts could see the Earth in a completely differnt light. It made them realize just how special, fragile and unique Earth was. Aldrin stated how he wished politicians and top CEO's could experience that view. From up in space and on the moon, there are no borders, no countries. Just one world.
With the Space Shuttle missions coming to an end, NASA should continue to explore the reaches of our galaxy and the universe with probes and robots, but they should wait on the mission to Mars. We have problems here that need to be solved before we go off and take our problems to another planet.
Now, NASA's purpose should be to show all of us here on Earth, not just Americans, that what we have here on Earth is precious, and should not be taken for granted. For as we see the sun rise and the moon rise, a few astronauts were privileged to see "Earth rise" from behind the moon, and the realization came to them that the Earth is just a tiny blue and green marble of life floating in a black sea.
First of all, I have not done to much research on this topic (I'm on vacation), but for me I don't think that it was the actual moon landing that caused NASA, or the citizens of America, to lose their enthusiasm for outerspace. Rather I believe that it was the end of the "Space Race" and the Cold War that ended it. During the Cold War against the Soviet Union, the government stress the goal of beating the Soviets through propaganda. Therefore the citizens of the United States were thrilled and excited for the begginning of the Space Age. Although as the Cold War came to a close, and the Soviet Union dissolved, the propaganda slowed edged away. Since then America has not heard too much from NASA. This may have been the reason that it seemed as though NASA has lost its purpose, just because we do not know what their purpose is anymore. I for example, have no idea what the purpose of NASA is, though I believe that their purpose should be an image of what it was in the past. NASA needs to explore the outer edges of the universe for the same reason that Christopher Columbus ventured to America, and for the same reason Lewis and Clark headed west. We don't know what we will find there, but the worst that's gonna happen is that we will have more knowledge of our galaxy and beyond. Plus if Americans were the first, than it could also benefit our foreign policy and relations. Thus furthur solidifying ourselves as a, or the, world power.
ReplyDeleteOh and I apoligize for anything I repeated that were in the posts above mine. I didn't really read them til after I posted. But it seems that we're all kinda on the same page. Again sorry if I did!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that NASA is at fault here, there is a unimaginable amount of achivements that NASA could achive but only a few that are any where near attainable. For example, there are an near infinite amount of worlds and stars out there to explore and reach but most are to far away to be seen in our life time. The achivements that happened so rapidly during the 60's were ones that were "easily" attainable. i say easy because in relative comparison to say reaching mars or other farther planets they are relativly easy. Excluding the moon landings NASA has had many other monumental achievements. The Huble Telescope, the Mars rovers, the satellites Galileo and Cassini which orbit jupiter, the International Space Station. Also one of the most important recent missions to come from NASA is the New Horizons which is a probe that is set to explore the farthest reaches of our galaxy and beyond. who knows what we will find out the in great black beyond. but the missions are proof that NASA hasn't slowed down or lost it's mojo. NASA has just been shadowed by other events in history and not reported upon.
ReplyDeleteI agree also that NASA is not at fault. However, i do agree that people have lost their enthusiasm, the media is to blame for this. They choose what they report, so they control what we hear. If they did report everyday about new information about NASA it would perhaps interest more people. The media today has complete control over everything, if they decide not to cover the story it is likely most people will never hear about it. The media cares more about ratings then actually reporting the news. So news stations are not likely to report on NASA happenings because it is not as exciting as a failing economy. Also, media usually enjoys focusing on the negative, there is rarely good news reported, NASA happenings are considered postive, and is not what media thinks people are looking for.
