September 19, 2005

NASA has announced plans to send astronauts to the moon by the year 2020 [in a new "spaceship"].
  • Before the end of the next decade, NASA astronauts will again explore the surface of the moon. And this time, we're going to stay, building outposts and paving the way for eventual journeys to Mars and beyond. There are echoes of the iconic images of the past, but it won't be your grandfather's moon shot. [from NASA website]
  • Fastest derail ever!
  • Who dared to swab the planks with grease! I agree with your sentiment Zanshin, but perhaps a bit off topic? Arrr!
  • Poverty and space exploration are valid and necessary persuits. Perhaps the cost of armed conflict / regime change / whatever / should be getting highlighted instead. I for one think the space programme is fab. Let's do it.
  • Oh, I didn't knew it was elections time again! /snickers
  • Why is that off topic? You seem to acknowledge the connection? We could have discussed the logistics of NASA's plans for a while, but eventually, somebody would bring up the topic of it's cost and question whether or not it is truly necessary at this time in our cultural history? I'm just speeding up the process. I find your posting interesting, but I do have opinions on the necessity of space exploration. I consider them to be on topic.
  • Commercial activity associated with NASA SBIR technology is significant. A minimum of 612 products and services at least partially based on NASA SBIR technology have generated at least $2.28 billion of cumulative revenues in non-U.S. Government markets. By comparison, NASA’s total investment in the SBIR program over the 1983–96 period is $1.11 billion. The broad spectrum of types of products and services, as well as the corresponding industrial sectors in which NASA SBIR technology is commercially applied, suggest that commercial activity associated with NASA’s SBIR Program is pervasive in the economy. A significant amount of strategic alliance partnering by SBIR firms with other private entities regarding these ventures underscores the pervasiveness of commercial activity associated with application of NASA SBIR technology.
  • The incidence of commercial application of NASA SBIR technology in non-U.S. Government markets is significant. Specifically, at least 31 percent of all NASA Phase II awards have produced technology upon which ventures generating revenues in non-U.S. Government markets have been at least partially based.
  • NASA’s SBIR firms demonstrate significant commercial intent regarding application of NASA SBIR technology. For at least 38 percent of the Phase II awards made by NASA over the 1983–96 period, either the technology was incorporated in products and services generating revenues in non-U.S. Government markets, or the firm took significant action to develop a commercial venture at least partially based on the technology.
    ... and on and on. - http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR
    Perhaps we're not investing enough?