Going back to the moon

[Michael Wisniewski]

Just saw president Bush on TV remarking that he would like to go back to the moon with the hopes of establishing a human presence for further exploration! Man that's been one of my dreams since I was 8 years old. I hope they do it before my time on earth runs out.

Here's the link to CNN.com

[Imran Zaidi]

And lets also hope it's not just a ploy to get your vote since we're all so excited about the current Mars mission and elections are but months away.

I'm such a cynic.

[K. Forman]

I'm all for sending Bush to the moon... hehehe

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

It's an intitiative that's long overdue--stalled in the past by unprincipled budgeting and lack of international cooperation.

[Aaron Koolen]

Yeah long overdue, but there's a tad more important things to spend the money on me thinks. Too bad they don't spend it on them..

Aaron

[Chris Hurd]

Boys... please remember, no political discussions are allowed at DV Info. Please relate this back to video or media of some kind, or it'll have to go.

:-(

(stern, frowny emoticon thingy)

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

Think the XL2 will be out by 2020 so they can use it on Mars?

[Aaron Koolen]

Hmm, that brings up the question of what special, if any sorts of things need to be done to a camera that is going to the moon? I guess they just build a good housing rather than a camera that can handle the extreme environment.

Aaron

[Michael Wisniewski]

On the McNeil Lehrer news hour, they mentioned that one of the projects that is already in the works is a Hubble type telescope to be placed on the far side of the moon.

[John Locke]

An announcement like that is just what NASA needs to inspire people again.

Hard to imagine it, but those born after the moon landing tend to be a bit blasé about space...having grown up with a "been there done that" attitude. The shuttle program hasn't done much in the way of inspiration...in fact, the shuttle accidents have probably diminished interest further.

Announcing something on a grander, more mythical scale is smart planning on NASA's part. That'll bring in needed funds...and elevate space exploration to renewed lofty heights.

Kind of surprising, though, that 2018 is the target date. We went from "That's impossible" to landing someone on the moon in less than a decade. Now...with all the technology available...it's going to take THAT long?!

[Imran Zaidi]

Will my camera's optical image stabilization work in zero or low gravity? I'm hoping to volunteer for the first living being sent to Mars mission (the one where they send the monkey, not the real astronaut - and I would go in place of the monkey).

[Rick Bravo]

Robert,

The XL2 will probably end up on Mars...if, the Democrats don't screw everything up! ;)

(Sorry Chris, couldn't help myself!)

I can't even begin to imagine the quality of images from the Red Planet that may be received 20 years from now. Something to look forward to.

RB

[Pete Bauer]

Since I work at NASA, I can state authoritatively that by the time humans land on Mars, we will all be using Super-HD microcorders...except for those of us who have assumed room temperature by then! ;-)

Seriously, even though the Presidential directive doesn't have the pizzazz of the great Kennedy challenge, it will spur technology in all kinds of ways just as did the race to the moon. The Space Station program has to replace the camcorders on the ISS every so often because the harsh environment of space causes the pixels in the CCDs to die much faster than on earth. I'll bet that for long duration missions, there will be R&D that will result in better cameras for all of us. Among many other things.

[Frank Granovski]

Think the XL2 will be out by 2020 so they can use it on Mars?

No. They'll be using the Panasonic PAL MX500 - tomorrow's technology today. :-))

[Michael Wisniewski]

those born after the moon landing tend to be a bit blasé about space...having grown up with a "been there done that" attitude

• I'm not blasé, if anything I feel a little resentful towards the earlier 60's generation for making these grand promises and (from my viewpoint) conveniently abandoning them on the way because they were "too hard" or "had other important things to do". I remember being 8 years old (1978) and being completely certain I would be visiting a space station by the year 2000, and I remember thinking that it was very important that it happened. I even worked for NASA Ames Research Center in Menlo Park, during the last 2 summers of high school!
  
  As sappy as it sounds, I'm glad they made this announcement, it makes me very hopeful again for the things I think are really important for the future.