ReplyDeleteSo far it seems like pretty much everyone is on the same page. Everyone agrees that it is the common citizens of America that are at fault for not seeing the purpose of NASA anymore, and I quite agree. NASA came to life during the Space Race, and continued to do well until the cold war was over, but then people lost interest in it. There are so many different things that NASA can do in space, and as Melissa said their whole mission is to aquire more knowledge of the universe. Having the ability to research more on Mars -- the only other planet that in our solor system capable of eventually holding life -- is a great opportunity! We could see if there is more evidence that it was once habitable by life and if so why they became extinct. The pattern of life on Mars might reflect the pattern of life on Earth -- in its past or its future. If we can find out how exaclty the Earth would evolve over time based on the evoluion of Mars then NASA definitly has a direction. Also if all the scientists at NASA were forced to change direction from space exploration then where would they turn to? In modern day society it seems that there is a constant threat of warfare no matter what country is threatening. I believe that most likely these space scientists would be made to come up with deadly weopens that could function in space which would offset the somewhat peaceful world. Yes America always wants to stay on top, but maybe the way to stay on top is not by giving NASA a new direction, but by allowing it to continue its space exploration.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Savannah, very poetic last sentances
Since the dawn of man, humans have always been interested in exploration and trying to find out what is over the next hill or mountain or what exactly lives in that pond. I think that since the moon landing in 1969, Americans have lost some sense of enthusiasm and pride in our space program. I support NASA but lately it seems that all they are interested in doing is taking pictures of moons and different stars far away. I understand that it requires a ton of time and money to do actual landings but to me it is a breath of fresh air knowing that nasal is making an attempt such an extraordinary expedition. It is also nice to hear that NASA has selected mars as its next target. Over the past years there has been a ton of speculation over what exactly is on mars so it would be good for everyone to find out what lies on the red sands of mars. All in all, I support NASA. I mean think about it... everyone knows that at some point in their lives they wanted to be an astronaut.
ReplyDeleteChanse
This is an interesting blog regarding the rovers and all the mission stuff...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/spirit-update.html
Growing up in my household, one of the first stories my mother ever told me was of how she first watched the moon landing, and how, at the moment of touch down, the entire world seemed to be holding their breath; together. Since then, the world's triumph has had little competition in its historical relevance. Certainly the first lunar landing is accomplishment whose significance as a scientific as well as political milestone will not soon be forgotten. However, due to the success of this single action, the relevance of NASA and its associate programs has slipped to the wayside as other world issues have shifted the focus of the people. During a time of secretive warfare, the Space Race allowed two conflicting nations to battle with technology and status. In our time, government based technological advances are reserved for war while private enterprises have taken interest in the world beyond.
ReplyDeleteIn the coming decades the new Space race will be adapted to a struggle between private companies who accommodate wannabe astronauts and true science based exploration. For NASA the newest missions will bring them closer to another coveted landmark; man on mars. Though the moon landing will forever be a legend, NASA’s participation will never be forgotten and certainly never overshadowed regardless of future irrelevance or old age.
NASA's Next Mission:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/NASA-039-s-Next-Mission-On-Mars-Will-Be-MAVEN-93724.shtml
The lunar landing was a huge feat, and it really expanded the horizon for many of where mankind was capable of going. It has progressed research in the skies due to this. Imagine what space research would be like had the mission to the moon failed?? Would we have given up, or persisted harder??
ReplyDeleteAnother lunar mission?: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/orion/21st_century_style_return_to_the_moon.html
For those of us that understand the physics, even breaking free of the earths orbit is a considerable accomplishment.
ReplyDeletehttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/2949485691_1cd9bd2d2f_m.jpg
In order to leave Earth, a certain escape velocity must be reached. Escape velocity is generally understood as the minimum velocity needed to escape a gravitational field (the speed where the kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its gravitational potential energy).
Using relevant values you can obtain an escape velocity for earth of approximately 11.186 kilometers a second, or 25,022 miles per hour. However, this figure represents a stationary surface projection and does not take other specifications—like drag—into account. Regardless, internet sources show the Saturn V rocket used for the Apollo 11 mission reaching speeds of 25,053 mph during the third and final stage. This is considerably faster than the X-15 which has only reached speeds of 4,520 mph.
