Pro-space exploration people--unite to make it happen soon!
People
committed to realizing space exploration plans tend to work better in organized groups--most of the time. One inspring
example concerned a young man who spearheaded an Internet petition effort to that staved off the cancellation of
the space probe mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Check out the organizations dedicated to raising public concsciousness
about space missions. Groups are also intent on making space travel and off-Earth settlements as real as the very infrastructure
people in developed societies rely upon for daily life on 21st century Earth.
Don't give up on the cause, even if the US lacks the
budget for human exploration of the moon...
Hot-spots, Inner Sol System
Earth orbit is a very attractive place
to support scientific research, discover useful commercial spin-offs, stage exploration missions, and support a hotel
chain in microgravity--complementary souvenir soap and shampoo may not be included!
Luna/Moon is the primary stop for setting up a test
area to evaluate medium to long duration space flights and off-Earth settlements. Minerals for breathable air, spacecraft
fuel and industrial applications await the Moon Miners--union or non-union. Being close to Terra is a plus
if there is an emergency or a pleasant vacation trip to see scenery with colors other than brown or gray.
Mars is the next stop and a terrific launching
point for missions into the Outer Solar System. Mars could host new mineral prospectors in search of valuable finds
on this planet or in the Asteroid Belt. Mars' atmosphere and landscape could be dramatically transformed to host new
human residents--over the possible objections of Martian eco-activists/ monumentalists/not-in-my rocky barren desert types.
Credit: NASA
International Space Station (Alpha), November 2008, low-Earth orbit
