NASA's Constellation Moon Mission Would Inspire Us, Despite Budget Cuts

For those who still care about sending astronauts into space, hearing about the preliminaries starting at NASA on a manned return to the moon is exhilarating. With only a projected goal of going back within eleven years of the writing of this article and a mission title of Constellation, it all seems within reach, outside of the non-scientific thought that we should have gone back so much sooner. But with a moon orbiter being ready to go to map out the surface of the moon again as we did right before the 1960's Apollo missions, the intention by NASA to get us back to the moon within our lifetimes is quite real and not just speculation. With news reports, though, saying that the budgets for the mission will likely be cut severely long before the projected launch date in 2020, there seems to be the emerging possibility we'll never really go back to shut the mouths of those who say all past moon landings were faked on a sound stage somewhere in the Nevada desert.

Perhaps that'll change when the above-mentioned probe (the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) launches in June and eventually maps out the surface of the moon where it may just catch high-definition pictures showing remnants of the original Apollo missions. Once that happens, it seems the impetus to get back to the moon would make every senator in Congress want to head to that awe-inspiring figurative moon when dealing with the funding prospects.

It's fairly obvious stunning space images always help in getting NASA more money to explore our universe. Certainly the images they've been getting from the space telescopes and the space shuttle missions in the last decade keeps the millions flowing in. The only danger is just how moved Congress will be by breathtaking pictures of the moon's surface to approve the ultimate billions needed to make the mission reality. With the term "budgetary shortfall" being one of the biggest understatements of our times, no one would want to be in the shoes of a Congressperson now, especially if they happen to be a fan of the space program.

We'll always get a few snarky members of Congress who don't care a feather or a fig about going to space and thinking it's a waste of our time when earthly problems overwhelm. Yet most of them are going to have a hard time telling NASA that budgetary concerns means likely cutting the funds to return to the moon by 2020. If any of the few people who sit and watch C-SPAN happen to catch that particular hearing in the near future, it may be one of the most moving ever seen next to discussions about the bailouts. We also know the word bailout will occur in at least every other sentence in emotionally explaining why the cuts have to be done.

This is all conjecture at this point, of course, though inevitable based on predictions of NASA's future budgetary demands. I've nevertheless mentioned before in other articles regarding the prospective moon mission that true inspiration can rise above budgetary concerns or even blasé personalities who think exploring space is nothing but a dead end. There's always the strong possibility that the images of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will wow just the right people--and at the right time.
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Anyone who thinks times won't be tough by 2020 is just kidding themselves. Well, we can hope a better world will be here by then where, via most religious beliefs, things will be much more meaningful and repaired. Unless that happens before then, the trajectory of civilization in America is predicted to be far from good. It's during those more desperate times when things are going to be considered to bring people back together, no matter the cost.

In theory, we may not even have any money in the federal budget by then to do anything. If we do, however, and have to make a decision about where it goes, something that can potentially rouse people back to some kind of inspiration may be top priority. Knowing how our budgets work, we'll end up spending plenty on too many things and making future generations pay for it as they always do. You can bet that most members of Congress now would be a lot happier if they could be remembered for putting the country in massive debt on a moon mission rather than a massive bailout plan for the economy.

Because we'll still be paying for the bank bailouts when NASA comes calling to get their own bailout to get back to the moon, Congress will have to make the decision whether to put the country in deeper debt in order to fund a profound mission. Even if the images from the orbiter don't incite Congress to act on it, all one needs to do is go and give an in-depth study of how the world reacted to the first moon landing in July of 1969. If ever there was a time where you could say the world stopped and had a moment of blissful communion, it was the moment Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon and changed humankind's evolution forever.

You can say that the moon landing came at the right time when the country had just been torn apart a year earlier with some of the worst violence and political unrest since the days of the Civil War. Whether via a grand design or just coincidence, going back to the moon in 2020 may just be at the right time...if maybe a little overdue. The only trick is trying to convince those who front the money that going there would make a difference in assuaging the temperament and frustrations of a hurting nation. It's hard to design the reality of seeing human beings walking on the moon in the current time unless you lived through the euphoria of the original moon landing.

Since my generation (Gen X) and the two generations following to date never had that chance and only vicariously through 40-year-old video clips, the money should be made available for the sake of inspiring the populace during a time of unknown volatility. Should the lunar orbiter catch those images of the old landing site by the Apollo missions, it's hard to imagine the money being turned away, especially if the resolution level is stunningly clear on the U.S. flag we planted on the moon's surface.

The inspiration of forwarding our evolution of exploring space ultimately comes down to how clear we can imagine it through the prism of high-resolution photography taken in advance of our new excursions. We can only hope the future doesn't dim the ability to envision the chance at bringing the rare event where every living soul with access to media is in awe of one astounding event.

Source:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30316051/