After making it into space, all that remains is a two-way, 238,857 mile trip to a desolate rock that lacks all the comforts of home. This is all very impressive for a rocket assembled from “two million parts—all built by the lowest bidder.”
The unbelievable feats accomplished by the Apollo missions have raised a chain of conspiracy theories. Sites like this one, http://www.ufos-aliens.co.uk/cosmicapollo.html, claim to have found controversial, undeniable, evidence regarding the Apollo “hoax.”—What do you think? He makes a convincing argument.
I have a few questions myself:
Why has our country been the only one to successfully reach the moon?
The Soviet counterpart to the Saturn V had four failed test launches before the program was finally canceled. Simply put, they just couldn’t compete with America. We came out on top, emerging as a world super power. By the time other countries gained the resources to match our technical innovation, it was too late; America had already claimed space for itself.
Why has it been 40 years since that first successful Apollo landing?
In the fast-paced American lifestyle, it is easy just to cross off “beat the Russians” and “go to the moon” from a big to-do list and move on. Besides, the NASA agenda is very expensive and people are generally forgetful. However, NASA has not lost its purpose.
Earlier this year, astronauts did repairs on the Hubble telescope. The modifications made to Hubble offer an insight to the immense universe that surrounds our infinitesimal speck of a planet (check out these images: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/servicing/SM4/multimedia/shuttle_Hubble_inFrontofSun.html). The telescope is capable of viewing galaxies that are billions of light years away. Before blindly launching more rockets off into space, it is important to know where we are ultimately heading in the future.
The legions of stars that dot the sky could offer an infinite supply of resources or a solution to an incurable disease. More importantly, the neighboring bodies of rock could be used to lift the burden from the earth. Most of the current problems on earth are a result of unsustainable population growth. By shifting our vast populations onto other worlds we have a solution. This is what NASA’s mission should be.
In conclusion, most people just happen to be more interested in who got voted off American Idol last night.
I agree with everyone else. NASA has not forgotten its purpose but has lost its support from the American people. I will have to admit that I am not as interested in NASA as much as I would like to be. When the space shuttle Endeavor and its crew of seven astronauts reported and answered questions from space, I was not interested and only laughed at how their hair was floating all over the place. I did not want to watch it, but my dad said this was important. This reveals how this generation is only interested in what’s happening on earth or it could only be me. Yet, NASA is doing everything it can to gain our support. We are a media generation and NASA has considered this. NASA has its own television channel, Youtube account and even sent its first “tweets” from the Space Station NASA has made many achievements, but also made many interesting announcements that have not yet been met like a permanent moon base. Maybe a moon base will boost up morale.
ReplyDeleteIf it was not for NASA and their research of the final frontier then we would still think that Pluto was a planet.
Here’s Astronaut Tim Kopra twitter page;
http://twitter.com/Astro_Tim
Here’s a blog from “Newscientist” created by an armature space historian who believes where NASA should go;
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2009/07/where-should-nasa-go-from-here.html
I think Savannah stated it perfectly! While it hasn't really lost its importance, it has lost it’s sense of support in America. Adding to what everyone else has already stated, I think the fact that so many people doubt that we have gone to the moon and have called it "fake" is outrageous. I remember seeing an article a long time ago that practically dissected pictures and such of the moon landing and called them studio shot and not real. At the time of the first USA moon landing, NASA was extremely important. Now, with NASA practically out of the news scene, I don’t think Americans have much to look to in order to see what is going on in our space programs. With people being so critical and there not being much for others to look to in order to see progress, I think NASA’s support with many Americans has gone down.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the second posted article, NASA has lost it's way. NASA was created in 1958 for the Cold War and the space race and that's why it has trouble finding a place in 21th century America. After the moon landing not only did the American people lose interest, but NASA's think tank of talented scientists didn't care anymore either. They up and left to explore more exciting horizons. I mean they put a man on the moon! What else was there to do? And their more recent programs haven't gathered public interest either. Many argue that the ISS and the space shuttle are just programs to keep NASA's funding alive and to keep man in space, but with no real scientific benefit. I'm not sure this is true but it does seem plausible. Especially because the space shuttle is out of date and tired. That's why they keep crashing. When produced the space shuttle had a lifetime of 10 years. That's nearly 30 years ago! And now days private investors like Richard Branson seem to be making more headway on reliable space vehicles than NASA. For example the X Prize that was claimed by a private business that sent man into space twice in two weeks. I think it is time for NASA to either get a major revitalization, which would require government money, or step aside, take pride in it's achievements, and let the private businesses continue the work.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is a really good article to educate you about the debate on NASA funding.
http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=783
NASA never lost its sense of purpose. After the moon landing, everything that was left for NASA to do was repetetive and because of this they lost the focus of the public's eye. Also, as technology rapidly expands, NASA has to shift from looking at stars and planets within our own solar system to galaxies millions of miles away. As they expand their horizons, the public finds little relevance to their own lives and lose any interest in the subject. I feel as though NASA should keep on going and looking at the bigger picture. The moon wasn't very exciting anyways...
ReplyDeleteI found another article in the Seattle Times that comments on how people seem to think that NASA needs to change their direction. They believe that the budget is way overdone for launching a new rocket Ares while the scientists argue that it is the first step to getting humans back into space once again. They believe that they need more funding in order to safely put humans back into space, and I agree. If there are people out there willing to invest in the X prize what if they worked together with NASA to get humans back into space? This could revolutionize the way American's think of NASA's objectives and could ultimately help us research the universe some more for less accidents as I said previously.
ReplyDeleteIn case you were wondering the link to the article previously mentioned is http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009557722_apusnasafuture.html
The problem with NASA in modern times isn’t that NASA has lost its luster it is that the American people have lost the drive and competition that was present during the cold war and the race to beat the Russians to the moon. However modern day scientists believe that Mars, our next big mission, is within reach. Jeff Greason and his team of scientist have a plan to build a large refueling station that would orbit around the moon allowing space ships to refuel. This ability to refuel after leaving Earth’s atmosphere, would give astronauts enough fuel to reach the red planet. Mars is our next goal in space, but I ask one question, can you claim an entire planet just because you get there first?
ReplyDeletehttp://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/07/space-gas-station.html
I must say that I am very disappointed in NASA as they are not really doing what the public thinks they are doing. When I think of NASA, I think of gallant spacemen exploring the universe, landing on foreign planets and advancing humanity. What I got was a business that focuses on sending telecommunications rockets into space at a loss. No wonder national enthusiasm is at an all time low. Also with legislature banning private space companies that could do the same thing cheaper and quicker I doubt I'll be in a Martian space habitat anytime soon. The only solution is allowing the private businesses to fight over contracts, much like airline contractors for the air force, and let them take us into THE WORLD OF TOOOOMMMOOORRROOOWWW. If not, I guess I'll enjoy my mundane Earth life for now.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm not a scientist/ engineer/ future astronaut, but I'm a huge Star Trek fan, and I'd really love to see space exploration continue, and even capture some public interest again. That being said, I'm not expecting us to whip right around, build an Enterprise and take off across the galaxy fighting Klingons. :)
ReplyDeleteBut I do think there's a lot of benefits that we haven't' discovered in space, and it's really sad that NASA has lost so much public appeal since man's first jaunt on the moon. I just read an article related to this about how space exploration, and the technology used to sustain it, has actually worked its way into the medical field.
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9811/02/space.medical/index.html
There's also this link, also from CNN, that goes a little more in depth on that subject.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/14/space.spinoff.medicine/index.html
I just think it's awesome how you really wouldn't naturally link space or NASA to earth health care, but it's there. And if we can get these types of results from relatively little time in space, who knows how great the results could be if we keep exploring.